How to Prepare Your Garden to Extend Your Growing Season
The summer garden is winding down and if you prepare you will be able to make use of ready tools to keep gardening through the fall and right up to the edge of winter. You can also start now so that you’ll be ready to get an early jump next Spring. Here are some inexpensive but proven ideas to prepare your garden to withstand cold weather outside of the normal spring/summer growing seasons.
Tunnel-making
Professional nursery tunnels can be large, but yours at home should be low and tight. The supports can be easily constructed with recycled wire, slender green tree branches or even narrow pvc pipe. Cover your tunnel supports with plastic leaving around two feet of extra plastic on either side. Wrap the extra plastic around something that can act as a weight. If the temperature drops drastically, these tunnels can be draped with a blanket for added warmth.
Cloches
Cloches were once delicate glass domes placed over individual plants to allow in sun and keep out wind and snow. You probably will want to make your own out of opaque gallon milk containers. Cut them in half to place over new-sprouting plants and fix them in place by inserting a stake or dowel through the opening at the top. Some gardeners suggest painting these black since a black container will absorb heat during the day and release it during the nighttime. In fact, you can add black-painted bottles filled with water to the inside of a tunnel or cold frame to achieve the same goal.
Cold frames
Cold frames can be stationary or portable depending upon your site and needs. An easy way to make a fixed location cold frame is to construct the four walls with hay bales and then cover the top with a hinged window or glass door. Plastic spread over the top can work too. Plants in a cold frame receive the benefit of sun but are sheltered from wind and snow. Portable cold frames may be built from wood and given a hinged glass top.
Tunnels, cloches and cold frames allow you to start your plants in the ground well before the weather is conducive to regular spring planting. You can also use these tools to grow cool weather crops in late autumn and early winter. If you have them handy, you can prepare your garden to continue yielding into late November. Providing protection from the elements will add up to five degrees of warmth. Layering a blanket over them will help even more.
Since weeds as well as plants will be able to grow in your closed environments you will need to easily discern between seedling and intruder. Using a solid garden marker will help you here. Kincaid Plant Markers are well-constructed, easy-to-read and made to last through even the toughest weather. Check out our line of markers and prepare your garden to welcome early spring plantings.
