This past week was very cold by our standards.

Everything slows down. Sometimes plants even start to rot as the cold dew penetrates layers of leaves. And yet we can grow through the winter. The question is how we adapt and accept the reality of winter for what it is.

Our small seedlings in plug trays slow down to a crawl. If you can move trays somewhere warmer and sunny, that can help.

Even so, the best solution for growing seedlings in cold weather is to grow in trays that have larger plug sizes, or to grow in flats trays, then plant out into six packs or into the ground, depending on how resilient your seedlings are.

My best guess at why this works: The larger trays stabilise moisture levels, allowing more leeway for both warmer and colder days. It’s ok to grow slowly if there’s moisture available. The larger volume of soil per seedling also means a slightly higher soil temperature, which really helps during cold nights.

What about vegetables already growing outside? For small veg just getting started, try to find ways to support them through life on the outside. I typically do this by adding worm castings. I also overplant direct seeded beetroot and carrots to account for slow growth. Overplant in the sense that there are many more than I need, spaced too close together. Close planting provides support, and you still get yields when you thin things out.

For larger veg, observation is the most useful tool. We harvest leafy greens very frequently, so that diseased leaves are quickly removed. We triage the quality of these harvests between sharing with others, consumed by us and lastly, for our animals. And the act of observation.

My recommendations could be summarised as:
1) In the early stages of growth, give space so that there’s margin for error and consistency.
2) In the middle stages of growth, give support in the form of good compost, boosting nutrients and beneficial microbes for bursts of growth.
3) In the later stages, take away things that will cause harm — sometimes those leaves are already a viable harvest, and sometimes you’re supporting a later harvest.

So here’s to the slowness of the cold, and to giving our plants what they need.

Free soil workshop with Peter!

Peter Haynes has generously offered to teach a free soil workshop here on the farm on 20 June, from 1-2:30. Space is limited, so if you book a space you absolutely cannot cancel.

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