It is at the beginning of the winter/spring season that I
start my Alliums (onions and garlic). This is a perfect time to sow onion seed
so they maintain a small size for March transplanting. This is also a good time
to plant garlic. The garlic gets well rooted and the tops are not too tall.
This keeps them from becoming vulnerable to potential hard winter freezes.
These are long season crops and I keep a single layer of 19 (on the side) to
help protect their tender growth when they start growing in earnest. Late
freezes can kill leaves that will limit the size of both these crops and the
single layer of 19 prevents this. It is only used for cold snaps. Left on it
could prematurely ripen these crops.
The middle of December is the beginning of my spring. How
could this be? This is when I start my first tomato seedlings and the bulk of
my other Solanaceae seedlings to be set out the 15th of February and
the first week of March (weather permitting).
Besides the tomatoes there are my chili’s (poblano, New Mex
Big Jim, New Mex Joe parker,…) and eggplants. Starting them at this date they
become nice sized seedlings to be set out at their designated times.
Most folks may think this is a foolish time to set frost
sensitive plants out, but with the use of agriculture fabric, this is not so. I
always plant into a warming phase. These plantings were delayed a year or so
ago when there was ice and snow up until the middle of March. I have found by
the middle of February there is a constant and steady warming so that agriculture
fabric can harvest this warmth for overnight use. There have been many 20
degree nights that are easily survived with the fabric.
The big reason for pushing these plantings is to have well
established plants going into April, May, and June aka the angry months. I find
it easier to protect plants from freezing than to try growing plants that want
to go dormant due to high temperatures, low humidity and wind.
Around the middle of February succession crops of chard and
kale are sown. In recent years these crops have gotten enough winter chill and
forces them to bolt once they resume vigorous spring growth.
Beets, carrots green onions, radishes, summer squash, winter
squash, beans, and cucumbers are sown at this time too. Everything is grown
under fabric. At least four layers of 19 for the squash, beans and cucumbers.
Yes there is the great chance that I could lose all of these
plantings, but I am OK with that. There is a greater chance that I will succeed
than to lose these crops. I continue to be increasingly confident with the wise
use of fabric through many years of trial and error.
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