you got any tips on winter gardening?
First things first I’ll admit I am not an experienced gardener. I’ve fucked around with plants before but 2020 was my first year to actually get a harvest.
That being said, the first step you should take is research! Look up cold weather crops, which plant hardiness zone you live in, your local frost dates, the temperature required to germinate and harvest these crops (broccoli germinates in the warmth and thrives in the cold, but many crops won’t germinate above 70° F), and write all this shit down. Temperature and timing is key here!
(Winter crops include artichoke, arugula, asparagus, beet, broccoli, brussel sprouts, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, celery, chard, cilantro, collards, fennel, garlic, kale, lettuce, mustard, onion, peas, potatoes, spinach, radish, and turnips)
Second, and this applies to all gardening, do not spend top dollar on supplies!
1: Seeds are cheap to produce, are being disposed of en masse around this time of year, and you can probably find cheap or free seeds from your local seed library using this locator or by searching “seed library” + your location (on DuckDuckGo.com , instead of Shmoogle, of course).
2: Compost can be found for free or cheap at municipalities that accept compost from residents (only one town in my area does this, but for one pickup truck full of compost is $30, vs maybe 3 or 4 bags of compost from retailers for the same price)
3: wood chips make great mulch, which will protect your plants from the cold, help retain moisture, and enrich the soil over time. Do Not Buy Woodchips! Arborists consistently produce wood chips as a byproduct of removing trees, and will gladly let you have as much as you want for free, considering the alternative is paying landfills to take them. Call your local arborists and see if they will let you pick them up or better yet, if they deliver!
4: if you want to make raised beds, do not buy new wood! Get that shit for free from the back of any big box store, they always have have piles of wood pallets. OR ask any place that sells wood if you can have their off-cuts OR buy majorly discounted wood in packs OR check fa.cebo.ok/cra.iglist for free wood
5: talk about it! Let everyone from your grandpappy to your friend’s fam know that your gardening. people who have gardened in the past will have have all kinds of supplies they don’t use anymore that could be useful to you. And you don’t know until you talk about it!
That’s all I can think of for now. Happy gardening!
