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I'm making progress this fall, leaving it alone for the winter, and then continuing in the spring with my 'hunting cabin'/vacation spot/getaway.
In addition to the trees I plan on planting (for long term), it strikes me that there may be some things I can plant, that can possibly survive on their own this winter, and may produce in the spring.
-I'll likely do a bag garden as a precursor to raised beds in the spring.
Zone 6 is far more temperate than what I am used to, but I do know that Kale is kind of a standard crop for the South East that is a winter crop.
In my area, I plant a lot of berries as they grow naturally here and will produce forever if you use wild stock.
In Montana, we don't grow a lot of nut or fruit trees with the exception of cherries in the Flathead valley, so for naturally occuring citrus, berries are kind of the standard.
In my site 1 garden I have chokecherries, service berries, raspberries, goose berries and current.
At my cabin, (site 3), it is really high in altitude (6500 feet) and has harsh winters. It is almost sub alpine, so we have Service berries, low bush huckleberries, thornapples and chokecherries.
At my site 2 which is really dry, we only have chokecherry and buffalo berry.
Using wild stocks they reproduce on their own and require almost no care, but if you prune or thin you will get a lot better crops and they keep producing forever in a good patch.
There are a lot of other wild berries that occur naturally here like Elderberry or High Bush Huckleberry, but those don't transplant and are impossible to start, so all the stocks are wild.
We can grow crabapple and some early apples, but the wild animals are a real consideration here as the bears will clean you out quickly given the chance.
Planting a lot of berries gives us a chance to get something before the bears eat it all
About the only winter crop we plant around here is winter wheat which is a hard red or hard white wheat for bread. It isn't harvested until the following fall, but it needs the winter to germinate to hard.
Soft Red or White wheat are usually called Spring Wheat and don't have the protein of the winter varieties.
We can also plant onions in the fall for larger bulbs in the summer, but again, they are not a spring crop.
In your more temperate zone, you should have a lot of options for both vegetables and berries as well as trees you can grow.
I would talk to the local Extension service if you have one, or check with the US Dept of Agriculture about what you could grow on your place.
In Zone 6, you should be able to overwinter kale, chard, lettuce, spinach, cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, brussels sprouts, leeks, shallots, onions and garlic; as well as some perennials like asparagus and artichokes. You could also plant wheat, barley, and oats for late spring harvest.
In Zone 6, you should be able to overwinter kale, chard, lettuce, spinach, cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, brussels sprouts, leeks, shallots, onions and garlic; as well as some perennials like asparagus and artichokes. You could also plant wheat, barley, and oats for late spring harvest.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Themanwithnoname
I'm making progress this fall, leaving it alone for the winter, and then continuing in the spring with my 'hunting cabin'/vacation spot/getaway.
In addition to the trees I plan on planting (for long term), it strikes me that there may be some things I can plant, that can possibly survive on their own this winter, and may produce in the spring.
-I'll likely do a bag garden as a precursor to raised beds in the spring.
In zone 6, rocky soil... Any recommendations?
I think the 'survive on their own and be available in the spring' may be an issue... Or am I wrong?
If you plant them in late summer so they can get established, then cover the beds with light mulch or a row cover before leaving for winter, they should go dormant and be fine without any further assistance from you, and will start up in the spring (or, in the case of hardy kale, grow all winter whether you pick them or not). The perennials beds just need to be prepped and they'll do their thing in the spring, as will the grains. The only reason you'd need to actively work in the garden over the winter is if you wanted to harvest a few things during the winter, otherwise these cold season crops will just sit mostly dormant until spring. The only real caveat is if you have really wet soil, in that case the seeds/bulbs/transplants may rot in the ground before they warm up enough to break dormancy and start growing again.
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