Cool-Season Gardening
When it comes to gardening during the cooler months you have to consider planting vegetables that will thrive in cool weather conditions. Some of the best vegetables to grow during the cool season months are cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, kale, onions, shallots, leeks, and lettuce varieties. To grow these different types of vegetables you should transplant or direct seed. When transplanting in the greenhouse our
seed starting trays are the best option due to the internal vertical root training ribs that provide better aeration and root ball drainage. If you prefer to direct seed you can use our walk-behind
garden seeder to accurately plant seeds without overplanting. It also comes with six seed plates that can be customized to fit various different seed sizes depending on the vegetable being planted in the garden.
Top 10 Vegetables
There are several types of vegetables that should be grown in the garden that many people don't during this time of year. The first top 10 vegetable that you should be growing is Kohlrabi. A pretty cold-tolerant vegetable, Kohlrabi is a fast-growing crop that typically is ready to harvest within 40 to 45 days. We offer two varieties of Kohlrabi such as the
White Vienna and
Purple Vienna. The next variety to grow is the
Premium Greens Mix which includes
Mizuna,
Tatsoi,
Arugula, and
Red Russian Kale. Another top 10 vegetable to grow is the Swiss chard which does best when grown in the Fall and Winter. The
Bright Lights variety of swiss chard are resistant to early bolting and contains a wide color variation. The next varieties to grow are the
Matejko and
Tadorna Leeks which work great for succession planting until around May. Lastly, the guys talk about Chinese cabbage which is a broader category that several things fall under. This variety is a
Spring Crisp Chinese Cabbage that makes elongated heads that are extremely good for sauteing. Then, we also have a
Joi Choi Chinese Cabbage that has a lighter color stem. While the
Feng Qing Pak Choi has a darker colored stem. However, they both have a similar taste profile as Chinese cabbage varieties.
Show and Tell Segment
On the show and tell segment, Travis has some
Peaches and Cream sweet corn he has been growing in the vegetable garden. While Greg has some
Tiger collards and explains ways to grow them and harvest them from the vegetable garden. The guys also have a seed starting tray of
Cherokee Lettuce transplants growing in the greenhouse. Travis also discusses a little bit about how he used the Dibble Wheel attachment to plant shallots earlier in the week.
Viewer Questions Segment
On the question and answer segment this week, the guys answer questions about if the
silage tarp will kill off cogon grass and have we filmed vlogs of hand tool maintenance. Travis mentions that although he hasn't had any experience with killing off cogon grass, he does have experience with bermudagrass. When dealing with bermudagrass the best method the guys have found to use is in use tarp and till technique. This technique is basically putting the tarp on the area for two to three weeks, next remove the tarp to till the area, and then place the tarp back down to repeat till all the bermudagrass is eliminated. The two tools that Greg mentions to be a necessity for good tool maintenance is the
farmers file and linseed oil. The importance of keeping your tools maintained and sharpened will help provide well-kept tools for all your needs in the garden.
Products of the Week
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XBnHGezvIS8
