Transcript Veggie Gardening 201 - Trumpeter Swan Farm

Winter Season Produce
Remembering What We Once Knew
Phil Hannay, Kathy Kubal and Ashley Rickards
Trumpeter Swan Farm, Buffalo, MN
[email protected]
Advantages for Minnesota
Growers
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Decent Soils
Ample Moisture
Harsh Winter Reduces Pest Problems
Sunny Weather Reduces Mold Problems
Long Warm Summer Days Hasten Growth
Excessive Heat is Rare
Disadvantages for Minnesota
Growers
•Short
Growing
Season
Year-Round Produce - Is it Possible?
• Potatoes and Squash in Root Cellar?
– Sure, we could do that…
• Brussels Sprouts from the field in November?
– Yeah, I suppose…
• Radishes and Leeks from ground in December?
– With straw mulch and a snow shovel…
• Harvest Lettuce and Spinach in January?
– Now that’s just crazy talk!
Striving For Year-Round Produce
• In earlier years, local growers knew ways to
grow and maintain winter produce
• Cheap land, free water and inexpensive
transportation allowed places like California
to supply fresh produce, pricing out local
growers
• Now tables are turning with higher land
costs, water rationing and high fuel costs
Our Experiences, So Far…
• Like everyone, we’ve always tried to
expand our growing in the spring and fall.
• Inspired by Eliot Coleman’s “Four Season
Harvest” book – we have pursued a yearround CSA vision
• I will talk about our experiences over the
last 3 seasons
Warm Germination
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In cold soil, peas take 3 weeks to germinate
In 80 degree soil, peas take 5 days
Use a warm table to germinate in trays
After germination, move into full sun
Later, place trays on ground for rooting
Radish, onion sets, radish, snap peas
Warm Germination: Our Practice
• 6 foot folding table with plastic sheet cover and
2 foot overhang to catch heat
• Oil filled radiator for heat underneath table
• Germination bed thermostat controls radiator set at 75 degrees
• Plastic sheet over trays to retain moisture and
heat
• Foot square 4” high slotted trays hold 3” soil
Warm Germination: Our Practice
• Another method is a germination tent
• Uses a mini greenhouse from Menards
• Homemade water tray with immersion water
heater keeps temperature constant and
humidity high
• Water tray captures condensation
Row Covers - Prevent Frost
• Helps block radiated heat loss
• Slows down convection cooling
• Watch out for Clear and Calm - especially in
Spring when low humidity allows
temperature to drop quickly after sunset.
• Find the place on your land that frosts first monitor it
• I’ve seen frost when air temp was 42 degrees
Row Covers - Keep in Heat
• Plants don’t grow well below 50 degrees
• Chemical reaction speed doubles for every
18 degrees of increase
• So, with ample sun, plants grow twice as
fast at 86 degrees compared to 68 degrees
• Woven fabric is best (prevents overheating),
slitted plastic is okay as well
• Over 90 degrees, plants suffer
Row Covers: Our Practice
• Woven fabric like Agribon
• Anchor with rocks or sections of steel rebar
• Monitor weather service (www.noaa.gov)
watch dew point and wind speed - use
“Digital Weather Forecast” panel to see
predicted values every 3 hours
• In Spring - watch for surprise frosts
• In Fall - try to evade the first frost
Greenhouse in High Tunnel
• Build a simple plastic green house inside
high tunnel for early spring or later fall use.
• High tunnel provides wind and rain/snow
protection, so inside house can be simple
frame and plastic
• Can be sealed enough so a simple heater
and fan circulation can prevent temps from
going too low at night.
Greenhouse in High Tunnel: Our
Practice
• We use our tomato high tunnel that already
has a frame for securing netting for our
tomatoes during the summer.
• Simple channel and wiggle wire to secure
plastic.
