GROW GREENS ALL WINTER! "tunnel gardening"

[daddykirbs]

I'm impressed by your winter garden. I have subscribed to see more. I just started my first winter garden. I do have a simple video of mine... not as cool as yours :)

[devonnalisa]

This is awesome! I really want to try it.

[joe18370]

the pine needles will make soil acidic ,is this true and why do you use the pine needle thanks ,i have a ton of pine needles in my yard

[pbc1951]

@joe18370 Yes... Pine needles will make the soil acidic.. So you need to know what plants want and like the acidic soil... and if other plants don't like it then on them you will need to use some other compost or cover.. Hey, I need some pine needles... how close are you to North East Missouri ???

[fullspectrumrainbow]

fantastic.......thanks for the great ideas and info......best wishes to you and yours.

[insomniacgrace]

Thanks for sharing this, this is so informative.

[Bibliophilos]

As rawutah pointed out... you don't need magnetism in rocks to help the plants, the rocks themselves will absorb heat in the day and radiate it back into the air around the plants at night. That's why many vintners don't remove the small stones from the soil in which they grow grapes. In a sense, it's a way of harvesting, storing, and reusing passive solar energy.

In techie terms, you can think of the rocks as heat 'capacitors'.

[megatrollwarlock]

What's the outside temperature when you do this? I'm thinking about using tunnels here to get an early start on the growing season. We only have one growing season here and it gets really cold during winter.

[MyLittleGreenThumb]

That is amazing! How late into winter do you have veggies?

[pbc1951]

@MyLittleGreenThumb Here in Norh Missouri I will get Kale all Winter !! it hit 9 deg last week too. Get you some Kale, Red Winter or Red Russian will take it to 10 Below Zero F. No Cover, No Tunnel, !!! Oh, it also taste better after 20 deg hits it. If you don't like it from the store or from the summer garden, wait til it gets cold.

[rawutah]

For those that read these comments..and like learning from them, and AREN'T lost by the word, MAGNETISM, rather, would like to learn more about its presence in stones, sediment and growing mediums around the world. Check out the book, "PARAMAGNETISM" by Philip S. Callahan. Amazing INFO!! The awareness that cultures knew of this growth potentiating force in geologic sources..is VERY ILLUMINATING. It's been knows and applied by cultures around the world, for eons of time!! Just forgotten.

[SVKmellow]

@rawutah lolz... man... :) what about the fact that the rocks store heat durring the day and that when the temperature drops rapidly at night the rocks slowly dissapitate the stored heat and therefore the plants do not suffer temperature shocks ;)

that is also an 'ancient' secret and people use pits filled with rocks to store daylight-heat for use in the night.

[burpwind]

had me until he got to magnetism.

[jude1c9v]

also, do you supply any artificial heat?

[rawutah]

@jude1c9v nope, no artificial heat.

[rawutah]

@rawutah the key, is really doing cold hardy crops through the cold months. For sure, check out the book "Four Season Harvest" by Eliot Coleman. It's such a great read!!

[jude1c9v]

have you tried growing potatoes in your hoop house? I'm wanting to try it, looking for input.

[rawutah]

@jude1c9v I have...not to grow them all season though. Just to get a jump on the early spring season. After doing it though, I decided to focus on other crops under the tunnels. The potatoes take off, once conditions are good enough, outside the tunnels.

[LER77]

Looks good, can't wait to try this.

[rawutah]

@LER77 Hope you have fun/are having fun with this method!! cheers!

[dylan14570]

I love your videos! Thanks for posting!

[rawutah]

@dylan14570 Thank YOU!!!! Very appreciated

[gertrudesbiz]

I live in Northern Idaho....this is THE WAY to garden up here!

[rawutah]

@gertrudesbiz Right!  Wish more people knew about it!!

[7thWhiteApple]

We had a few days where it barely got above 20 degrees and the lows were the single digits. Hopefully I can find some camera to use to film my garden and other stuff. I am trying to grow as much stuff as possible hopefully I can grow 25% of my food and next year I hope to do 50%. If I can extend the season until middle of December that would be great. I am also a wild food gatherer as you and a nature lover. I was so happy today when I found stinging nettle in the woods for a green smoothie.

[rawutah]

@7thWhiteApple you'll do it for sure...growing your own food that is...! You'll LOVE Eliot Coleman's book, "Four Season Harvest" and even his newest one called the"Winter Harvest Handbook" he lays it all out beautifully!!!! Have fun!! Cheers to growing your own...so many great reason for that!! In the mean time...can't beat wild foraging..my goodness...stinging nettles is as good as it gets..in a green smoothie!!

[rawutah]

@7thWhiteApple right on!! fifty percent...that's our goal too...and with local foraging...we can increase that a bit. That's a mighty cold area..a bit colder than us, with much more snow..but Eliot Coleman has some great methods in his books. Good luck with the tunnels...and would love to hear how it goes...good luck my friend...cheers to increasing to food flow!!!

[rawutah]

@7thWhiteApple oh...and for sure film the garden...would love to see it..and your stinging nettle harvest!!!

[7thWhiteApple]

thanks man for the response. I think I might be in the same zone as you - 5b (Indianapolis, IN). I am pretty sure we got those low of temps this past winter but the only thing was we got lots of snow this season like feet so that is my only worry. Might get some heat in there or something to melt snow. I'll see. Looks like a lot of research is ahead of me. But I really want to garden year round and get keep my plants out as long as possible and get them out as soon as possible.

