Prepping the garden bed: apply a good layer of compost (2 buckets for a 8’ bed)

* Greens love compost! The dark colored dirt will capture the sun’s heat. Plus, your greens will grow faster and have a higher mineral content, which will keep them from freezing as quickly.

Prepping the garden bed:

Use a rake to evenly distribute the compost

Prepping for seeding:

Use the end of a rake/stick to draw out rows for seeding

Prepping for seeding:

Space rows about 1’ apart

Seeding: Choose your favorite winter vegetables and sow!

We like kale, spinach, claytonia, mustard, collards, tatsoi, lettuce…

If things are seeded in September, you will likely have things to harvest in November and December, but don't expect much in January or February, unless you have full grown spinach, kale, tatsoi, collards, or mache that hasn't already been harvested. Growth is very slow in these months, and many greens become too damaged to harvest, but don't worry! They will regrow in the spring - they aren't dead, unless they really are dead.

Apply row cover in November. You can use material like Remay, Agribond, or cheese cloth (not cotton)

Hoops! Be creative here. You can buy hoops from produce suppliers like Noltz. Thicker material like steel bike rims actually work great.

Space hoops 2’ apart, making sure they go on the outside of the row cover

Stretch plastic over hoops, taut.

Put a stake at both ends of your low tunnel and tie gathered plastic to a stake to protect against wind