Ideally, overwintered crops should be planted in the fall for harvest in the early spring. With the benefit of added cover like a small hoop tunnel, leafy greens like kale, broccoli, and spinach will also stand up to cold conditions. Garlic, onion, and leeks can also be left in the ground until the spring harvest, though they are a little more susceptible to wet conditions. There are a few other crops that will survive the cold, like potatoes and cabbage. The foliage on the tops of the plants will likely die back, but the harvestable fruit that lies just beneath the surface of the soil will be just fine if. Kate Garland, horticulturist at the University of Maine Cooperative Extension, fondly recalls images of master gardeners in the northern reaches of Maine pulling beautiful carrots out of the ground in the middle of January. Parsnips, carrots, turnips, kohlrabi, beetroot and swedes are all able to be left in the ground over winter, usually without losing any of your crops to rot, disease, or pest infestations. The 'Moon Dates' indicate the best planting dates based on Moon phases. Last Date to Plant: You may plant any time from the 'start seeds' dates until this 'last date.' Dont wait any longer, or the crop wont have time to get to harvest before fall/winter frosts. Cold temperatures will even initiate a process known as chill-sweetening, in which the plants convert starches to sugar and yield a crisp, candy-like vegetable come spring. Start Seeds Outdoors: When to plant seeds directly into the outdoor soil. Before sowing, remove any stones and weeds and rake. Root vegetables like carrots, beets, and turnips are great for overwintering. How to plant and grow carrots Ideally, prepare the ground in autumn ready for planting carrots in spring. What vegetables can you grow in a winter garden? If hard frosts are commonplace in your neck of the woods, cover your crops with a little extra insulation, like a layer of hay or a garden fleece, and they will be ready to ride out the cold. Some winter-hardy vegetables are content to stay in the ground all winter (though you just may find some nibbled crops in your garden come spring). Small hoop tunnels can also be used for added protection from the winter elements, but the elaborate apparatuses aren’t necessarily required. “You can pull carrots every day all winter.” The uniform roots are delicious eaten fresh but will also store well. The long, tapered, 25cm (10') roots contain high levels of beta carotene giving them a rich orange colour that will brighten any plate. Carrot flowers have five petals and sepals and are born in compound umbels. Carrot foliage is finely dissected with fern-like compound leaves. “If you have them in a cold frame, you are both protecting from outside cold and against critters,” says Eliot Coleman, owner of Four Seasons Farms and author of The New Organic Grower. This super sweet carrot is a taste sensation Carrot Sugarsnax 54 has a superb flavour whether it is cooked or eaten raw. Carrots are biennial vegetables, though they are typically harvested in their first year of growth before they overwinter and set flowers the following year.
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