Hi, I live in Vancouver (zone 7a) I just got some great compost out of the composter and was going to plant some vegetables. I know I can grow kale here just about year round but can I grow anything else if I put up a plastic cover or will the soil be too cold Steve
I am right on the border of zone 8/9 and I grow broccoli, cabbage, snow peas, dill, spinach, lettuce, onions, turnips and have grown carrots, beets and radish in winter. Skeet
Steve, I've found that peas do OK but you need to cover them from the rain, otherwise the pods will rot. Spinach and lettuce work well. Fennel did surprisingly well here. Most herbs do fine, although other than cilantro they're pretty much dormant for the winter. Good timing with your post, today's the average first frost date for the Lower Mainland. :)
Thanks for tips people, just wondering though, could I start these suggestions right now, from seed, outside. is this just a pipe dream or can it be done?
Steve, I don't think it is too late for any of the ones I listed. My lettuce is just a few inches high, I planted some more snow peas last week, and was thinking about planting some more cabbage and broccoli seeds for a later crop next spring. I have some broccoli that is about 8-10 inches now. I don't grow carrots or radishes, but I know they would be fine now as well. Skeet
After some time in October, there isn't enough light to get growth of veggies. The Pensacola location is quite different, with a lot more intensity and length of daylight, but we are around 49N in the general area of UBC (southwest BC). Steve Solomon did the great book (or series of updated books) called Growing Vegetables West of the Cascades...it answers so many questions about this. Basically, you have to start the veggies earlier, then they remain dormant thru the winter. Shelter from the rain and wind helps too.
Growest, you are right-- I forgot about the difference in light. I knew the temperatures were fairly similar, but our days don't get as short as they do there-- also we do not get the very long days in summer. You probably have a longer cool season in the spring than we do-- we are often hitting the 80s in April. Skeet
