Prolong Your Harvest

By Meara Hayden, Penn State Extension Intern      

We are nearing the peak of summer, and you’ve probably got plenty of fruits and vegetables either ready to harvest or close to it. But you likely did not have happy, full plants in early spring, nor will you in late fall. It is often desirable to extend the growing season several weeks on each end, so you can have harvestable plants long after and before they are usually ripe.

Extending the growing season is a well-practiced art, one that has been around for hundreds of years. Simply covering the soil with a thick layer of mulch can help keep the plant’s roots warm and moist for longer. It is also helpful to overwinter plants, or to start seedlings inside.

Planning for a long growing season can take a lot of work, and you should be very familiar with your area’s microclimate. Many gardeners like to order seeds online before they are available in stores. You should be aware of the germination time and time to harvest. Late or early crops will often take longer to mature, and you may end up with plants that refuse to produce if you aren’t careful.

           

Cold frames protect greens from frost

If you’re planning on building a structure, you should consider greenhouses as well as hoop houses or floating row covers. With a greenhouse, you could have cool weather crops like kale, lettuce, and beets year round. Hoop houses allow you to plant the crop in the ground, instead of containers. They are usually made of plastic stretched over hoops made of metal or PVC piping, with enough room for the gardener to stand. The sides are rolled up during the day to allow for ventilation. They are cheaper than greenhouses, but usually don’t have heating, and they are non-permanent. Floating row covers are just cloth, like specially made remay or even a sheet, placed on small hoops, like half a hula hoop or bent wire. They “float” above the plants, keeping warm air and moisture in, and pests out.

           

To learn more about the many ways you can extend your growing season, and about the pros and cons of the different gardening structures, come to the workshop “Grow Longer: Extend the Growing Season,” part of the Lehigh Valley Backyard Homesteading Series. The workshop is at Red Cat Farm in Germansville, at 8:30 am on Saturday, July 12th. Come out and learn how you can have fresh produce late in the fall and early in the spring!

Register here: http://www.cvent.com/events/grow-longer-extending-the-growing-season/event-summary-b1ff05f04e0a430482c800cff53055bd.aspx