Well, the days have gotten shorter. Our nights and mornings have gotten much colder. Winter has settled into our once lush, tall, green vegetable gardens. Beds that were, earlier, covered with beans, greens, squash, and tomatoes are now looking a little bare. Now, all that remains, are a few signs of hardy productiveness.
Walking out in soggy ground, some of us wonder what can be done now. Try and take advantage of this veggie gardening “down time” while you can. If you planned ahead and planted a few crops earlier in the fall, you should be enjoying some of those treats now.

We’ll be making comfy, soothing soups with fresh cabbage, carrots, kale, leeks, peas and Swiss chard. Or we might steam up some nutrient-packed beets, broccoli, Brussels sprouts or cauliflower. Don’t forget to toss in some of those tasty herbs that grow slowly through the winter like oregano, parsley, rosemary, sage, thyme or winter savory.

Down here at the nursery you will still be able to find some winter vegetable survivors like artichokes, assorted greens, kale, leeks, some lettuces, onions, spinach, Swiss chard, and a good selection of hardy herbs. You can also look forward to a great selection of bare root berries and fruit trees coming in January!

Have Fun!

– Che

Winter Tasks for the Vegetable Garden

• Clean-up spent or rotting vegetables and fruit. Place everything in your compost, except tomatoes, or any other diseased material.
• Cover your compost pile with a sheet of black plastic. This will absorb heat and keep the compost pile from getting too soggy in the rain.
• Clean and store tools in a dry place.
• Do one last weeding if needed.
• Work in good layer of compost to keep winter crops healthy through the cold months.
• Pile a thick layer of mulch to conserve heat and to avoid soil erosion.