kale over winter

[Warren Lake]

each year the Kale at the east side of the home gets pummeled with Canadian cold and snow. Have approx 5 feet by 30 feet of it. Somehow it seems to bounce back and in Jan im still picking it. Then never fails one rabbit tells his friends and they strip it like Piranhas and leave me only stems. They liter the place with raisins and yellow snow. As Frank said do not eat the yellow snow.

This year ive outsmarted the little fur balls and put up plywood scraps all around, they cant get at it. My 92 year old neighbour says im being mean however I did all the work and there is lots of other green stuff around for them to eat. Radio said stuff we get in the stores on average is 7-10 days old. Not sure about that but no chemicals on mine and you pick it wash it and its alive. Stuff in the store is almost floppy compared.

I have a number of frames approx 40 x 90 that I could cover in a clear woven construction tarp. I could put the tarp on the frames staple it and set them on horses so rest of the winter I could at least keep snow off it and still pick it if it survives. It would still get light and this would keep it warmer.

Anyone have a set up or greenhouse not heated and keep it going through the winter? Im not expecting it to grow but if it can survive there is enough I can keep picking it and it will re sprout from the stems in spring. ive seen it do this in the past where it returns and grows new leaves on the thick stem.

[Allan Dozier]

I doubt what we do here in NC would apply to Canadian weather systems but we use row cover for some crops. It is white, kinda like Tyvek. We didn't cover the Brussel Sprouts because it seems to be the most cold hardy but the cold wave over Christmas weekend burned the leave edges of that. If you already have some plywood walls you may be able to add some posts in the middle and cover it at night.
As far as greenhouses go they are a delight to work in the winter. You should look into different models as I am sure you would enjoy one.

[David Publicover]

Hi Warren,
I just read a very good gardening book called “The Year-Round Vegetable Gardener” by Niki Jabbour. She’s a Canadian writer so has dealt with actual winter. We borrowed a copy from the library. I’ve never met her and have no connection; I just enjoyed the information and hope to try some ideas next year.
Good luck!
David

[roger wiegand]

Can't help with your actual question (though perhaps the Scandanavian system (hugelkultur) where you bury logs under the bed and the heat from the decomposition keeps the soil warmer would apply here), but I'm reminded of a German friend who thought that Americans were crazy for trying to eat their kale before it had been frozen in the fall. He likened American kale to grass clippings for that reason.

[Warren Lake]

thats funny as the rabbits tend to wait till Jan. Ive had long conversations with one who would go in anytime, even talking to him he would just walk in and ignore me. No question the kale gets better in the fall. I checked the stuff in the store the other day doing the wiggle test and it wasnt great. Havent cut any construction tarp yet but should try a section today. The indoor other stuff is doing pretty well and still need to put more time into it. Most recent tried to sprout garlic from a friend and it worked great simple and easy. ILl check for the book.

[Ted Calver]

I'm in coastal Virginia with a totally different climate, but a system of EMT hoops covered by green house plastic has helped my raised beds through some near zero temps...and kept my kale and collards going strong. I open the end flaps when it gets too hot in the tunnels and make sure to blow off any snow accumulation.
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[Warren Lake]

thanks, I guess tarps come off in the summer and hoops stay? very nice.

[Jim Becker]

It's not surprising to me that the rabbits go for the kale at that time of year. Even as the snow flies, they do try to get whatever they can find that's green for feed, despite cutting down on their activity and sleeping a lot. We'd all probably do the same thing. Our "house bunny" isn't complaining about the availability of birdseed, either. She loves it. (and us, too)

[Lee Schierer]

You could invite some of the rabbits to be dinner.

[Ken Platt]

I really like Lee's idea, but I personally go with Ted's suggestion. I've usually heard these things called hoophouses, or mini hoophouses. I make mine with PVC instead of EMT, so I don't have to pre-bend. I use 10' sections, stick each end into the ground about 4 feet apart, and they stand up just fine. Do a few in a row, and then put plastic on top, boom you've got a mini greenhouse. . I've used regular plastic sheeting from big box stores, but I keep promising myself I'll spend a bit more and get some UV resistant greenhouse stuff one of these days.

