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Help with School/Community WS Project

14 years ago

Good morning!

Backstory:

I am going to do a winter sowing project with three grade school classrooms. Some of the plants will go to gardens around the school, some will go to an assisted living home, and some of the plants will go home with the children. (I am going to baby sit the containers that will be planted out at the school and retirement home.)

In addition to perennials, I would like to do some edibles with the students because it's fun to grow food, and the assisted living home is trying to start a garden to supplement their dining facilities.

I am in zone 5 in Northeast Wisconsin. We'll be winter sowing the end of this month or the beginning of March. I have looked at the FAQ here and on wintersown.org about veggies, but I'm still iffy about veggies in my zone.

I would like to do lettuce mixes, beans, peas, kale, chard, spinach, kohlrabi, broccoli rab and broccoli. Is this possible in my zone during our time frame? Other suggestions for veggies for the students to sow? I am eager for suggestions!

cheers,

Norabelle

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Comments (2)

molanic
14 years ago
I'm in zone 5 too and have successfully wintersown lettuce, spinach, kale, chard, peas, and tomatoes (no really long season varieties of tomatoes). Beans, squash, melons, carrots, and radishes I just direct sow when the weather warms up, but they can be sown in jugs. Peas can be direct sown too, but I had more success with wintersowing in spring because they like to grow in the cool weather, but don't germinate as well when the soil is really cold and damp. The extra warmth of the containers helps with that, plus it keeps the birds from pulling up the young pea sprouts. Peppers I started indoors because I wanted a long season to try and get some red ripe ones.

If you want any more seeds I have a ton of extras I can donate. It is mostly perennials and annuals, but I do have some veggies and herbs as well.
norabelle
Original Author
14 years ago
Hi, molanic,

Thank you for sharing your winter sowing veggies experience with me. This is so helpful. I do have some early tomatoes I got as a freebie in a Jung's order last year. I might include these.

Thank you for your generous offer of seeds. I feel as if I will be set right now, and I am grateful for your offer. I appreciate it very much. :) Your list of items helps so much, and I have a little budget to use, which will cover some seeds, and I have quite a few of these seeds in my "stash," too.

cheers,
Norabelle
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