I spent too many growing seasons making this mistake and it is very easily done when we are distracted by harvests like TOMATOES! But I have learnt my lesson and want to share with you why this mistake has a negative knock-on impact for the following growing season and then the simple fix to ensure not only much better soil health, but an abundance of fresh food over the coldest months. One way of doing this is using a planting grid system around your summer crops as I explain in this video along with so many other tips and ideas.
Winter Hack video moving outside crops to undercover areas: https://youtu.be/VcDYhHe7Cxo
Vegetables to sow in September undercover, to continue growing a coldframe/poyltunnel etc:
Coriander, corn salad, claytonia, chop suey greens, chard, ornamental greens (mizuna etc), pakchoi, tatsoi, winter lettuce, spring cabbage, radish, turnips, beetroot (a slight riskey one but worth a go!), kale, spinach, field beans, peas, parsley.
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How are your cucumbers pollinated in the polytunnel? If growing corn in the polytunnel, do you use fans to pollinate the silks from the tassels? Typically, this is done by the wind when growing outside.
Hi Huw, I'll be moving and starting new garden at the end of the year. We have to leave this garden empty because the whole block is being renovated, so I'm glad we will be disturbing plants during their rest period.
In the 3 years that I've enjoyed having a garden, my attitude to full sun has changed. The summer temperatures are so extreme now a days. We lost our giant Hawthorne tree in a storm last November and since then, it is an oven out there. Even though I mulch, the earth in my raised beds has shrunk away from the sides. We all have deep cracks in the earth just like newsreals of other warmer countries. I plan to use soak hoses and drip systems this time because it's so hard to rehydrate grond that baked solid.
I would like your advise on where to put a cold frame. Should it be portable. I imagine that the best spot in winter would scorch plants in summer.
If I place it somewhere shady, not in the dark, will the young plants thrive?
I have heard that tomatoes and chillies rely more on heat than light to get an early start.
I love your garden, your videos and your sharing your own evolution as a gardener. We don't stop learning. Thank you.
Are you planning to sell the tall 32” raised beds? I can’t see them on your site. I’m looking at 6 of the high ones and 2 of the lower ones. I want to garden but bending and getting up and down is an issue for me
We are in a cold climate area. We are just getting started on building a greenhouse ( had to cut trees and then mill the wood first… I use all the bark from them on ornamental beds ). We did an experiment this past Spring: we still had a steeply sloped part of the garden that we hadn’t yet terraced so we made a step upon dibble from a sturdy branch and then planted directly into the slope by poking a hole a couple of inches deep and planted field peas. Into each hole we dropped seeds and compost, labor intensive, but this works really well. ). We mulched it all right away ( we scythed about three acres from a neighbor’s field and mulched these peas heavily in between the rows. As the peas grew i applied further mulch and dug out grass that survived. The peas were harvested in July and then I replanted with turnips and daikon radish in alternating rows. Our first frost is usually in September, but not heavy until mid to end October. Not all the turnips will produce, but I will get some. I will get greens and maybe even a daikon or two. What we don’t eat will all be left in the ground to compost in situ. I planted the Rockwell beans ( bush dry bean variety ) in the same manner in two terraces. Dibble a hole, place a couple of bean seeds and cover with compost. We don’t make enough compost for every bed ( we are intensive gardening about 1/3 acre in terraces – we live on a steep slope on top of rocks and ledge ). Our compost is thus used judiciously. Everything gets heavily mulched with what we scythe. We try to get in second crops or at least get cover crops started. Our first planting cannot occur until June 1. Yup, we can have frosts and even light snow into May. So a short growing season. We do however grow more than we need for a year and preserve our bounty with fermenting, drying, and canning. We dry the early crops in the barn attic. Now in September the later crops will get dried on a frame of trays stacked near the wood burning cook stove.
So much to learn on your video, and Could apply it on my garden. thanks a lot!
I love the grid patern idea! Will apply that in my garden, I also mulch with grassclippings and hay. Thanks for sharing!
So many great tips! Thanks for another great video, Huw!
Living 1/3 up in Sweden. 4C predicted for sunday morning. Yes, winter is coming…
Thank you! My tomatoes were looking sad.
Enjoyable and easy to understand…and you are so willing to say when things didn't work for you; steps you wish you had taken; how you have learned from mistakes, etc. You seem to always be "keeping it real" which is appreciated! QUESTION…do you have an issue with disturbing the newly planted seedlings roots when you take out your neighboring tomato plants? We have hesitated to plant our fall crop seedlings near our tomatoes because of this.
May the Lord continue to bless you and keep you.
May His face shine upon you and give you peace on all sides.
Thank you
The amount of work that has went in to this beautiful garden is just so admirable. As a newer gardener, I've never worked so hard my entire life but boy is it rewarding!! I'm much healthier and happier for it. ☺
Great video!!!
I like that you talk about using cold frames as many of us don't have space for polytunnels.
WHAT IS THE PLANT that you are picking at point 6:19 please
I am viewing from the Southern hemisphere whereby our seasons are opposite. Is it possible for you to talk about the time of season instead of the month as the content becomes confusing? It would be nice to be acknowledged for people living below the equator, ie half of our planet dwellers. THANK YOU.
Thanks for the reminder, it’s a case of changing the mindset, I have some lettuce and spinach seedlings and I was thinking to plant them out but I have a raised bed in my greenhouse, I can just fit them in amongst tomatoes cucumbers and aubergines with a bit of compost to keep them going. So thanks Huw.
Love that grid system!