Marianne Hohenner explains how using a row cover can extend the growing season in Southeastern Minnesota at her Stone Point Gardening Workshop. Her preparation for the workshop led her to the forecast for the remaining months in this area which is predicted to have below normal temperatures with precipitation above normal. The National Climatic Data Center gives the Winona area a typical 168 day frost-free growing season. Frost can be expected from October 8 through April 23.
If a surprise frost catches a person unaware, the garden plants and fruit blossoms can be protected by washing off the frozen dew with a hose or sprinkler can of cool water. Just as in spring, large cartons, sheets and blankets can be used in preparation for a frost. For the difficult plants to cover, turn on the sprinklers because that will maintain the temperature at above freezing.
Hotbeds and cold frames were commonly used in the garden by the settlers from Europe to extend their number of gardening days but began to disappear when railroads began to transport cheaper produce from the South in the 1870’s.
Extending the growing season depends on the hours of a day. Plants will not grow if the day length drops below ten hours. Our growing zone drops below ten hours around November 4-5 and resumes about 10 hours around February 6.
Marianne offered information about how to extend a growing season by selecting vegetables that tolerate cool weather, planting in raised buds, planting the garden facing south, using plastic jugs or fiberglass cones to cover young plants, watering regularly and harvesting often and controlling soil and air temperature with mulches and row covers. She introduced a product called “Walls-O-Water” which she has used successfully in her own garden. She went on to give more details about raised beds, cloches, hoop houses and cold frames. Mulches were mentioned but with cautions having to do with soil temperatures.
She lead a discussion about using information that can be found on seed packets and gave general plant requirements for a number of vegetables. Mentioning root crops brought up the fact that some root crops can be left in the ground and harvest through the winter if adequately covered.
Finally, Marianne led the group to the garden where everyone joined in to set up a row cover and plant radish and carrot seeds which will hopefully be harvested before the snow flys.
Submitted by Tom Kujawa, University of Minnesota Extension Master Gardener.
If a surprise frost catches a person unaware, the garden plants and fruit blossoms can be protected by washing off the frozen dew with a hose or sprinkler can of cool water. Just as in spring, large cartons, sheets and blankets can be used in preparation for a frost. For the difficult plants to cover, turn on the sprinklers because that will maintain the temperature at above freezing.
Hotbeds and cold frames were commonly used in the garden by the settlers from Europe to extend their number of gardening days but began to disappear when railroads began to transport cheaper produce from the South in the 1870’s.
Extending the growing season depends on the hours of a day. Plants will not grow if the day length drops below ten hours. Our growing zone drops below ten hours around November 4-5 and resumes about 10 hours around February 6.
Marianne offered information about how to extend a growing season by selecting vegetables that tolerate cool weather, planting in raised buds, planting the garden facing south, using plastic jugs or fiberglass cones to cover young plants, watering regularly and harvesting often and controlling soil and air temperature with mulches and row covers. She introduced a product called “Walls-O-Water” which she has used successfully in her own garden. She went on to give more details about raised beds, cloches, hoop houses and cold frames. Mulches were mentioned but with cautions having to do with soil temperatures.
She lead a discussion about using information that can be found on seed packets and gave general plant requirements for a number of vegetables. Mentioning root crops brought up the fact that some root crops can be left in the ground and harvest through the winter if adequately covered.
Finally, Marianne led the group to the garden where everyone joined in to set up a row cover and plant radish and carrot seeds which will hopefully be harvested before the snow flys.
Submitted by Tom Kujawa, University of Minnesota Extension Master Gardener.