Loblolly9,

We're located in the Pacific NW. Not quite the same climate as your own but here's what we're planning. Hope it proves helpful.

Peas - Oregon Sugar Pod II
Leeks - Giant Musselburg
Lettuce - various
Scallions - Guardsman
Spinach - Olympia
Carrot - Nelson
Over wintering onions - Hi-Ball, Copra & Walla Walla

lobl:
A bit north of you, so far I've got leeks, carrots, beets and peas in various early stages in my raised beds. Have started seeds for lettuce, kale, collards and radicchio, and today transplanted out the two largest kale seedlings.

Very soon, I will be seeding a variety of Asian greens, and mache.

Next month I'll plant potato onions and garlic. My parsley seeds aren't germinating so I'll buy transplants.

When the colder weather hits, I plan to protect the plants under floating row cover and/or plastic as necessary. I don't suppose you have to worry about winter protection at all.
-O

I haven't done anything yet, because it's been too hot to work out in the garden, much less get cold-weather crop seedlings established, but soon I'm planning on planting cabbage, brussels sprouts, leeks, onions, garlic, beets, turnips, carrots,various lettuces, chard and broccoli. I might also try cauliflower again to see if it will do better here as a fall crop instead of a spring crop (bolted).

I'm planting: I am southwest of you, but we have similar conditions.

Sugar Ann peas
Oregon Sugar Pod II Peas
Ga. Collards
Lettuce
Baby Carrots
Rutabegas
Purple Top Turnips
Detroit Red Beets
French Breakfast Radish
Early Scarlet Globe Radish
Garlics

If I can locate some Kohlrabi I'd like to plant some of those as they did so well back in early spring. I'd like to do some fall plantings of it.

Not sure about other things yet, depends on how much space is left. trudyjean

I see no one is planting Artichokes...are they tough? I'm new to the Pacific NW. I moved from Minnesota, so this is a treat!!

I personally don't like artichokes is why I don't plant them. trudyjean

I grew artichokes on the west coast but they got so many aphids, I stopped. I'm thinking of trying again in my current location.
-O

A suggestion for you. Last year I collected every kind of Lettuce Seed I could find and mixed it all together in a row. Depending on how cold it gets, it may not all make it through the winter but while it lasted it was wonderful. Great fresh salads. Snip it, wash it, eat it...

Wayne:
Yum!
-O

Snow peas, shelling peas, carrots, leeks, onions, scallions, garlic, fava beans, lettuce, greens, calendula, stock, viola, carnations, sweet Peas.

Spinach, collards, beets, carrots, lettuce and a few leeks.

Lettuce, collards, kale, mizuna, carrots, leeks, mache, three kinds of radishes, beets, garlic, onions, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower and fava beans.
-O

Oh my I am impressed, but in zone 5 I am growing cabbage, carrots and garlic. Gave my Mom beet seeds and did not buy anymore so I'll get the yummy beets from her garden. Karen

Are most of you planting seeds or plants? A friend of mine who helped develop my interest in gardening came over yesterday and we discussed this topic. He thinks seeds are a act of love and prefers to buy plants from a local garden center or Lowe's.

What do you think?

loblolly well if I did not plant seeds nogoodies would be found at Lowes or even the garden centers for my fall veggies. :( So in the spring stock up extra seeds just for fall sowing. Just love fall and spring spinach out of the garden. Think it is a bit late for me to start them but Sept was a steady in the high 80s here, but figure better late then never and the first spinach is ready. Totally for got radish and peas this year.

Starting from seed is more of a challenge especially when you're trying to get fall crops going in the middle of a blistering hot summer. But if you don't have access to the variety of transplants you want (and where I live it's pretty limited) it's the only way.

And some vegs, like beets, carrots, radishes and parsnips, are best sown in place - they're not very transplantable.

When it comes to onions, I like to start from plants if I can get them.
-O

Hi, I'm growing Romaine Lettuce, Mesclun Mix, Spinach, Radishes, Mache, carrots, and beets (for leaves). I have the low row cover wire supports in place and the plastic cut for the covers. I'll put the plastic on at the last moment as my back yard is quite sheltered from wind. Plus, I don't want to do more damage by cooking everything rather than letting them get a little frost.

My tomatoes, peppers and broccoli are still going strong. The fall weather has been quite warm so far. (Plus the entire rain for the summer fell in one day last week (10+inches in 24 hours).

I don't believe that even one of the mache seeds I planted germinated. Must have gotten a bad batch!

How is everyone doing with the pest situation? I've got most things under row cover, but have still had to deal with a fair number of caterpillars - lately it's mostly cabbage loopers. Something (probably rabbit) was chomping my baby leeks but chicken wire stopped that and they revived. And at one point something beheaded an entire small patch of beet-lings.

Lots of birds around this time of year, all clearly looking for food so when I pull off the caterpillars, I toss them into the yard in hopes they will get snapped up. Maybe if I had the nerve to leave off the row cover the birds would get the caterpillars faster than I can. I might experiment next year with a test patch.

