Growing winter plants in summer

Discussion in 'Fruit and Vegetable Gardening' started by ecoimpact, Nov 22, 2009.

  1. ecoimpact

    ecoimpact Member

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    G'day all,

    I'm from down under, Australia - the southern hemisphere and in a temperate climate. I'm interested in determining how to create a specific set of conditions for an artificial winter during our summer period to grow leafy vegetables and other types of produce winter loving edible plants.

    I've never heard or come across something like this before, but I consider it possible to grow winters plants out of season, as we can grow summer and spring crops out of season!

    I'd imagine the light levels, atmospheric and soil moisture would all need to mimic winter conditions. Is there anything else I'm missing?

    Cheers

    Eco

    EDIT: The conditions would need to be useful in a controlled environment - I guess the opposite to a hothouse, but I know only of a shade house and any structure would need to keep the summer heat out (which can get upto 48 degrees celcius).
     
  2. Durgan

    Durgan Contributor 10 Years

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    Some vegetable plants don't so well in hot, bright sunny conditions. Examples are broccoli, and cauliflower. To get good heading it is necessasry, in my case, to either attempt cool conditions in early Spring or plant in late Summer to get good heading in cooler weather. Early Spring is iffy since frost is prevelant when the plants are too small to withstand such, so Fall produce is usually better.

    The heat and sun in my location is usually excellent for most other plants. In your case probably an overhead shade clothe is required for some vegetable plants. Temperature here is seldom above 30C during the Summer months- June July and August.
     
  3. infinidox

    infinidox Member

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    I don't know if it's something that has been attempted before or not, but have you considered planting in a hole?

    My thoughts are thus: a foot or two down will be much cooler (especially if supplemented by shading and/or on the south side of your house), and the light will be more limited as well, as the sun won't be hitting the plants for as long during the day.

    Kind of a weird idea, but it might work.
     
  4. ecoimpact

    ecoimpact Member

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    lol. I almost thought you were joking about my question by suggesting planting in a hole! lol Because we all know a hole needs to be dug to grow a plant :)

    I like your suggestion (infinidox), I hadn't necessarily considered that aspect which you've mentioned and I'm sure there would be some relevance to it, which I thank you for suggesting and has given me a few other ideas to throw around and hopefully get more discussion going about this.

    As for the shade clothe burdan suggested, I did erect permanent shade clothe over a couple of sections of my vegetable garden for a few years during the summer months, however I found the high humidity impacted the vegetables from reduced wind, there was susceptiblity to fungus (mildrew and the likes) and prolonged soil moisture which couldn't dry out as quickly due to lack of sunlight. On the other hand the herbs and companion plants I grew favoured the climate produced from the shade clothe.

    When speaking of small scale production, it could prove useful to plant a row of crops within the normal soil level and create earth mounds either side of the crop, perhaps a sacrificial/companion plant could be grown on the mounds to further act as a shade barrier and naturally cool the surrounding atmosphere through the process of evaporation and the plants growing in the mound wouldn't be competing for the same resources as the crop growing in the normal soil level. Seems a bit too much like hard work with little return and I would have to determine what other measures would need to be taken in order to prevent the crop growing between the mounds from developing fungal infections, as I'd imagine a dramatic reduction of wind and remaining humidity.

    The only alternative I can percieve to growing winter vegetables during my harsh summer, would be inside the house which could be temperature controlled compared to the cost to run an airconditioner in my hoop greenhouse. I guess I would have to consider looking at hydroponically grown vegetables???
     
  5. 2annbrow

    2annbrow Active Member

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    Perhaps a walk-in refrigerator?
     
  6. ecoimpact

    ecoimpact Member

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    An airconditioner would act as a 'refrigerator' in a small indoor room, alot more economical to run the air-con and just imagine if I had to move. I should move to Tassie, summer is much cooler over in Tasmania, but that won't be happening!
     
  7. infinidox

    infinidox Member

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    Your companion plant idea (on a mound, or otherwise) is a good idea. Throw something like tomatoes or peppers around your more sensitive plants, as they will love all of the extra sun, and grow tall enough to provide shade. Corn would be another possibility, but my understanding is that its pollination success depends upon it being planted in large groups, rather than single rows.
     

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