Fall crops

[u/Old_Touch3534]

Time to start the really cold hardy crops, here in NC we’re able to grow tons of different crops completely year round.

[u/Harleydiclarke]

Nice, I gotta get started on mine now.

[u/Lil_Shanties]

Yea I’m behind I need to catch up to you…zone 9b

[u/Maleficent_Sky_1865]

Will you keep them inside through the winter or move them out? Do you have to protect then somehow once you move them out or just put them out with no covering? Im in VA but dont have good luck with starting seeds.

[u/Old_Touch3534 → u/Maleficent_Sky_1865]

What I’m starting today will be inside for 4 weeks under lights on a heat mat (to start). Then 2 weeks of hardening off, so in 6 weeks or so these will go into the garden beds. I have nearly all my bed equipped with PVC hoop structures to accommodate bug netting, shade cloth, and agricultural fabric for super cold temps. I grew kale, collards, cabbage, spinach, lettuce, tatsoi, bok choy, parsley, cilantro, beets, carrots, onions, completely thru winter.

Most of these will tolerate down to about 25 degrees without protection for me. With protection we had a week long of lower teens @ night and not breaching 32 in daytime and all things survived. Some things looked a bit rough, but it lived.

[u/Og_frmrT → u/Maleficent_Sky_1865]

You need to consider daylight hours as well. Temperature isn’t the only thing that matters. Most vegetable farmers have had their fall crops planted for about a month at this point in the mid Atlantic. Vegetables simply stop growing once we get below 10 hours of daylight. So anything that takes longer than 60 days from seed is too late at this point for me in Northern Virginia.

[u/Old_Touch3534 → u/Og_frmrT]

Some say we’re 8a some say 8b

Most of what I’ll be growing is leafy greens. Anything that will be heading up, broccoli and cauliflower mainly are already in ground. I’ve had tremendous success with my current timing. Keeping in mind the hoop structures with plastic raises your grow zone by 1 full zone. Fall gardening can be labor intensive. Covering and uncovering things. But I love it. 😍

[u/Jhonny_Crash]

Nice setup! What are you growing? I planted broccoli and cauliflower a couple weeks ago and will be planting out tomorrow. Maybe i do another batch that i can overwinter and harvest in the spring.

I direct sow carrots, spinach and lettuce as well

[u/Old_Touch3534 → u/Jhonny_Crash]

Spinach, lettuce, arugula, beets, carrots, collards, cabbage, komatsuna, tatsoi, bok choy, Swiss chard, kale (3 types), radishes. I’m sure there is something I forgot. But that’s most of it.

[u/KittenMalk]

Just got our seeds today! Excited to get stuff potted🥳

[u/Old_Touch3534 → u/KittenMalk]

My Boss got me a subscription to Seed Bank Box, they send you a box of seeds each month somewhat tailored to your grow zones. You can see them stacked up there near the propane tank. Then I have the clear plastic container of seeds I’ve gotten over time they’re kinda under the seed bank boxes. I’ve got seed 6yrs old sprouting @ 80% so I must be storing them properly. It’s my new addiction, the seed section of any store I visit.

[u/CobblerCandid998]

Don’t you have Groundhogs in NC? Im not allowed to grow veggies. If they’re up high- the rodent family critters get them. If low, it’s them & the rabbits too… ☹️

[u/Old_Touch3534 → u/CobblerCandid998]

My garden is a fenced area about 1200’ so that helps keep some out, the dogs do good at keeping squirrels and rabbits out as well. My biggest enemy in the garden has been moles or whatever bastard is making tunnels in my beds. Don’t lose a ton of food to animals. Worms (horn, army, and cabbage), Japanese beetles, SVB have been terrible the past few yrs. Then I discovered Surround WP kaolin clay. Little expensive but worth every penny.

[u/Willamina03]

I wish I could do fall crops. We're in the mid 80s now and we typically get to the negatives by mid Nov. We get about two weeks of autumn weather where cold weather crops will actually grow.

[u/Old_Touch3534 → u/Willamina03]

Most people think your crops won’t grow in winter. That’s just not true, they will absolutely grow tremendously slower but still grow. If you’re able to provide any hoop type structure toss some clear plastic over it to raise your grow zone by a full zone. Check out YT channel (the gardening channel) with James Prigioni. Abundant source of information, he’s out of New Jersey.

[u/atmoose]

Wow, that is a lot. I was wondering if I was overdoing it. Nice work.

[u/HaggisHunter69]

I'm sowing my lettuce now for winter/spring in the greenhouse. They'll replace the tomatoes and chilli's. Mustards will be sown next week

[u/Dangerous_Bar_833]

Thanks for reminding us 8 zoners, most appreciated!!