Document text
- Subscribe - Contact Us - Rate Card - Place an Ad Valley&State Backpage O&E Sports Archives Classifieds Faith&Beliefs Obituaries Revels January 26, 2004 Cold weather. Great crops. By Amanda Bolsinger Tidings Correspondent Winter doesn't have to mean the end of fresh food from the garden. Winter also offers certain advantages that were the topic of a special Winter Garden Tour held at the North Mountain Park Nature Center. Satsuki Doi | Ashland Daily Tidings Carol Carlson, of Ashland, talks about how easy it is to grow garlic saying the reward is "1,000 percent." One clove of garlic will grow 10 cloves without any work. Master gardener and volunteer for the City Conservation Commission Carol Carlson taught a three-hour class and tour Saturday for a group of 50 interested gardeners. Local gardener Jonathan Weber helped teach the class and also led the class through a tour of his own flourishing winter garden. The winter gardening class was the fourth part of a sustainable living series sponsored by the conservation commission. The earlier classes focused on permaculture, solar power, and rainwater harvesting. The winter gardening class gave local gardeners a chance to talk with other gardeners, trade tips and information, and get a hands on tour through some of Ashland's best winter gardens. "The tours were definitely helpful to see what is available," said Nigel Kirby who was attending the class. "I got the sense that people were surprised about how much could be grown throughout the winter. This was a good way to expose people to winter gardens and how much food they can grow in the winter season." Winter advantages During the class, gardeners were taught the many advantages of winter gardening. Many vegetables and herbs grow well in the mild, wet Ashland winters, according to Carlson and Weber. Vegetables like kale, broccoli and collards become sweeter in the cold. Other plants don't grow as fast in the winter but can produce solid root systems that will allow crops to flourish all through spring and summer. The wet weather means one less thing for gardeners to worry about. The cold also provides a natural environment to keep the vegetables from rotting. Instead of having to store vegetables inside in a refrigerator they can be kept fresh by leaving them underground or on the plant. A winter garden is also a good way to keep a balanced diet full of nutrients and vitamins that a diet might lack other wise. "I love being able to just go out my back door when I'm making soup and know that I'll have something fresh with a great taste," said Carlson. Another advantage to planting a winter garden is that by planting crops like garlic, onions, turnips, and other strong winter plants, more land can be freed up in the spring and summer for other crops. "Experiment, mix plants," said Weber. "You will find that you can use more available space and don't need to separate crops." Successful winter crops depend on planning and preparing in the summer. During the summer the soil has to be prepared and starts have to be planted. Gardeners have to prepare for shade trees dropping leaves and plan with shade clothes or taller crops. The plants also have to be watered frequently during the hot summer months until the rain takes over the job. "With a little bit of advanced planning you can have flourishing gardens and fresh food all year long," said Carlson. "You will find that your gardens will do so well that you will have overabundances of food and be able to give it away." DailyTidings.com Home Page Valley&State | Backpage | O&E | Sports | Archives | Weather | Classifieds Columnists | Faith&Beliefs | Obituaries | Revels | Subscribe | Contact Us Copyright 2004 Ashland Daily Tidings and Ottaway Newspapers All Rights Reserved Site Search: .:Advertisements:. RESOURCES - Mail Tribune News - ODOT Road Cams