GROW OVERWINTERING VEGETABLES IN THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST: PLANT IN THE SUMMER - EAT ALL WINTER

grow-organic-swiss-chard-.jpg

BETTER THAN THE PRODUCE AISLE

Overwintering chard is seriously off to the races!

So grateful to live in this mild Mediterranean climate where sturdy vegetables can grow through the winter without any special accommodations.

The only tricky thing for winter growing here in Oregon is having to start seeds in the heat of our super dry rainless summer.

I start mine in re-used nursery six packs, keep them in a shady spot and water twice a day until they are ready for transplant. And all the fuss is so worth it because this way I get to eat fresh chard, sprouting broccoli and all manner of collards and kale all through the winter.

It's especially awesome to have fully grown vegetables in the garden at this time of year when we are just planting new crops and the new harvest is still at least a month away.

YQ4g5cdoTxOi02QjePbMYA.jpg

FRESH CARROTS ALL WINTER LONG

45 pounds of overwintering carrots from one 4x8 ft garden bed.

🥕🥕💪🏾⁠ ⁠

Clearing out the weeds, I mean, erosion control cover crops, and getting ready to sow Korean radish (Kimchi! 🥢) and peas. ⁠ ⁠

I feel so fortunate to have my community garden nearby. Portland is such a fantastic place for growing food year around.⁠ ⁠ Is it warm enough where you are to start spring plantings? ⁠ ⁠ 🌱

IMG_7910.JPG

FOOD NOT LAWNS

What was your first instinct once you realized just how serious and far reaching this pandemic was going to be? Did you also rush to extend your vegetable growing domain?! ⁠

My household's response to the impending apocalypse was a run to a lumber store to get rough cut cedar to add extra garden beds to the back yard. ⚒️⁠

We are glad we did it 4 weeks ago because everyone in our neighborhood had the same idea just a week ago and the store has been sold out for a while now.⁠

It didn't rain too hard today so we braved extension cords outside and build us two 10 ft by 3 ft garden beds. Not that hard to do, but now I gotta transfer 2 cubic yards of dirt from the driveway to the beds in the back yard. ⁠

I got a nice new wheelbarrow, but it's still gonna be hard work. But it's so worth it!⁠


🥕🌱⁠

What was your first instinct once you realized just how serious and far reaching this pandemic was going to be? Did you also rush to extend your vegetable gr...