We have reached my farm’s growing zones 5-6. For this cool season garden episode we will learn the important techniques that you will need in your cool season garden regardless of which growing zone you grow in. These High Performance Garden techniques will help you to develop the 9th Characteristic of a High Performance Garden an Extended Growing Season. We will focus on where to build your beds, cool weather plant varieties and how to water the garden once the temperatures drop. Are you ready to get started? Come and join me in one of our greenhouses on the farm to get started!

Growing zones 5-6 have long fall seasons. At times you can extend growing your leafy greens right up to December with some frost protection. (Don’t worry we will learn all about frost protection in the next video!) Our hard freeze usually comes at the end of November or the first week of December. We have picked broccoli as late as the end of November. In growing zone 5-6 you will be able to start growing cold weather crops outdoors as early as March in most areas with frost protection. 

The best plants to grow in a fall cool season garden in zones 5-6 are Arugula, Claytonia, Vit, Beet greens, Swiss Chard, Bok Choy, Kale, Lettuce, Mustards, Cilantro and Spinach. On the farm there are certain high performing leafy green varieties that we have found that will grow through the fall and winter with some frost protection.  For lettuce I grow Tropicana, Winter Density, Firecracker and Bronze Arrowhead. For spinach I like to grow Bahamas. I prefer growing Bull’s Blood Beets for really richly colored beet greens and Aurora mix for my swiss chard. We also grow Red Giant and Mizuna for our mustard varieties. My favorite variety name is Joi Choi, it is the bok choy variety we grow on the farm. For kale we grow Red Russian. 

 You can direct sow the seeds into your garden in September. Remember to space your plants so that you can get your frost protection around them. My covers will cover a bed that is about 42 inches wide so I will make the beds no more than 42 inches wide and then put in a walking aisle so I can get around the area to cover. 

Once you plant your cool season garden you will need to understand how watering a cool season garden differs from watering a summer garden. In a summer garden I will water my beds everyday. In the fall , in any zone that has cold nights, you will want to water your plants in the morning or before lunch time. The plants will do better if they can be dry by nightfall. Plants that go into the night wet have a tendency to mold, mildew and rot off where the soil meets the plant. Also you will want to pay attention to your soil surface when you water. The soil surface needs to dry out before you water again to prevent molding.  So check your soil surface to see if it is wet, if it is skip the water and if it is dry then water it. 

It is fun to have garden crops even after you have had a few frosts. Get out your seeds and give the fall garden a try!  If you would like to really dive into the world of cool season gardening I would recommend the Leafy Greens Container Garden course. This online course has all of the answers and support you need to create a flourishing garden in some of the harshest growing conditions.

Until next time may your garden be easy, fun, productive and always organic!

Lynn

Email me any questions you have about growing in zones 5-6. It would be a pleasure to help you in your environment to grow the best possible garden you could have!