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Swiss Chard

Swiss Chard Frost DamageWell, that'll do it. That fat lady has sung. Here lies the last of my Swiss Chard.

After about a week of nighttime temperatures dropping below freezing, the garden is finally closed for the season. The plan was to build some mini hoops houses over my raised beds and try to continue gardening through December but I didn't have enough free time to make that happen.

The other casualties beside this Swiss Chard include a few different kinds of salad greens, bok choy, arugala and brocolli rabe. They were in such bad shape that I didn't even want to take pictures of them. Let's keep this a closed casket funeral.

I really wanted to follow the advice of Elliot Coleman in his book Four-Season Harvest: Organic Vegetables from Your Home Garden All Year Long and build little hoops houses or maybe even some cold frames and garden through the winter. But I'm still happy that I had fresh greens almost all the way through November. Next year, maybe I'll make it to Thanksgiving. Hmmm, that AeroGarden is looking better and better.

11/23/2008 04:46:00 PM | Labels: , |

This entry was posted on 11/23/2008 04:46:00 PM and is filed under overwinter , vegetable garden . You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

 

15 Comments:

  1. Anonymous said...
    5:42 PM  
    That chard makes me so sad! If you can get away from the seed kits, the Aerogarden is a great investment for the winter.
    Leora said...
    6:27 PM  
    All of my marigolds have officially died. Only the dianthus and snap dragons are struggling to live through the frosty nights.

    Maybe I'll try some hardy greens next fall. I doubt I'll ever do the cold frames or hoop houses.
    Anthony said...
    9:45 AM  
    Hey Red,
    Yes, I hear that the seed kits are a rip off but lots of people have figured out how to use their own seeds with the Aerogarden.

    Hi Leora,
    Dead marigolds are probably more sad looking that dead chard. Definitely try some cool season crops next year. It's great to have greens through the fall.
    Chiot's Run said...
    10:02 AM  
    I've managed to keep my stuff going under some floating row covers. It just got so cold so quickly here this Nov. Our normal 40's are gone, it's warm if it gets up into the 30's so far this Nov.
    Ed Bruske said...
    10:52 AM  
    Just finished a re-read of Eliot's book and I'm getting ready to intsall a hoop house and plant some hardy greens. It's been cold here, too, but the chard is still standing tall. Yours will come back, not to worry.
    sarah k. said...
    11:28 AM  
    That happened to mine already, too. I was trying to let them get a little bigger, to have one last frittata or something, and I wasn't diligent about checking the forecast. I feel like crying. I do have a cute, baseball sized head of broccoli that I'm going to cut for tonight, though. And do you know if you can still eat beets that have been frozen? I know carrots are OK, but what about beets?
    Nate said...
    11:44 AM  
    I've got Eliot-ish ambitions as well. My building plans include small green house this winter, then hoops next year for an extended winter garden.

    http://slcveggies.blogspot.com
    Anonymous said...
    2:26 PM  
    Your area must be a bit colder than where I live (along pascack valley line). My lettuce and mizuna looked frozen last week(they did feel frozen too as I touched), so I desperately put them inside the small pop-up green house and they managed to revive. I will have my greens for Thanksgiving dinner, thank god! I will see how far into winter I can keep harvesting...
    Unknown said...
    12:10 PM  
    I have a question. I planted Swiss chard by seed. One seed in each little half inch hole. The chard just sprouted but it looks as if I planted more than one in each hole. Do I thin them out or what?
    Anthony said...
    12:12 PM  
    Hi Ross,
    It could be chard or it could be weeds. Wait until it gets bigger and you'll be able to tell for sure.
    Unknown said...
    12:24 PM  
    Here Anthony, this is what it looks like for just one seed.

    http://www.andreasrecipes.com/photos/WGP_chard_sprouts_090708.jpg
    Anthony said...
    12:27 PM  
    Ross,
    Looks like chard to me. Nice!
    Unknown said...
    12:29 PM  
    Thank you (it's not my picture though lol) But that's one plant?
    Anthony said...
    12:30 PM  
    Ross,
    I plant more than one seed at a time so I wouldn't know. But like I said, it's looks like chard.
    Unknown said...
    12:32 PM  
    Oh, ok. Thank you! :D

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