Evening and early morning temperatures in the low 40s and high 30s signal to me that it is time to turn my raised beds into cold frames. Last year’s redesign of the frames with 3/4 inch PVC pipe and couplings let me double their size and create something much sturdier than that I had before.
Plants started in August have started to come in their own. They are:
Arugula
Carrots
Cutting celery
Lettuce (multiple cold weather varieties)
Onions
Parsley
Radish
Swiss Chard
Before I put the frame together, I planted Claytonia and Verde de mache greens as well as kale seedlings. With any luck they will survive the winter and be ready for harvest next Spring.
But before then, we will have plenty of greens, radishes and carrots to keep us going. We still have lots of tomatoes that are ripening to add to our salads now.
Placing old storm windows on the frame, they start to fog up immediately capturing the evaporating water emerging from the soil. The garden is still alive and should, with any luck, provide us with daily meals through the new year.
