How can we still be harvesting produce in January?

Many of you have asked how we can harvest produce for so long into the colder months.

Simple. As long as the temperatures stay in the mid to upper 20s at night, or warmer, we can keep our produce going. And cool and cold weather crops are able to withstand varying amounts of cold weather.

For instance, I have Hakurei turnips and carrots under row covers outside, and they can withstand temperatures to 25 degrees or so. The row cover gives them at least an added three degrees of ambient temperatures, but the biggest advantage of the row cover is that it keeps the soil much much warmer, and the ground will almost never freeze all winter.

During the day when the sun is out, the row cover helps to concentrate the heat and keep the soil warm. Warm soil is probably the most important factor to keeping growing produce alive and thriving.

If the soil is also moist, it will hold the heat longer as well. So, plenty of rain with a few relatively sunny warm days, and a few cold nights interspersed, has meant everything is doing very well so far this year. A night or two of twenty degrees or below could ruin a lot of things, but not our carrots. They will survive winter very well and can actually be dug all winter as long as the ground is not frozen.

Much of the produce we get from Chesapeake Organic and Fresh Harvest, are actually grown in hoop-houses or high tunnels. Doing this takes advantage of passively collected heat during the day that warms the soil enough to produce growth and keep everything alive during cold nights, even in the darkest days of the winter.

The protection from these houses or tunnels can mimic up to two climate zones warmer — even warmer than our outside row cover. And so we are often able to successfully extend our harvest season and provide you with very fine produce into the winter months on Delmarva. We hope you enjoy this amazing produce as long as we have it available this winter.

Beaver Dam Road Closure

Please make note that beginning Monday, January 7, Beaver Dam Road will be closed from Kendale Road to Fisher Lane for at least six weeks. This road work will force you to make a detour if you use Beaver Dam Road (23 South) to get to Hattie’s Garden.

Travel Beaver Dam Road to Fisher Road. Take the detour to Hopkins Road (first left off Fisher), and then Hopkins joins Beaver Dam south of Kendale. Take a left onto Beaver Dam Road and Kendale will be on your right after about 1.3 miles. Detour signage and message boards will be in place.

Remember the deadline for ordering is Wednesday at noon. Unfortunately, we won’t normally be able to take late requests, as we must place vendor orders quickly. You will receive an updated reminder on Tuesday, but please order early to be sure you get everything you would like. Supplies are sometimes limited.

Yours in the garden throughout the winter,