[theroilsoil]

Nice, but for your mulch avoid using so many pine needles - they are acidic, and will lower the PH level of your soil overtime below neutral - which you don't want.

Try sugarcane mulch, straw or anything else which tends to just breakdown without changing the PH level too much over time.

[rawutah]

@theroilsoil cool...thanks...I'll stick with straw..the worms seem to really DIG IT!

[7thWhiteApple]

You really got me thinking on this whole tunnel business. Hopefully this summer I can build at least one cover for one of my 4x16 raised beds so I have fresh greens. Though I have two questions for you......Do you have any problem with snow on the tunnels? and also What was the lowest temperature you had in the season?

[rawutah]

@7thWhiteApple You're gonna love the tunnels...and the food all winter! Just build your structure with arched PVC, using a strong TOP BAR, or...I just arched mine...and the snow slides right off. Many methods of engineering it. We also used sand bags which worked really well.

[rawutah]

@7thWhiteApple ..as far as low temps...we reached about 14F. this winter.  We had a few decent snowfalls...the greens would freeze...and then unfreeze around mid day...allowing for picking. Kale and Chard seem to love the cold and taste very good throughout the winter... DELICIOUS! If you're in a colder region, you could even double layer, using a floating row cover, under the plastic, for another micro-climate. Happy Growing....it's fun in the winter!

[rawutah]

@rawutah ...oh and if the snow is too heavy...couldn't be easier than to grab a broom..and sweep the heavy stuff off. The snow does...tend to test your build quality though...haha....have fun!

[jujutubes]

This is inspiring!

I'm gonna have to try it this year I think... the greens look great ;)

-Jessica

[rawutah]

@jujutubes thanks my food growing friend...it makes sense to me....if you're a greens eater...a little plastic ...a little time spent...greens all winter...oh yah!!

[LetsCook2gether]

Does the tunnel/plastic always be white of colour or can I also

use clear tunnel/ plastic?

[rawutah]

@LetsCook2gether oh yah you can you use clear my friend...it might even be better...!

[Maxwedge12000]

That won't work here in Wisonsin.

[rawutah]

@Maxwedge12000 Check out the work of Eliot Coleman...he's doing it in Maine. Good Luck!!

[Maxwedge12000]

@rawutah Eliot lives in Brooksville where the average temp. rarely drops to below freezing let alone below zero. You cannot grow things in a greenhouse here in Wi. winters without a heater. By the time you get your first electric bill you realize you should have just gone to the store and bought your veggies.

[Ooloosoon]

Very NICE GUYS!!!

I was wondering if you can give us an idea of How much food you guys get out of each "Square foot garden" you running?

And What about other Crops?

Could you grow some other foods as well?

Just wondering if you could really feed yourself if you had to do so with a few more boxes???

Sorry for the "Newbee" questions :)

[rawutah]

I totally welcome the questions..thanks for commenting. We're totally experimenting...but if you look through our other videos..you'll see other crops..we've grown corn, squash, tomatotes, potatoes, and at this point am very sure you can grow more than most..in these sq. ft. gardens...they're BIG producers. SO in my opinion,,sky's the limit..just how much time do you want to put in.

[rawutah]

I am feeding myself with my current boxes..another season will allow me to mature some crops..and increase the percentage. You can grown ANY crop...that is agreeable with the season..but even then..you can cover it..and extend the season.. I can't think of ANY crop you can't grow...these little sq. ft. gardens are AMAZING...just make sure you mix the soil according to mel's method..and tweek it if you like! Like using ROCK DUST!

[rawutah]

Hard to say..how much each box is producing..but if I pushed it and maximized it..it could feed a few people for a season..Happy Growing!

[MADALLOVER]

Awesome, May give it a try!

[Like2MilkGoats]

whats the difference between the spring and fall garden?

[rawutah]

They're really just an extension of eachother...or two season that are similar..separted by a cold spike. Check out Eliot Colman's book "Four Season Harvest" He's proven with a little care you can bring the two world together. Similar crops, similar temps...you just need to create micro climates..to get you through the winter....connecting the two similar sesons.

[Like2MilkGoats]

This was the answer I was hoping for. Im doing the john jeavons biointensive growing and that does create a mini-climate. What sping-fall crops should be under row covers?How do you start your seeds?

[rawutah]

Like2MilkGoats...you're going to love Eliot's book..he has page after page of the best crops..for winter, spring and fall under row covers, and movable greenhouses. For.. winter/early spring..check out mache, minutina, spinach, chard, kale, claytonia, arugula ....ya know the dark leafy greens that like to keep growing in the cold. In full spring...you can pretty much grow anything under floating row cover in my ZONE.

[Like2MilkGoats]

That book looks great! Dont have the funds to up and buy it right away. I plan to have the ultimate garden as well! I want to do a lot of high density fruit tree planting. Thanks for all your expertise!!!!!!!!!!!

[Like2MilkGoats]

o and thanks a lot for the help!

[rawutah]

I'm constantly picking the greens I'm growing all summer/winter..sort of "cut and come again style"...picking the outer leaves closer to the ground. With the heading cabbages..I've harvested one head so far..leaving the lower part intact..and hope for a second head before first frost.

[momavivian]

when do you pick the green you grow all summer i live in ohio and don't i wait until the 1st frost?

[rawutah]

It totally works! Grow greens all year no matter where you live...check out Eliot Coleman's "Four Season Harvest" to read about this process fully...if he can grow year round in Maine...then we can also!

[HomesteadProvocateur]

Excellent! I'm definitely doing this next year!!!