those you that garden

[stone_family3]

I'm in Ohio and it is starting to get cold, I don't have a greenhouse or means to build one. However I want to grow some herbs for my growing chicken and rabbit flock. Could I cover the small plots with clear plastic totes?

 

[Frost Homestead]

you could but it would be hard to keep some plants alive even with the cover. basil hates the cold and will wilt at the first sign of freezing nighttime temps. what are you wanting to grow? anything in particular? the best thing I would suggest is if you just want to grow herbs, grow them inside during the winter, just get some plastic or something to protect your floor and sit a couple potted herbs near the window. the amount you can grow is really only restricted by the amount of windows you have and how tolerant you are of pots in the house

 

[stone_family3]

Quote:
Nothing particular, just something for the animals to munch on. I don't really have space in the house.

What about something like lettuce, cabbage, carrots, turnips, radishes?

 

[ozark_chickies]

Turnips and radish are your best bet, but when it drops below freezing and stays there, the greens will die back. You won't be able to keep heat in the totes after the sun sets, and it will cool off very fast. My unheated greenhouse can hit 90 degrees on a 32 degree day, but will drop to near outside temps when the sun sets.

 

[Kassaundra]

If you want to feed your animals greens in the winter try feeding sprouts. The grains you can buy at the feed store (boss, wheat, corn, oats etc....) that are whole and not rolled or crimped or chopped etc can be used. Soak them for 12-24 hrs then allow to grow for about 4 days letting them stay moist, but not wet and they will sprout. Look for sprouting threads there are a couple that explain in detail. I know the chickens love it, I don't know about rabbits. (I grow mine in burlap bags)



They won't be green plants, just the beginning root and stem.

 

[inputoutput]

Hard for me to grow much because my indoor cats life mission is to destroy all plant life on Earth, but I do take carrot tops and put them in dirt. Water and X amount of time later and most of them will grow new greens! Which everyone loves of course.

 

[D3invertebrates]

The farther north you go the harder itll be to grow anything but there are a few veggies that grow well into the winter kale, lettuce, collards and spinach grow well in winter and I know my chickens love em, they ate em all so it seems that way. Beets seem to be a good one, the chickens ate on them just enough to where the leaves kept growing back for more and once they ate all the leaves they eventually ate the root, it wasnt there favorite but they ate it consistently and there was still plenty growing long after the birds ate all the lettuce. Ive been thinking of trying to grow some winter wheat this year for my birds, anyone ever try that before?

 

[WestCal]

You may be able to extend the growing seasons with row covers or cold frame. Beets,kale, radish,carrotsall do well in cold. This kale is cold hearty http://www.territorialseed.com/product/7259/321

See this seed catalog link for ideas and also gardenweb.com and search for your area in the forums. Local gardeners can help you best in regards to weather and varieties that work best in your area.

http://www.gardenweb.com/

http://www.territorialseed.com/prod_detail_list/fall_Winter_seed

 

[wyoDreamer]

You can also make a cold frame out of an old window. Use haybales around it to provide insulation. A friend of mine used bales of hay and an old slider window. I think she had a 2x12 board that she used as the front edge of it, to set the windo on. Make sure to dig the haybales down into the ground about 4-6 inches and tightly compact loose hay into the cracks between the haybales. Use the window pane as a cover, making sure that it is tipped down to the front to get as much sunlight as possible into the bed. She had a slight problem with the water vapor dripping onto the seedlings at first, but after tipping the glass, it all drained to the front before dripping.