winter gardening
The throes of winter
Spring is just around the corner, but don’t get too excited yet! We’re still deep in the throes of winter, even on the west coast.
I used my meat thermometer today to test the ground temperature, aaaand, we’re still frozen solid. A chilly 31 degrees Fahrenheit, or -1 degree Celsius .
Still, if you’re like me, now is the time when you really begin to crave the outdoors and start planning your garden for Spring.
If you’re so inclined, now is the time to get your onions and garlic in order. You can start your seeds indoor now, or purchase sets (little teeny tiny onion and garlic cloves that are ready to sprout and grow) and pry them into the ground. If you find yourself balking at the price of garlic sets at the gardening store, don’t worry you’re not alone. It can be crazy expensive for how much you get!
Tip of the week: go to a grocery store that carries fresh organic garlic (and yes, the organic part is important!) and stick a few heads in the bottom of your fridge for a week in a paper bag (this is called “forcing”).
Then plant as you normally would- separate into cloves and space apart in the ground. It’s way cheaper than buying sets from a garden store. Tried, tested and true.
Ready for Winter?
This could be a smart-ass remark about the weather in Vancouver, but it’s actually a real question.
Unlike the rest of Canada, stuff actually grows here in the winter and right now is the perfect time to start your winter garden.
For some reason, most gardening stores don’t sell much in the way of seedlings right now, so I guess that means only hardcore psycho-freaks plant winter gardens. That’s cool. I’m down with that. So to make it happen, you just gotta start your own seeds.
Now when I say “stuff grows here in the winter,” unfortunately, I’m not talking about rock n roll tomatoes so don’t get your hopes up too high. But you can have some nice veggies like lettuce, carrots, radishes, broccoli and onions in the patch no prob
Tip of the week: if you have just 20 minutes this week, start some lettuce.
Lettuce is one of the easiest and nicest looking winter crops. I recommend getting a pack of Super Gourmet Lettuce Blend from West Coast seeds (one package easily lasts me 2-3 years) and sprinkle liberally into a tray of seeding soil. You can even put them directly in the ground if you have space right now.
These little guys grow really well in a flower box or an outdoor pot so it’s an ideal solution if you’re in an apartment.
Update: I just saw this article in the Tuesday, August 26 edition of the Province newspaper. It`s all about about planning your fall garden. This article mentions growing spinach in the winter with a reminder to start your garlic bulbs now.
Cracked Pot Pix
