Dear Wally,
    I would be very interested in learning from you about how you are gardening.  I will look up the book you recommended on 4 season gardening.  Thanks.  Phil 






-----Original Message-----
From: Robert Kesterson <[log in to unmask]>
To: [log in to unmask]
Sent: Mon, Jan 18, 2010 2:11 pm
Subject: Re: Gardening


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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