If you choose to overwinter your garden, here are some tips to protect your crops:
MULCH Mulching your garden over the winter is a must, especially if you plan on growing through the winter months. Also using cold frames, cloches or row covers will extend your harvest into the winter months. This will prevent shock to root systems if you are overwintering veggies. Using a thick layer of leaves on your garden is the easiest and most cost-effective mulch.
MOVE UNDER COVER If you have a mobile garden, roll it against a wall or under cover to give a little extra protection for your plants. If you live in a colder climate, extending fall veggies may not be an option. We highly suggest doing some experimentation to see what works best for your space.
CROP COVERS Overwintering crops in colder climates presents more of a challenge, and we absolutely suggest doing some experimentation. However, cover crops may be a more achievable option than edibles. Some cold weather cover crops include fava beans (hardy to -17), winter field peas (hardy to -23) and crimson clover (hardy to -23). Avoid planting garlic and fava or broad beans together, it will stunt growth!
WHAT TO PLANT If the plan is to grow food over the winter, there are a few options. Endive, radicchio, spinach, bok choi, radish and mustard greens are great examples of crops that you can plant mid-october and protect for a winter harvest. For more plants visit our seeds page