• Roll up and store inside during summer
Mini-Raised Beds
• 2” wide raised beds made with two 8 foot
4” wide boards with 2” spacer boards
• Set on ground, fill with potting soil
• Set in transplants
• Warmer than underlying soil
• Easy to water (bed holds in the water like a
pot)
Mini-Raised Beds: Our Practice
• We use cheap 1/4” thick 4” wide wainscot
pine boards preserved with a sealer
• 2” wide cedar boards on ends completes
rectangle and spaces correctly, plus 1 in
middle
• Ideal for Jiffy-7 pellet based transplants
• Head Lettuce, Kale, Spinach, Broccoli
• Pull up beds and store after harvest
Cold Weather Holding
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Many plants hold produce well in cool air
Some hold well even thru freezes
Root crops can be held by mulching
Key is to grow enough produce in late
summer and early fall to have multiple weeks
of produce ready to hold when cool sets in
Cold Weather Holding: Our Practice
• Beans, Beets - for the last 3 weeks (plantings),
plant twice as many as earlier weeks
• Zucchini - last planting, 4 times as much, skip
straight neck squash (not as cold tolerant)
• Broccoli - last planting, twice as much
• Brussel Sprouts - we’ve eaten them in
December - picked frozen
• Lettuce and Spinach in hoop house - good to
15 degrees
Winter Harvest
• We get as much sun as southern France, but
no ocean to moderate the climate
• High Tunnel and row covers provide that
moderation – create a zone 6 climate six
inches off the ground – think southern
Missouri
• Heat of the day, plus water in ground, plus
row covers keeps the ground unfrozen
Winter Harvest: Our Practice
• Radish from seed
• Green onions from bulblets, leeks from
transplants
• Bok choi and kale from transplants
• Lettuce, arugula, mustard and spinach from
seed or transplants
Winter Harvest: Our Practice
• Ideal start is August 15. Growing pretty
much stops end of October.
• In 2012, harvested until ran out in midJanuary. Coldest night outside was 12
below.
• In 2013, did not start until Sept 15 (too hot
before that). Less growth – harvested until
mid-December.
Winter Harvest: Our Practice
• Manage heat early on – can be tricky in
early fall
• Water well before freezing weather arrives;
needed to hold latent heat, keep up the
humidity, and hydrate the plants into the
winter
• Use one or two layers of lightweight row
cover – easy to manage since no wind issue
Winter Harvest: Our Practice
• Harvest more sensitive crops like radishes
before it gets too cold
• Greens and Bok Choi freeze but will be
okay – do not disturb when frozen
• Harvest in sunny afternoon when thawed
and re-hydrated.
• Watch forecast to plan harvest – need that
sunny day!
Winter Harvest: Our Practice
• Monitor for pests – especially aphids. Take
advantage of those swarming lady bugs in
fall.
• Moderate temperatures can also overwinter
pests – not a bad idea to clear, open and
expose once harvest done (February?) to
prevent this
Hydroponics
• We have unused space (prep and packing
area) in winter
• We keep it heated – why not heat with
lights?
• We need a jump on transplants in late
winter
• Is Hydroponics an answer for more winter
harvest?
Hydroponics: Our Practice
• Farmtek 12x12 hydroponic system
• 18 fluorescent light fixtures, 2 bulbs per
fixture, about 40 watts per bulb fixture = a
15 amp electric heater
• 18 more fixtures for germination tents.
Sufficient to heat our 20x30 prep/pack
building in the dead of winter
• Our first year – we’ll see…
Make Hay While The Sun Shines
• Start Earlier - Warm Germination, Row
Covers, Mini-Raised Beds,
• Harvest Longer - Row Covers, Cool
Weather Holding, Mulch Root Crops
• Into the Dead of Winter – High Tunnel and
Row Covers
• Hydroponic Systems
Questions?
• Resources
– monarchmfg.com- slotted trays
– Menards - mini-greenhouse, lights
– farmtek.com - wiggle wire, heat mat
thermostat, row cover, hydroponic
– Amazon.com – NorPro immersion (cheap in
price, but not real durable)
– trumpeterswanfarm.com - questions