What’s growing now: a picture feature

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Little plants in February?

Despite the lack of blog posts, we have been doing stuff on our little greenhouse project. Not much, admittedly, but stuff nonetheless. For instance, during the long, slow season of winter, we discussed a long-term plan for the project and helped some middle schoolers get projects started inside for the spring.

And then there was yesterday. 39 degrees outside; 104 degrees inside. Yep, that’s right. A 65 degree temperature difference. We all rushed out to the greenhouse to bask in the heat, and then promptly opened all the doors up and ushered a cold breeze inside. Oh yeah, we also planted up 72 row feet in greens for our spring CSA program. It’s exciting to think that spring is finally here, in the greenhouse at least.

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How to pick seeds for winter production

So you’ve decided that you want to grow some vegetables for winter production. You’ve decided vaguely what you’re going to grow (for example, a gourmet salad mix). What’s left now is choosing your varieties.

Vegetables Can Freeze, part 3: Carrots & Radishes

Radish "D'Avignon". Photo courtesy of Johnny's Selected Seeds.

Here we are in the third installment of “Vegetables Can Freeze.” Today’s topic: radishes and carrots. Will they survive a brutal freeze? Can they take the extreme cold of our Minnesota winters? Will they emerge stronger from their experience?

Well, yes. That’s why we’re writing about them. Both of these root crops have the virtue of a short season and improved flavor when grown in the cold.

When you think about the perfect carrot, usually it’s pretty far from the versions you find at your local grocery store, no?

Radish "Tricolored Easter Egg." Photo courtesy of Johnny's Selected Seeds.

Tough, woody, and soapy tasting–these carrots are gross and very common. But where can you find a tender, sweet, crunchy carrot that is actually a bright orange?

Why, in an unheated high tunnel, of course! Each time a carrot root freezes, some of the starch that is a part of its makeup is converted to natural sugar. This is why parsnips should be left in the ground until after a freeze and why potatoes shouldn’t be stored in the shed over the winter.

Carrot "Mokum." Photo courtesy of Johnny's Selected Seeds.

The same goes for radishes. Cold weather makes them crisp and sweet, which is especially great along with their spiciness.

So now I think that we’ve covered about enough on the vegetable thing, so the next “Vegetables Can Freeze” post will be about selecting seed for winter production.

Vegetables can freeze, part 2: Asian greens

Mmmm...mizuna.

Well, folks, you really loved the first “Vegetables Can Freeze” post. Really loved. As in, in two weeks, it had more views than any other post!

So in response, we will now offer a brief overview of the crops we’ve decided to plant in our greenhouse, along with some basic information. And today’s post, as you may have guessed, is about Asian greens.

"Jimmy, you must eat all your komatsuna before you can leave the table."

The three varieties of Asian green that we will be planting in the greenhouse this winter are as follows: mizuna, bekana (a type of Chinese cabbage) , and komatsuna. First and foremost, we chose these seeds because of their cold-hardiness and quick growing time. They will all be harvested for baby greens in a salad mix. Johnny’s Selected Seeds catalog reports that they will go from planting to harvest in 21 days for baby greens, although it will take longer if grown in winter harvests. They have a variety of textures and flavors, ranging from delicate and sweet to juicy and spicy.

As is true of any other salad green, they are sweeter and tenderer when harvested young. And as you may have remembered from the last “veggies can freeze” post, greens grown during the winter are sweeter and tenderer than their summer-grown counterparts.  So it all equals up to super tender, juicy, beautiful salad. In March. Start stocking up on your favorite dressing now!

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