On Mon, 18 Jan 2010 12:51:56 -0600, Day, Wally <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>
> "Aye, there's the rub" with any kind of gardening in a cooler climate  
> (right on the border between zone 5 and zone 6). The window of  
> opportunity is narrow. Normally I can't safely plant outdoors until late  
> April/early May. Which means for *most* plants we get fresh stuff  
> July-early Sept. Most greens can be planted and harvested throughout the  
> summer (since they are just leaves), but getting two harvests for much  
> else is problematic.

That's one place we can do things paleo man couldn't.  You can extend the  
season pretty much year round, as long as you plan appropriately.  I have  
a simple "hoop house" greenhouse (basically just a sheet of plastic  
supported by PVC ribs) that lets me grow things all winter, using nothing  
but the sun.  I'm in zone 6, but there are people much further north using  
the concept (see the book "Four Season Harvest" for lots of details).  I  
just planted a few things in mine last week, and they're starting to come  
up.  The radishes are an inch tall already. :-)

Using season extenders does result in me eating some things "out of  
season", but not terribly so. I can't grow tomatoes or peppers in there in  
winter, for example, but things that can tolerate frost and/or freezing  
will work just fine.  But I don't sweat this too much, because I eat  
things from the grocery store that aren't in season all the time.

If you want more detail, email me off the list (I don't want to get too  
far off topic on here) and I can send photos of my setup.

> I have experimented a bit with indoor "gardening", but not very  
> seriously.

Unless you have south-facing windows (or very bright artificial lighting),  
you probably won't have enough light for most vegetables.

--
   Robert Kesterson
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