I have sad news! Right before the arctic freeze I was very busy with meeting the needs of my parents that I did not get a chance to cover my winter veg (my very expensively purchased winter crop since I let all the veg I started from seed die). I watched as the veg froze in the ground, and hoped for a miracle. In the end, there was no miracle. There might have been a chance to save crops however, if I had overcome first my fear of the dark, then my apathetic ‘poor- me’ nature, and gone out to cover something, anything, to at least salvage a veg or two.
Until the freeze, the winter garden had never looked so good! Everything was thriving, in ground and in pots. I use no-dig gardening principles and I compost in place . The soil was its best ever and veg that I had previously been unable to grow properly were happily growing along and producing fruit. I even had a wonderful patch of self-seeded mustard in red and green that grew out of a converted composting area. I had my favourite green of all, mizuna, from my own sown seeds, and which I consider an aphrodisiac (even now mouth salivates at the thought of having some) happily growing in ground and in a couple of pots. This was the first year that I could visibly see sprouts on the Brussels plants! And three of the cauliflower plants were finally heading up, actual cauliflower!
Gone! All gone! The collards, celery, dill, parsley (self seeded from the previous year), spinach, rocket, red and green mustard (self seeded), salad mixes (from my seeds), sweet peas (stupidly planted), beets, radishes ( from my seeds; oh why did I not harvest them, they were ready and so delicious!), and cabbages are done for. The kale as well–and I thought kale was pretty hardy. I had highest hopes for the broccoli for I remember someone (I do not know who) saying they were pretty hardy crops. Those were the first to die.
All is not lost however, as the Brussels proved to be the hardiest of all and are all (a big shop purchase of 6 plants in a cell tray) still alive and are really trying to come to something. Although I am pretty sure I will not be harvesting any actual sprouts, the leaves are edible and quite tasty to my palate and so I hope those grow. I’ll watch the weather forecast and if there is a chance of them surviving further freezes, I will go ahead and fertilise them. I have also noticed signs of life with the curly kale and two of the celery plants and I think they too might return for some harvesting before I have to remove them to begin spring plantings. The garlic plants have all recovered and are doing well–I have since taken time to cover them in preparation of another cold front which is assuredly coming in a week or so.
I do not blame global warming for this incident. I blame me. I am stubborn and stupid at times and these are just the lessons one needs to learn. One may choose to apply or not. I will not be deterred, but I really need a better winter gardening plan than winging it. I believe the reason winter gardening is still no so popular where I live in zone 7b-8a of Georgia, is for this reason. You just never know. I have had years gone by where I was still harvesting mustard and broccoli into the winter and early spring. This was not that year.
. . . note to self– become better at starting your own seeds!
