December's Garden (2024)

 

It took us a while to get all the hoop houses up but we did it. 

The garden isn't as lush as last year's December garden and appears sparse on a gray and dreary, rainy day. Considering it didn't seem as if we would have anything due to the unusual hot fall weather, I'm thrilled to have this much. It is more than we can eat fresh with plenty to store for later. The garden looks bare but my pantry continues to be restocked.

There has been one big failure - the broccoli. All three beds are almost dead. This one has two remaining plants.

This is how they look. The seed catalog said Calabrese Broccoli was winter hardy. Obviously they weren't hardy enough. The packet is still full of seeds so I will start more in the early spring in hopes of getting a crop. Next fall, something else will be tried.

The two survivors are sandwiched between large lettuce plants so perhaps they are sheltered from the harsh winds.  

The Golden Cabbage experiment continues. Dropping a seed in each empty spot left by a harvested plant has worked so far. I'm sure it is depleting the nutrients but it is saving quite a bit of work and letting me see how different sizes relate to the bitter cold.

The big ones can't seem to manage the harsh weather without getting frost damage. I'm wondering if it is caused by being too close to the roof of the hoop house or if their height makes them susceptible to high winds. They have gotten huge, densely packed, are heavy to carry and nothing like those sold in the grocery stores. 

The seeds are some I have saved and they produce different colors. Nature is so unpredictable.

Now for a fantastic big success! Back in the spring when onion sets were available cheaply in bulk, I took the advice of an old-time farmer friend and purchased extra to store in my refrigerator until the fall planting. They have all sprouted! This is a game changer. It beats ordering expensive bulbs online. This spring, a year's worth will be purchased to be planted in the empty beds in the next winter garden. A few might be started from seed in the fall depending on the outcome of those seedlings growing now. This is less costly, easier, and utilizes unused space in the garden 

Big success number two is the spinach bed. It was so frustrating. It was planted four different times because the seeds wouldn't germinate. It does appear like the soil or the sun was too warm even though the planting date was correct on the calendar. There are three different varieties intermingled because I purchased the seeds from different places.

Spinach is one of our favorites and I was determined to have some. They have rewarded my diligence by producing abundantly.  My message to other gardeners is, don't give up. Keep trying. Eventually it will pay off and be worth it.

Last Month's November Garden (2024)

Last Year's December Garden (2023)