Gardening When It is Too Cold to Garden

Well, that last bit didn’t go as planned. I had originally intended to have the grandsons help me plant some microgreens for both their family and us Grandparents to enjoy. But between stuffy noses, a house remodel, colliding schedules and a new grandbaby coming, I just could not find a block of time to wedge this plan into place. It will have to wait.

In the mean time, I will look to the brooder turned green house.

Many years ago my Dad built a small room in the barn on our farm property specifically designed to house baby chicks for the first 4 months of their life. Over the years we have raised several batches of chicks and it worked very well. It turns out that the 8’ x 8’ room is also a fantastic place to start plants in the spring. Dad had installed plenty of electric outlets in a variety of locations as well as south facing windows which can pop open when needed for ventilation. The room also serves as winter storage, so, it’s a busy place.

Over the winter I have watched dozens of videos presented by gardeners in several gardening zones throughout the United States. One homesteader even had bananas in his lovely San Diego garden. That won’t work here, of course, but wouldn’t it be fun? The very idea sort of sparks the imagination - what could I try to grow that might be little different? What have I not tried, and, why not?

For the last two years I have been working on my Whimsy Garden. It is a large 20’ x 108’ area and probably the most planned out space I have ever worked with on the farm for one simple reason: my grand kids. We have an orchard near the Whimsy Garden. A playhouse is at one end and the swing/play set is at the other end. In the middle is a small, shady space where the grand kids and I sit in the cool of the summer days to read books. For the first year we enjoyed reading while listening to the solar fountains in the whimsy garden just a few feet away. Eventually this connection turned into reading in the garden with bare feet in an old washtub of cool water near the green bean trellis with birds eating from feeders nearby. Then came the grassy paths through the garden winding amid vine covered hoops and solar lanterns adding a whole new element to the space as evening fell. The most recent addition was the fairy garden. This joyful space has been a work in progress for sure. I love opening the gate, including the hidden gate the grandkids found last year, and watching them run free from one end to the other. They can’t hurt themselves, and they have learned to respect the growing spaces. It is wonderful.

So, back to the idea of gardening when it is too cold and the idea of trying something new.

In March quite a few plants can be started in the brooder/greenhouse, and should be, in order to go out to the garden at the right time. This week I bought the potting mix I use instead of seed starting mix. Not everyone likes this option but it has worked well for me over the years. I got all of the seeds sorted and placed the order to Burpees for seed I cannot get locally. Other odd seeds came from Baker Creek. I also order my strawberry plants from Burpee because we rarely have any left over from the CO-OP Sale. This weekend I will start the 5 varieties of tomato, the sweet peppers, and egg plant just for fun. I have never had egg plant grow big enough fruit to use, but they are pretty in the garden.

The seeds will be started in my office at home including some seeds started by the grand kids. As soon as they germinate and pop out of the ground they will go under the grow lights and the fertilizer rotation will begin. When they are about 4” tall, they will go to the greenhouse and remain under lights with a fan going in the room, and they will be on a timer for light control. Then, we wait.

New dream plants for my garden this year includes Loofa, Tri Colored Corn, a yellow tomato, rutabagas, and leeks. And I already have a patch of soft wheat in the works. I have grown wheat before, so, just growing for serious volume this time.

The whimsy garden itself will be full of carrots, cucumbers, mixed greens, summer squash, beautiful flowers and herbs which will keep the kids picking, munching, reading, and exploring for another season. I look forward to it and embrace every moment. This is my dream and I hope at least some of it is realized.

What plans do you have for your special space this year?

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3/6/26

It’s Time to Plant a Garden.

These guys aren’t going to stay young forever. Right now, they love being outside with me working around the farm, taking care of the chickens, gathering eggs, feeding the cats and so many other things. Everything we do together creates a memory. Even if they can’t recall the details in 20 years, they will remember the smell of the hay, the shavings, the early morning fog, late night fire pits, putting the chickens in and the sound of Grampa’s laughter. They will say to each other in the years to come “Remember at the farm when we used to……” even if they only experienced it for one summer, one winter, on one creek bank and in one rainstorm. That memory, that life extending moment will be forever etched in place in their memories. This is what I am after in the next phase of gardening. We are planting more than flowers and vegetables.

