Short growing season ideas

[alldigging]

http://www.cals.uidaho.edu/edcomm/pdf/PNW/PNW0497.pdf
(there was another nice leaflet someone posted last week too)

Given the state of the weather (And it's not supposed to get warm here til about the 19th April which is insane) I'm really wondering how much of a growing season we're going to get.

I want to be optimistic but what crops can we plant that will grow and produce a crop if
- it doesn't warm up much
- isn't very sunny?

I'm assuming anything leafy rather than fruits which need ripening.


Warm soil
Shelter plants
Pick plants carefully
Pre-germinate
Mulch
Use of heat sinks? (Once it's warmed up though)

Leaflet says:
Harvest < 60 days - spinach, radishes, lettuce, and kohlrabi
Harvest 60 to 90 days, peas, broccoli, beets, carrots, onions, cabbage, and cauliflower

What broccoli, cabbage and cauli?

[Newton]

Good points.....good article too! Thanks AD

[sammy_roser]

I have very heavy clay soil so am planning lots of raised beds which I can cover to warm up the soil and my garden is some what protected from wind but theres not much else I can do. I never plant direct as my kitties think bare soil is a toliet for them.

[veggiechicken]

http://www.cals.uidaho.edu/edcomm/pdf/PNW/PNW0497.pdf
(there was another nice leaflet someone posted last week too)

Is this the thread AD? http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gra...tes_70852.html

[kathycam]

I guess as well as the fast growing stuff, you could also grow slower stuff and overwinter it. That way at least the space is used and you'll have stuff for this time next year.

Heat the ground with black plastic/ fleece might help a bit to get the soil tempertures up. I'm still trying to get a grip on my massice plot. Though a fair amount is ready for planting in now.

Maybe buy in some plug plants?

[alldigging]

Is this the thread AD? http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gra...tes_70852.html

Thanks! I knew someone would find it for me! I did look honest!

[alldigging]

Maybe buy in some plug plants?

Ah yes, plug in plants could be an option - and def starting more things under cover this year!

[solway cropper]

The only solution is to give as much cover as you can. This means covering soil to warm it up, using cloches, fleece to protect early crops and starting off as much as you can either indoors or the greenhouse. I'm lucky in having a large greenhouse and my first container crops of beetroot, carrots, parsnips, radishes and spring onions are now well away. First potatoes should be ready in 4 or 5 weeks but this is only possible under glass this far north. Just raising the temperature by a few degrees makes a big difference at either end of the growing season.

[Peppermint]

We have a short growing season - spring starts six weeks later, and autumn starts six weeks earlier. We were still having frosts in mid June last year We do have long daylight hours in the summer though.

What worked for us last year.

Anything that Real Seeds said was suitable for a cold climate (they know their stuff)

We were very lucky with our potatoes - no blight - so Premier, Foremost, Aran Pilot, Charlotte, Kestrel, Golden Wonder all did well.

Latah tomatoes (Real Seeds).

Sutherland Kale, Curly Kale.

Turnips (Real Seeds varieties)

Lettuce - all fine

Japanese vegetables .. Mizuma, Kioto bunching onions, Pak choi etc. (again Real Seeds)

Peas - earlys - Meotor, Sugar Bon Bon (Lidl seeds)

Autumn planted onions don't work for us. Have tried 2 years running and no nothing However, spring planted worked - particularly if started in modules.

Broad Beans work well - Runners and French no, but I've seen them in polytunnels.

Golden Acre Cabbage - excellent, I'm planting much more this year!

Leeks, Brussell sprouts - again I use Real Seeds recommended varieties.

Strawberries - brilliant - but don't expect them to deliver on the dates quoted - they'll be a least a month later.

[binley100]

Would just like to add that my purple cape caulis have overwintered brill1antly and are now becoming ready to pick .....