-O

I have had spotty luck with mache, too - some spring germination, only 1 out of many for summer germination. My sources say that mache will do better in the cold, you have to keep sowing to see what works.

I ended up with tons of mache! More then I could use! But I started the seeds in a wet paper towel, and then transplanted into individual dixie cups, about 3 per cup, then transplanted them outdoors when they got big enough. Try starting all your seeds in wet paper towels, its amazing.

Here is a link that might be useful: wet paper towel technique

Ah, the pre-sprouting technique! I have never tried it but now I am intrigued.
-O

I wanted to bump this up and see how your gardens are now. I have snowpeas and they are about 8 inches tall.

Hi,
I use low grow tunnels (i.e. 3 foot wide by 1.5 foot high) to grow my winter crops. I have most success with Mache, Spinach, and Carrots. I have a little bit of Kale, a few beets for the greens, and some Swiss Chard. They are not as cold hardy as the Spinach and Mache. I tried some Radishes and had success last year. This year I think I planted them too late.

Ken

Happy Holidays.

Our pea harvest was over by the end of October and the scallions by end of November. The leeks, lettuce & spinach are still growing strong. Pulled some of the leeks for Christmas dinner and sauteed them in a little butter for 10 mins followed by half and half cream for 5 minutes. They were fabulous.
The onions aren't doing so well, we lost the tops off 70% of them in a period of 2 weeks. Finally figured out it was cut worms and drastically cut the attrition rate by surrounding each plant with a yogurt carton with the bottom cut off. Hopefully some of the victims will recover come spring time.
Planted garlic and shallots in October. They're doind well.

SH

I have had some very nice harvests of radishes, baby carrots, parsley, leeks and assorted greens. Broccoli and cauliflower also. Beets growing but very slowly. Garlic hanging in there waiting for spring. Recently planted shallots and multiplier onions - no shoots have emerged yet. In a couple of empty places, I've seeded spinach and radishes which I hope will emerge for a spring crop.

Considering a lot of my things went in late because I am still getting the hang of germinating cool-season crop seeds in late summer heat, the garden has produced very well.

Everything is under one layer of row cover and one layer of plastic. The plastic comes off periodically for warm and rainy spells.
-O

I seem to be excelling in the cultivation of slugs ;)

They got the lettuce, spinach and young kale & brocolli when I was too busy to tend the garden in december.

Doing well though, are the older kale, daikon greens, carrots and of course, the wonder chard. The jury (aka the slugs) is still out on the success or failure of the snap peas.

However, the best I can say at the moment is that while some things are deteriorating, some things are holding their ground. I had to buy veggies at the store for the first time since May.

What is the secret of planting radishes ? What kind of soil conditions do I need? Any information would be helpful.
Michael1

Hi Everyone,

My first attempt at winter gardening is going well. The broccoli and cauliflower are going gangbusters, the brussel sprouts are doing their thing and am waiting for the stalks to appear. I purchased all these as plants.

The springer spinach I planted by seed is barely doing anything. Maybe this does not do well in my area. The carrots I planted by seed are doing well. I also purchased 3 different types of lettuce plants (9 total) and they have kept me in lettuce all winter.

I am encouraged and look forward to the Spring.

I currently have spinach, lettuce, beets, carrots, onions, kale, collards, and garlic growing. Oh and turnip greens, I need to pick them today.

Monkeygirl, here's a cure for slugs that worked for me this winter. Slugs were getting to my cold-framed turnips; I could see where they had gnawed the roots, but could see no slugs. I dusted the whole coldframe with fine wood ashes. Since then, no slugs, no more gnawing. Once the microclimate dews have washed off the ashes, I'll need to reapply.

I read this thread with interest, as fall/winter gardening is one of the great joys of my life, and it is about that time of the year when we get started on the winter garden. I live on the South Texas coast, and we garden year round.

I noticed that there was a discussion of growing from seed vs. transplanting plants. Many people shy away from growing from seeds because the outcome is less certain than plopping in a transplant. However, I have found that the greatest satisfaction FOR ME, comes from plants that I have grown from seeds.

More seeds die from being planted too deeply than from any other cause. A seed is an encapsulated embryo, with everything it needs to survive stored in the covering of that seed. When you plant a seed, and it germinates, it has X amount of food to live on until it breaks ground and opens the first little leaves, and is able to manufacture food for itself. If you plant it too deep, it will use all it's food supply before it can make more on it's own, and it will die.

As a rule, plant seeds 2 to 2 1/2 times the thinnest dimension of the seed. So, if your seed is 1/4" thick, plant it about 1/2" deep. If your seeds are fine little seeds, sprinkle them on the ground and just press them into the soil.

I usually will cover my seeds with vermiculite, as it offers many advantages. One is that I know where I have already planted seeds. It will protect little seeds from our hot sun, and preserve precious moisture. And if your seeds need light to germinate, it will allow light to get to your seed, as well as allowing air and water to percolate through easily. I am lucky to have a source for vermiculite in great big bags for not much money.