Niki Jabbour has another book called "Growing under cover", and writes often about winter gardening in Fine Gardening, Horticulture, magazines. Has a web site, too, of course. After reading a copy from the library, I plan to purchase this book.

I put in a patch of standard, red russian kale a few years back. I let some of it go to seed from plain laziness, and it's spread around everywhere. Somehow the seeds got into my leaf pile, and often come up when I spread around the leaf mulch. It seems to survive well on it's own in my zone 5 winters, until something finds it - probably deer, here. I only like the stuff when it's little, for fresh salads.

Ken

[Ted Calver]

thanks, I guess tarps come off in the summer and hoops stay? very nice.

Warren, The hoops are removable and I just store them leaning up against a tree. The green house plastic is removed and stored and, for some beds, is replaced with mosquito netting to keep the bugs out. The net helps reduce cabbage moth damage to the greens and sometimes I keep everything netted until I absolutely need to let pollinators access the beds. Seems to help reduce insect damage in general and reduces the amount of expensive OMRI (Organic Materials Review Institute) approved organic insecticide I need to buy.

Incidentally, the low tunnels have also managed to keep the rabbits at bay in the raised beds. Other crops like peas and pole/bush beans that are not in tunnels or otherwise easily netted or covered with Agribon fabric do get attacked by the rabbits. Damage can be significant, particularly in the spring when young shoots appear, then lethal control methods are employed. A good source of low tunnel info and supplies is here. No affiliation.

IMG_4300 - Copy (Medium).jpg, Garden-2016 003.jpg,

[Steve Demuth]

Warren,

We have an unheated greenhouse here in NE Iowa (so, winter lows in the -30C range). Kale survives in it, although it does not grow. Gets pretty tough by January and February, but its still fresh, green, and food. We also plant spinach in early October, which is up and green, maybe 4" tall by late November. Both start growing again in March. The kale bolts as it is a biannual, and is ready for sex by then, the Spinach makes a very tender good early crop March through early May - by which time Spring planted greens in the green house are coming on.

As for the rabbits - with some help from an air rifle, they go really nicely with a rubbed kale salad.

[Warren Lake]

thanks, what a pro set up. Ive been lucky with bugs and moths. Rabbits main offenders and minimal summer then go crazy in Jan. Im more than surprised that the kale even makes to to Jan usually a few or more snow falls by then. I have the ply off cuts up now as a barrier so non of them can get in. Past they have eaten Black eye susans and other flowers. Like seeing them around so they are safe.

Ted what are low tunnels? non of my areas are raised just ground level and get compost stuff from friends.

[Ted Calver]

....
Ted what are low tunnels? non of my areas are raised just ground level and get compost stuff from friends.

Warren, That's what they call the covered beds in my pictures. If you go to the link in my last post there's lots of info there if you nose around a bit. You don't need raised beds if your soil is good. Mine has lots of clay and doesn't drain well, so I chose raised beds.

[Warren Lake]

thanks, that makes sense, I guess i needed to torture myself as I dug up most of the clay or in another location I ran troughs dug them into the clay then replaced with compost and mix from two farm friends. The kale area I have dug it down full length now and taken out the clay broken up lower clay then mixed in some compost then brought it back up with compost and few other things some peat moss in there and some triple mix. All stuff grows well I just got lots in too late last year going from seed. The thai peppers were still green and many wen the snow hit the first time. Now that i see the indoor thing works and its still mickey mouse I can start next year and be putting in plants rather than starting from seed.

Ive had the kale come back following years from the base stems the rabbits left. Thick stems and maybe not quite as good but neat they came back. I couldnt shoot a rabbit, dont even have a gun though the Senco 1/2" x 2" stapler has no safety and is a bit of a weapon. I saw the Monty Python rabbit thing and do know some can be vicious.

thanks for the info and nice to know other people are doing this and way ahead set up well and organized.