How to Grow a Winter Garden: Harvest and Update

I showed you our Fall and Winter Garden, but haven't given an update in awhile, so I thought I'd share with you!

The Garlic beds (small top picture) are doing great.  Both the Spanish and Italian varieties are up and that makes me happy.  I've never grown garlic before and I was jealous of others who were pulling theirs up in late July and August.  Hopefully I get some good cloves!  Also, if you haven't planted yours yet, get it in quick!  You can even try some from the grocery store if you can't make it to a nursery for a certified bulb or two.  Or three.

Our little patch of 7-8 Snow Peas in the strawberry bed (middle right picture) have been attacked again and again by the slugs.  It's way too good of a hiding place for them.  The slugs don't seem to want the pods, but they are eating the plants so much that I know it's hindering their growth.  However, I'd never grown snow peas before, and it has been nice to grow them, so we enjoy a little harvest every few days.  They continue to grow, despite the weather becoming much colder.

The space where we built the new Cement Block Bed (bottom right picture) has turned out great.  The garlic is beginning to come up in the holes of the blocks which is awesome.  Hopefully it keeps some nasty slugs and critters out.  This bed has radishes mixed in with carrots on the left, and bok choy on the right.  Everything's doing well!  The radishes are beginning to bulb a bit, so hopefully they'll be ready to eat soon.  Also, the carrots have begun popping up everywhere.  I'm sure they'll do well, so long as the slugs don't eat the leaves before they get a chance to grow.

The East Bed (bottom middle picture) is the most fun.  We have a straw-covered block of garlic that is doing well, a block that is solely radishes, radishes with spinach, and radishes with carrots.  Yes, I'm growing lots of radishes!  HOWEVER, for a plant that is supposed to be so easy to grow, I'm having a difficult time, so I planted them everywhere.  I finally harvested one today!  It was so exciting!  I'm hoping to do roasted radishes at our Thanksgiving dinner table.  We'll see!  It would also be nice to throw some spinach in our salad, but I'm not certain that will happen.

The Greenhouse (bottom left picture) is such a joy.  I have a feeling that next winter, I'll bulk up growing in there.  It's just a plastic covered greenhouse, but it holds the warmth quite well.  I have several lettuce, kale, purple-headed broccoli, basil and leek seedlings growing, some flowers that are overwintering there, strawberries that were runners that happened to land in the herb pots and I'm letting stay, and our trashcan for potato growing.  I couldn't believe how many we got for our end-of-summer harvest.  I know they might not produce potatoes, but I read some success stories of starting them early, and the summer potatoes were far superior, so I had to try again.  So far, they are growing well in the greenhouse.  I continue to cover the growth with more soil and I'll do that until I come within an inch of the top.  Then we'll see what happens!

Everything grows slower than in the spring and summer.  You can tell it's quiet out there, you know?  This part of the earth is very drowsy right now, and I know I'm fighting that, but it's been nice to eat something from the garden occasionally.  It's also been great to experiment and keep learning about my garden.  It's definitely worth it, even if I just get garlic and some more snow peas.

Are you growing a fall or winter garden?  Have you harvested anything yet?  What are you growing?

How to Build a Raised Garden Bed with Cement Blocks

I am experimenting with a fall/winter garden.  Even if it doesn't grow, the beds that we've built will be ready in the spring.  So far I have planted lettuce, spinach (about to get true leaves), radishes (some have true leaves), kale (ugh, still hasn't come up, so I'll be starting these in the greenhouse), rainbow and baby carrots (I plan on mulching these for overwintering), purple sprouting broccoli, leeks, onions, snow peas, bok choy and green onions.  I also have some parsley, cilantro, basil and rosemary in the greenhouse and we'll see how long they survive.

I'm hoping that I have found some good microclimates in my yard that offer more sun and warmth and the beds are raised and might be mulched which will add extra heat.

I also have a walk-in greenhouse, which is about 4x6' and not glass, but I know it'll add a certain amount of protection.

Remember when I ripped out my tomato plants for a new bed? Well, we built one more raised bed out of cement blocks in that spot over the weekend!  I'm very excited to have another raised bed.  The drainage is a million times better than it had been, I can put bird netting over it (for our cat...grrr), and I'll be able to cover with a row cover if I want to by attaching it to the fence.

It was very simple to build, and we're really happy with it.

First, we measured the length and width of the bed.  We also decided on some specs.  One thing we were worried about was the fact that the bed is up against one wall of the house and a length of fence.  We wanted to protect them with extra cement blocks to prevent rotting, so we measured them out and found blocks that were a little taller, but also thin enough to not take up precious bed space.

Next, we bought the blocks and set them up.  This was probably the easiest part.  You might want to take some gloves to the home improvement store if you don't want your hands getting ripped up from the blocks.  I use my hand a lot, and they're definitely not smooth and delicate, but I was surprised at how much damage they received from my loading and unloading them to the cart, then helping my husband place them.

Next, we laid down a 2-3" layer of straw.  As the straw decomposes, it will add nitrogen to the soil, but also heat, which will be helpful for my fall/winter garden.

Next, we filled it up with soil from our favorite greenery.  Do you see how rich that soil is?  I tell you what!  I can get anything to grow in there.  Buying dirt was a little mental struggle for me, because it's DIRT.  DIRT shouldn't cost money because it's everywhere.  However, this dirt is awesome.  And the dirt in our yard is not awesome.  It's either rocky clay or rocky sand.

Not pictured, are the holes filled in.  I bought one last bag of dirt and filled them in after I'd already photographed this.  After filling them, I planted them with garlic as fortress of doom to keep the slugs out...or that's what I tell myself!  Ha.  I'm not sure if this is the best place for garlic to grow, but I've got it all planted around the yard, so we'll see how the experiment goes.

It may not be the most beautiful raised bed, but it's functional.  And I like functional!  What are your raised beds made of?  What do you like about them?  What would you do different?

How to Plant your Garlic

It's Garlic time!!!  Have you purchased your Garlic Bulbs yet? I did! Bought it on Saturday and I'm so excited! I have never planted Garlic before.




I don't have much room, though I'm hoping to have more garden space soon. We are going to be building two new garden beds!  I bought a hard neck (Spanish Roja Garlic) and a soft neck (Italian Late Garlic).

My little gal helped me pull the cloves apart and plant them. Good hand model, huh?

This late spring and summer, I've grown so many vegetables and fruits that are new to me. Garlic is definitely something that was on my list, and I'm happy to have some in the ground!

To Plant Garlic:

You've only got a little bit of time to start growing Garlic, and it's a one-shot sort of deal in the fact that it's only planted in the fall.  Garlic takes roughly 9-10 months to grow.  Here in the Pacific Northwest, we've got late September-early November as our Garlic planting window.  If you're interested, determine when it's best for your climate now!

1. Separate the cloves.  Be gentle and try to not expose the flesh by peeling the thin papery skin off.  Prepare your planting area by adding some extra compost and working the soil so it's nice and loose.

2.  Plant the garlic cloves in sun, 6-10" apart, 1-4" deep.  The planting depth depends on how severe your winters are--plant closer to 4" deep for colder winters.  Make sure that the root end is down, pointy end up!

3.  Depending on the severity of your winter, mulch with straw, hay or fallen leaves around the first frost.  Use 2-6", depending on your climate.

Have you purchased your garlic yet?  What varieties did you get?

Happy Growing!