My vegetable /flower garden is sort of big. It is 108’ x 20’. It is big because I need it to do a lot. It has to produce enough food for two families to eat from all summer and well into January. By then the potatoes are getting a little soft and the squash needs to be finished up and frankly, everyone is bored with potato soup, “fresh” pasta sauce from the freezer over homemade noodles, and the amazing applesauce made from last fall’s frozen apples. We try to dress the meals up with fresh bread or biscuits, real butter and homemade jams and jellies. The fresh eggs continue to come from our hens and they continue to get the kitchen scraps so it is reciprocal. But, one of these days someone is going to groan “Where are the fresh greens??”

So this year we are going to dive in to the microgreen river. I bought a microgreen mix from my favorite seed company but, alas, it is filled with mustard greens and bitter herbs which I don’t like. They grow great! But, I can’t eat them and none of the rest of the family will either. So, we are going a different route: sunflower seeds, baby kale, spinach, beets, green peas, and swiss chard. I can also include a basic salad mix too. And this is where the kids come in.

Micro greens are fast growing so I will have the kids help me plant and water them. Then we will watch the progress all the way to harvest. After the harvest the kids will be able to feed the soil sponge to the chickens. They will love it! And the greens can be clipped, put in a bag and delivered to their mom as part of dinner.

I have a table and light set up in the house. Now it is just a matter of getting the soil, trays, and seed in place, and away we go. This first time through I will have the boys help me and it is going to be loud and messy. But isn’t that where memories are made? I think so.

Hopefully we will soon have pictures and report on our progress so, stay tuned.

Of Chickens and Grand Kids and Snow Blowing

December 7, 2024

For the last three weeks things have been pretty busy on the farm. Our old mare, Misty, got her new winter turn out blanket. It is lime green so we can see her anywhere. It matters because she is an escape artist and her muddy brown color blends in with every winter landscape until snow arrives. She is warm and dry, eating well and nickering for treats. So far, so good.

I did indeed get all the flowers planted and all the tools put away. The electrical problem in the hen house was an easy fix, a couple of breaker replacements and we were back in business. There is still a ceiling outlet mystery which we will deal with in the spring, but for now it is disconnected.

For the last few weeks several people have posted on the public poultry forums about keeping chickens warm in the winter. I have always run two 150 watt heat lamps in my hen house not so much for warmth, but to keep the waterers thawed. Most of the time it is not an issue, but that –20 we had last January did freeze the water, so I did need the lamps. However, I am thinking of going a different route this year for two reasons: my hens simply will not stay out of their water pans, and I am sick of cleaning them! So, this year I am moving to heated water pans only accessible by simply walking up and drinking. There will be nothing to climb on, roost on, sit on poop on, or otherwise make my job harder. I might be able to tackle this project after the weekend. Hopefully there will be photos.

In addition to waterer issues some folks have asked if the hen house needs to be heated at all. In general, I would say ‘no’ with a caveat: When and if temperatures do get down to subzero make sure your chickens are NOT roosting near any drafty areas. Their combs and feet can be frostbitten by the cold air. So many folks have said they don’t use any heat, and all the chickens are just fine. While circumstances certainly can vary, I found in my world, this is simply not true. My poor rooster lost about half of his comb last January.

After several days of no precipitation it looks like the valley is finally going to get the snow we so badly need. I did get all the debris cleaned up and made clean passage for the snow blower. I use it to make paths from the farmhouse to the shop, barn, and hen house. No, I don’t have to. There is a backhoe which can clean some of this, but it turns out snow blowing for me, is therapeutic. Who knew?!

Apart from a few random toys and possibly a water sippy cup I think I managed to clean up after the grandkid's orchard play area well. I will make another pass through before the coming snowfall arrives.

This is such a wonderful time of year for the farmer/gardener. He/she just sort of HAS to rest. Everything is under a blanket of snow. The ground is frozen. There is just not much more one can do but maintain until.....January! The month of dreaming and planning.

Happy Holidays everyone. Make it a great holiday season for yourself and by extension, for others. Be blessed.