There are not many crops that are fit to grow in the bitter cold. Usually, summer and spring crops are grown and stored for the winter, to ensure that families don’t starve. But there are crops, mainly vegetables, that one can grow even during the cold times, that will prevent shortage of food.
- Kale
Space kale 18 to 24 inches apart in an area with full sun and well-drained, fertile soil with a pH of 6.5 to 6.8. Improve native soil by mixing in several inches of aged compost or other rich organic matter. Kale is a fast grower, so keep the soil by giving it 1 to 1.5 inches of water each week.
- Broccoli
Plant broccoli where it will get at least 6 hours of sun daily and has fertile, well-drained, moist soil with plenty of organic matter. Mulch will help keep the ground cool and moist. The soil pH should be between 6.0 and 7.0 for best growth and to discourage clubroot disease.
- Carrots
Fertilize the soil with one cup of 10-20-10 for every 10 feet of row you plant. You can use a rake to mix the soil and fertilizer. Planting your carrots in rows that are one to two feet apart is the best way to grow carrots. Seeds should be planted about a half inch deep and one to two inches apart.
To keep these vegetables from rotting, put them in a cool, dry, dark, well-ventilated location. You can use a wooden crate or shallow cardboard box. Or place these crops into plastic bags as if you were storing them in the fridge, and monitor the temperature to make sure it stays above freezing but below 50 degrees. Other vegetables you can grow during the winter are lettuce, asparagus, spinach, and squash.