I use a 1"x 4" board to cover my seed rows sometimes, as it will keep the soil moist, and prevent a crust from forming. This is particularly good when growing crops like carrots, which has a hard time breaking through the crust on the ground. Just check every day or so to be sure you know to take the board away!

Spacing can be conquered by using a piece of peg board. Just determine the spacing you need, and count out the holes on the pegboard laid out on the ground. This is great for blocks of corn!

Tiny little seeds, like onions, can be sprinkled from a salt shaker, with a bit of sand mixed with the seeds. This way, you won't get your seeds all clumped together, rather, they should be better spaced apart. Press them onto the soil with a piece of plywood, covered with waxed paper or freezer paper, waxed side out.

The wet paper towel method of germinating seeds is wonderful, especially if your seeds are older, and you are not sure of their viability. When they germinate, you can just plop them into the ground or in 6-packs, and you know every seed you planted is good.

You can still grow from seed and have the dependability of transplants. Just start your seeds in 6-packs, to insure you get the varieties you want and the numbers of plants you need when it comes time to plant in the garden. I love to try varieties that are new to me, so this is a real GOOD THING for me. Also, by doing this, you will have plants to trade with friends, plants to sell (maybe?). And you won't have to thin and throw away good little seedlings just because you don't need that many plants.

Also, I never met the person who needed 6 eggplant plants for a family of 4! My Dad planted a pack of seeds once, and I think every seed grew and excelled in producing! He was just covered up in eggplants! And you KNOW you can't just throw them away!

So, starting from seeds, plant 3 or 4 seeds, give 2 away, or trade for 2 nice pepper or tomato plants, or 6 cabbages, and everyone will be happy. And start the seeds in the 6-packs the same way.....Not too deep, cover with vermiculite, water with a soft spray. I use a turkey baster, or a dish detergent bottle to water seedlings in 6-packs or pots. Fertilize with half strength water soluable fertilizer when they have true leaves.

Mostly, HAVE FUN!

Janie

Hi, I am sort of new to gardening. I am in CA, on the coast. What kinds of veggies can I plant this time of year, or in the Fall? And being on daylight savings time, is there any issue with growing and time change and shorter days?

Marie

celestialsdoxies,

Check with your state's Extension Service. Each county should have it's own Cooperative Extension Office which provides free publications and information for the asking. They can also tell you the average last frost date for your area and ideal planting times for specific crops and varieties in your area.

See how detailed this example is: Vegetable Planting and Planning Calendar for Missouri (download the pdf) complete with spring and fall planting dates (underneath the spring planting dates for appropriate crops), how much to plant per person, etc.

Here is an excerpt:
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Just call up the office in your county. Look under the "Government" section (usually blue pages) of your phone book under "Extension". They will have valuable vegetable/gardening tables available specifically for your area determined by universities, and horticultural research scientists have collected data from growing those crops in your state.

Hi,
I just planted Carrots, Beets, Spinach and Romaine Lettuce for use in the fall. I'll plant more spinach, Romaine Lettuce, Mache (Corn Salad) and Mesclun under low grow tunnels (1.5 foot high) for winter use in another couple of weeks. I have to wait until I dig up the corn. I'm in Pennsylvania.

Ken

My first winter garden (05) was very successful and the envy of several neighbors. This year the plan is to grow more things that can stay uncovered most of the time, so it will look prettier. I've already started several beds of cabbage family stuff (under row cover). Uncovered beds have chard, spinach, potatoes, lettuce, carrots, beets. Lots and lots of leeks planted months ago, are maturing now. Parsnips that germinated in October were ready to harvest and eat in July. I was out of town a lot in summer so haven't yet achieved the continuous bounty I'm aiming for but it's going to happen.
-O

This winter is the first time I am growing plants. I have a raised bed that i began growing lettuce in in the fall. I became addicted!!!! I put pvc pipes in the bed and bought green house grade plastic.

I first grew red romaine, Grampa Admires, Tom Thumb, tango and mixed lettuces. Wildly successful. they I bought other lettuces that were more cold hardy like. Winter Density, Tango, rouge Grenobiose.. I am very excited about this.

Any advice from people regarding lettuce growing, winter lettuce or hoop house and indoor lettuce growing would be most welcome. If interested please see some of my videos on you tube.

Here is a link that might be useful: Winter lettuce in hoop house.

This is my first try at a winter garden, just outside of Sacramento. I would love to hear from other z9 gardeners near by. So far I have planted..

Three kinds of peas
Two kinds of kale, red russian and lacinato
Parsley
Celery
Shallots
Lettuce ...4 seasons

Claytonia grows wild in my yard, but i a sowing purchased seed too, to see if it is any different

San Francisco Bay Area here. I have lots of stuff growing right now. So far this year the weather has been outstanding.
Broccoli
Cabbage
Cauliflower
Brussels Sprouts
Bok Choy
Broccoflower
Carrots
Potatoes
Garlic
Onions
Kale
Fennel
Basil
Tons of lettuce
Peas
Artichoke

And as you can see in the picture, I actually have volunteer tomatoes growing out of my compost bin. Of course, it's still very early and some of the things I got growing would not make it through a serious freeze.