On 8/29/2016 10:52 AM, The Cook wrote:
On Fri, 26 Aug 2016 23:06:58 -0700, T wrote:

Hi All,

Other than Garlic, which I already do, are their
any other crops to plant over winter in a snow
and freezing environment?

Many thanks,
-T

For me fall is the time to gather the last crops and finish preserving
all of the harvest. Also get the plots I plan to plant next Spring
ready. (Ideally)

Winter is time to let the back rest and recover. It is the time to
read seed catalogues and gardening books, take inventory of my seeds
and preserved foods and plan for the Spring. Since I have a
greenhouse I start several things there as early as January. By
February I am starting many of my summer crops there.

Before I got the greenhouse I started many plants in the house with
grow lights.

Gardening or farming is not just a spring and summer project. Winter
is the time to plan.

Do you preserve any of your produce? I can, freeze and dehydrate.
That takes us though the winter or longer.

I used to do the same things Susan, had a shelving unit in my home
office. Four shelves with grow lights over each one, started lots of
good vegetables for many years. Nowadays we have one 16 by 4 bed and two
four by 8 beds that we grow our vegetables in. On this small property
that works best. Our old home in Louisiana was a 14,000 square foot
property with lots of concrete and a big house on it but we managed a
17X21 in ground garden. Plus several fruit trees, a green house, berries
along the fence line, etc. As we age we don't miss it to much.

In addition to the vegetable beds we have a fig, a kumquat, and a pear
tree, all producing well after four years of growth. Do need to replace
the growing medium in the raised beds though. That means a tarp to hold
the new medium and toss it several times to get it all mixed properly. I
think we might be getting a bit to old for that too. Might have to call
in the 200 + lbs grandsons to do the tossing.

It's a somewhat balmy day here in SE Texas, Northern Harris Cty, temps
in the mid to high seventies rather than the usual 90-112F we usually
get at this time of year. Might be because of the rain clouds moving in
from the Gulf. Almost time to plant the fall garden. I am waiting to see
if the Gypsy pepper plant we put in two springs ago is still going to be
with us. It is generally covered with lots of small peppers on a regular
basis. Most of which goes to the poor kitchen at church since our
freezers are full. I've never thought of a perennial chile plant.