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In the News - November 2009
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WARM PLANTS - A little wire and some plastic sheeting can create a quick cold frame for winter gardening. (University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture photo by Craig |
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. - An autumn of rain and unseasonably warm temperatures for parts of Arkansas have made it easy to forget that winter is just weeks away, but there are plenty of tasks to be done before freezing temperatures are here to stay.
"Now is the time to clean out plant debris and take it to the compost pile," said Craig Andersen, extension horticulture specialist-vegetables for the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture.
"Asparagus beds and rhubarb should be mowed or burned and all excess debris should be removed," he said. "But don’t place additional compost on either bed."
Far from being a sterile, plantless time, fall and winter in Arkansas is a unique growing season.
Use season extenders such as cold frames to grow cool season vegetables in the fall and winter. The leafy greens are able to adapt to the lower light and cooler environment.
"Plant greens such as turnips and radishes," Andersen said. "Lettuce, spinach, chard, arugula and radishes can also be grown in cold frames."
Cold frames don’t need to be elaborate structures of wood and glass, he said.
A simple wooden frame 2 to 3 feet wide and 4 to 6 feet long can be used to make a bed for the plants. Concrete reinforcing wire can be used to create a frame that can be covered by plastic sheeting. When it’s warm, roll the plastic back, when it’s cool, cover it. When it’s cold, seal the ends and cover the whole thing with leaves or straw until it warms up.
"Some plastic sheeting and concrete reinforcing wire can be used to create a cold frame," Andersen said. "The idea is to let the sun in while keeping the cold out and still allowing some ventilation."
Fall is also a good time to perform weed control in garlic, leeks and onions.
For more information on cold-weather crops, see the publication "Year-round Home Garden Planting Guide," online at www.uaex.edu/Other_Areas/publications/PDF/FSA-6062.pdf, or www.uaex.edu/polk/MG/Articles/cold_frames.htm.
Winterizing the garden also means taking care of a few routine maintenance tasks including:
And last, but not least:
The Cooperative Extension Service is a part of the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture and offers its programs to all eligible persons regardless of race, color, national origin, religion, gender, age, disability, marital or veteran status, or any other legally protected status, and is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer.
November 13, 2009
Media Contact: Elizabeth Fortune
Extension Communications Specialist
U of A Division of Agriculture
Cooperative Extension Service
(501) 671-2120
efortune@uaex.edu
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