Getting a jump start on the growing season

"Every year we practice over wintering a few plants to see if we can get a head start on the next year. The results have been helpful in understanding our potential to extend our growing season. Last year, we tried overwintering a few things outside, such as parsnips and onions. This year, I focused on winter greens and herbs that could be grown in a hoop house for a very early spring harvest," writes John Wallace, SIFT Farm Manager.

"The parsnips and onions had a very low rate of success for germination in late fall. Both vegetables have a long life cycle. It takes over 100 days for them to mature, which is too long for us to guarantee we will get a yield. Getting a head start on the onions and parsnips the following year seemed like a good goal if we want to broaden the scope of that can grow here in Butte, MT. What we found was that the parsnips that did germinate and manage to survive the winter ended up reaching maturity during the hottest days in August. At that time, the parsnips were bland in flavor and even had a soft, rubbery texture. The onions, on the other hand, turned out pretty well, but we didn’t have more than a handful."

"We filled the gaps in our parsnip and onion rows by re-seeding in early spring. The parsnips actually were able to yield in the short timeframe. This was largely due to the fact that we did not have any arctic air plunge our way until the middle of November, keeping frosts more moderate. The re-seeded parsnips were not very large, but their flavor was sweet and nutty, enhanced by the cooler weather, which they prefer. The onions that I seeded in the early fall ended up being used as green onion because they never had enough time to bulb. Those that did not get used as green onion were left in the ground for another test on how overwintering effects more mature plants. Those results have yet to be seen."

"We have had some strange occurrences where our hoop houses end up with very healthy greens that either re-seed themselves or come back in the early spring without our intention, mostly lettuce, rainbow chard, kale, and spinach. Last fall, I seeded rainbow chard and spinach in our attached greenhouse knowing that the soil comes back to life earlier than anywhere else on the farm. The chard was not successful in germinating at that time due to irrigation issues and cold weather. On the other hand, the spinach barely made it into its cotyledon stage where it remained dormant until recently. I have witnessed significant growth in the last week with the ample sun shine and warm weather we have been experiencing. This will result in our earliest harvest of spinach yet if the weather holds up."

"Seeing these early results has inspired me to get the attached greenhouse seeded for an early spring harvest. Yesterday, I was able to seed lettuce mix, radishes, bok choy, and cilantro. Parsley, mint, thyme, rosemary, and kale are all re-emerging after a long battle with this winter’s lower than average temperatures. All of the varieties are very cold-tolerant and if the weather holds through the germination window, then we should be able to have a significant harvest in about one month."

Source: NCAT