As we savor our juicy, sweet, succulent strawberries, revel in the fresh arugula, push the basil along and dream about a ripe tomato, it just seems incongruous that we should be planning and planting our winter garden vegetables now. And by the way, just where in the lush, full overgrowth of the summer vegetable garden do we install the seeds and starts?
Winter vegetables include mixed winter greens (kales, Asian greens, mustards), potatoes, winter leeks and fava beans. Combining these with the prolific summer squash (pureed and frozen), your winter soups will have pride of place at the table, and your household food budget will show some significant savings. A friend has kept meticulous production records. She calculates a savings rate of between $300 and $400 for a two-person household. This is just from the winter vegetables!
Additionally, there is the pride in knowing that you have reduced transportation costs and fuel.
So, where to plant becomes the consuming question. With the summer heat settling in, your springtime leafy green vegetables are goners. Bolting and tasting bitter, out they go. There, that makes a nice big space, even though the neat and colorful lettuce rows added a nice design element.
Some of the lengthy trailers on the squash plants can be removed or artfully corralled into smaller spaces. A bit later in this month, the tomato plants should be heavily pruned. All new flowering branches should be removed and much of the leafy growth reduced in volume. This opens the plants to the sunshine and focuses their energy on the fruit that has set. Yes, Gracie, we will have a ripe tomato this year.
Find out about the volunteer activities at your local P-Patch. Knowledgeable vegetable gardeners who are noted for being always ready to dispense advice will surround you.
All of this planning and planting may feel overwhelming and not worth the trouble. But the big payoff comes in the winter. Winter vegetables only need to be cropped. There is no need to water, weeds are nonexistent and slugs are not a problem!
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