Crops That are Down For a Little Frost
Audio Brief
Show transcript
This episode covers the essential agricultural techniques, infrastructure requirements, and strategic timing needed to successfully grow and harvest winter-hardy crops like greens, leeks, and kale during the coldest months of the year.
There are three key takeaways for growers looking to maximize cold-season revenue. First, protective infrastructure is absolutely critical for crop survival and quality in colder climates. Second, winter crop management requires precise planting schedules to ensure plants reach maturity before growth halts. Third, maximizing bed space through smart interplanting is vital to offset slow-growing winter crops.
While some winter crops are highly resilient, growing them reliably in colder zones requires protective structures like low tunnels or hoop houses. These structures keep crops alive and prevent frost damage without the need for active heating. Additionally, growers must ensure protective fabrics do not touch the leaves to prevent localized frost burn on chilly nights.
The core of winter farming is preservation rather than active growth, meaning crops must be established weeks before daylight and temperatures drop. Winter greens should be planted well before the first expected frost so they reach harvestable size before winter dormancy sets in. Growers must also manage unique winter weeds and avoid harvesting any crops while they are still frozen to protect their texture and shelf life.
To optimize profitability and space, slow-growing crops like leeks can be interplanted with fast-growing head lettuce. Leeks require deep planting to produce the long white blanched stems customers prefer, which takes substantial time. Interplanting allows farmers to harvest and sell multiple rounds of lettuce from the same bed before the leeks require the entire space.
Ultimately, successful winter farming relies on careful timing and structural protection to keep crops alive and profitable throughout the coldest months.
Episode Overview
- This compilation episode of Growers Daily focuses on winter-hardy crops, specifically winter greens, leeks, and fall kale.
- The host, Jesse Frost, discusses the agricultural techniques, timing, and infrastructure required to successfully grow and harvest these crops during colder months.
- The content is highly relevant for small-scale, ecological, and no-till farmers looking to extend their growing season, increase winter revenue, or manage winter CSA offerings.
Key Concepts
- Infrastructure is Essential for Winter Greens: While some winter greens are extremely hardy, growing them reliably in colder USDA zones (Zone 8 and below) requires protective structures like low tunnels, hoop houses (high tunnels), or cold frames. These structures protect plants from extreme cold and frost damage without requiring external heating.
- The Challenge of Winter Weeds: Unlike summer weeds, winter weeds like chickweed and purple deadnettle germinate when light levels decrease and temperatures drop. Farmers must adapt their planting schedules, use stale seedbeds, or transplant crops to prevent these weeds from outcompeting young greens.
- Leek Blanching and Deep Planting: To produce the long, white, "blanched" stems that customers prefer, leeks must be grown tall in trays and then transplanted deep into the soil. This prevents light from reaching the lower stem, resulting in the desired blanched appearance.
- Winter Kale Management and Recovery: While kale is highly resilient and survives deep freezes, its recovery and regrowth rate slows down dramatically in the winter due to low light levels. Farmers must plant larger quantities of kale in the fall to ensure they have enough mature leaves to harvest throughout the winter, as they cannot rely on quick regrowth.
Quotes
- At 2:42 - "Good winter green growing takes some amount of infrastructure from pretty much Zone 8 and below." - Explaining that winter farming requires protective physical structures to shield crops from freezing temperatures.
- At 7:24 - "Winter weeds are a different monster from summer weeds." - Highlighting the unique germination triggers of cold-season weeds and the need for specific management strategies.
- At 10:09 - "Don't harvest when the crops are still frozen." - Explaining that harvesting frozen greens ruins their flavor, texture, and shelf life; crops must thaw completely before being cut.
- At 14:00 - "The reality is that we will ultimately be planting [leeks] bare root... to get them as deep into the soil as possible." - Clarifying the planting method required to achieve a long, white blanched stem on leeks.
- At 28:38 - "Winter's catchphrase is that it is not winter growing, it is winter keeping stuff alive." - Capturing the core philosophy of winter farming, which focuses on preservation rather than active growth.
Takeaways
- Time Winter Plantings Strategically: Establish winter greens in the ground 2 to 4 weeks before your first expected frost (by mid-September in the field, and by October 1st in tunnels for Zone 6B) to ensure they reach a harvestable size before plant growth slows to a crawl.
- Prevent Frost Burn on Greens: Ensure that row covers and protective fabrics do not physically touch the leaves of winter greens, as contact with frozen fabric during frosty nights will cause localized frost burn and ruin the crop's quality.
- Interplant Slow-Growing Leeks with Lettuce: Maximize bed space and offset the low profitability of slow-growing leeks by transplanting them alongside fast-growing head lettuce, allowing you to harvest multiple rounds of lettuce before the leeks require the full bed.
