PLOTTING THE EDIBLE GARDEN YEAR
Welcome to the New Year. The first page of the calendar year is actually midway through the PNW gardener’s planting year—a constant sequence of planning, planting, and ongoing production. This concept is the very heart of producing a year-round harvest in the PNW. In previous chapters we discussed the benefits and limitations of our maritime climate, good gardening basics, and general considerations when it comes to planning the garden. Now it’s time to put everything into play.
PLAN
Study seed catalogs and make a planting wish list
Review garden notes from last year to pick the winners and eliminate the losers
Inventory leftover seed and test for viability
Review seed order wish list and realistically revise
Plan crop rotations and succession plantings
PREPARE AND MAINTAIN
Protect plants with horticultural fleece or sheets if temperatures take a sudden dip below 25°F; just as important, remember to remove protection as soon as the threat passes
Prune dormant fruit trees, berry bushes, and vines
SOW AND PLANT
Plant a crop of microgreens
HARVESTING NOW…
TIP these crops are all overwintered
Arugula (wild)
Beets
Brussels sprouts
Carrots
Chard
Evergreen herbs
Kale
Leeks and green onions
Parsley
Parsnips
A key tenet of “planning for plentiful” is to give preference to continuously bearing crops whenever you have the option. Chard, kale, pole beans, cucumber, summer squash, broccoli, and “indeterminate” or vining tomatoes continue to yield for an extended harvest. The more you pick the more they produce.
Another way to make your garden work harder and produce more over a longer period of time is to think about the flavor profiles of plants when planning your garden. It’s an interesting exercise and a bit of a horticultural game, matching flavors and growth habits to your garden’s parameters and your household’s preferences. And a pleasurable task well suited to a dark and dreary month as we eagerly anticipate the possibilities of the growing season ahead. I start by making a wish list of all the edibles I’d like to grow. Then I divide that list into a few distinct flavor profile categories:
Sweet leaves: lettuce, spinach, chard, mache, beet greens
Hearty greens: cabbage, arugula, kale, collards, mustard, Asian greens, rapini
Savory onion: leeks, scallions, chives, bulbing onions, shallots, garlic
Unique flavors: tomatoes, artichokes, strawberries, eggplants, cucumbers—and any other singular tastes that don’t fit neatly into one category
To make this information small-garden friendly, substitute an efficient plant for a space-hogging one within the same flavor category. Take cabbage and kale as an example. These botanical cousins require similar growing conditions but they perform very differently in the garden. The growing season for cabbage ranges from about 2 months for small-headed varieties to as long as 4 months for large, overwintering types. In my small garden that’s a long time to be taking up space without producing food for my table (unless you’re a tomato). Kale plants start producing in half that time—by harvesting the outer leaves of the plant and allowing the center crown to continue growing I can get up to 6 months of continuous production from a single kale sowing in the middle of spring.
Spinach, chard, and beet greens, share a similar deep green, mineral-y flavor. Chard, which has a similar growth habit as kale, may be substituted for spinach which tends to bolt as soon as the weather turns warm. And while many small gardens don’t have room for a row of humble onions, what kitchen can do without their piquant flavor? Perennial chives, bunching onions, or scallions provide a constant harvest of fresh onion flavor in all but a few months of the year and in far less space.
Planning for a plentiful garden may also be a matter of eliminating plants from your wish list that are risky in our climate and/or take up a lot of room. For the most part, I’ve learned to leave the cultivation of space-hogging crops with singular flavors (like eggplant and corn) to local farmers who have more space and garden resources. Farms with a giant greenhouse or a choice Yakima or Willamette Valley location are better equipped to ripen these demanding crops. Over the years, I’ve also experimented with sowings of ornamental corn, winter wheat, and fancy French melons. Ultimately, I decided that homegrown popping corn is highly overrated, and my cat took up napping in the middle of my “wheat field,” which was further spoiled by a late summer rain. However, although I only got two tiny fruits the year I grew Charentais melons, they were absolutely delicious—worth the time and garden space they occupied all summer.
1 TO 2 YEARS | 3 TO 4 YEARS | 5 TO 6 YEARS |
Corn |
Beans |
Cucumbers |
Along with playing around with backyard physics and making lists, perusing seed catalogs is another delightful January pastime. Sitting next to the fire with a cup of tea as winter rages outside, it’s easy to get lost in florid descriptions of juicy tomatoes, crisp salad greens, and flavorful herbs. Armchair gardening or virtual time travel—get comfortable and start dreaming of warmer times ahead.
Before placing any orders, take inventory of leftover seed and save your budget to introduce exciting new plants and replenish garden favorites. Various seeds have differing life spans. Store leftover seeds in cool, dark, and dry conditions, such as in a clip-top glass jar or a plastic container with a tight-fitting lid on a basement or closet shelf. Refer to the seed life chart to determine approximate life expectancy for seed stored under favorable conditions. Most seed packets are date stamped which makes it easy to root out expired stock.
Hate to throw seed away or not sure your storage conditions were up to snuff? I’m famous for distractedly leaving seed packets out in the rain—hardly the low-humidity environment conducive to good storage. You can evaluate seed viability with this easy test:
1 Fold ten seeds in a moistened paper towel and place inside a plastic bag labeled with type and date. Set the bag in a warm place where you can keep an eye on it, like the kitchen counter.
2 Wait to see how many seeds germinate within the expected guidelines which are listed on most seed packets. For instance, lettuce should germinate in 7 to 14 days.
3 Multiply the number of germinated seeds by ten to calculate the percentage of remaining viable seed. A germination rate of 70 percent or higher is great; between 40 and 60 percent is workable (go ahead and sow but do so more thickly than package directions to make up for loss); if the germination rate is below 40 percent, purchase fresh seed to avoid disappointment.
SKILL SET 
GROWING MICROGREENS
In the midst of winter, months from picking the first spring greens, most gardeners are a little desperate to harvest something fresh. Growing tender, tangy microgreens is a good way to scratch that gardening itch even during the bleakest months of the year. You can harvest microgreens when they are just a few weeks old and barely an inch high. And best of all, the entire growing season takes place indoors on a brightly lit windowsill or by the light of a fluorescent bulb so the gardener stays warm and dry.
Microgreens are a one-time harvest, not to be confused with more established cut-and-come-again greens from which you can harvest several cuttings. However, as long as your first crop of microgreens is free of disease and pests, you can sift leftover roots and stems and replant the same potting mix two or three times before adding the depleted soil to your compost pile.
Growing microgreens is a great way to finish off leftover seed packets from the previous growing season. Cress, mustard, radish, and arugula have a spicy bite; cabbage, kale, chard, lettuce, pac choi, and beets are mild and sweet; tender herbs like basil, dill, chervil, and cilantro display their own unique character. All types of microgreens will add crunch and flavor to salads, sandwiches, soups, and scrambled eggs. Try single sowings or mix up your own house blend. For a continuous harvest throughout the winter start a new crop of microgreens every 5 to 7 days.
Clear plastic, lidded container (takeout boxes work great)
Sharp knife or metal skewer
Soil-free potting mix
Seeds
Spray bottle
STEPS:
1 If your container does not already have drainage holes, use a sharp knife or a heated metal skewer to pierce the bottom in several places.
2 Fill container with pre-moistened potting mix up to within ½ inch of the rim and tap firmly on the counter to settle soil. Sprinkle seed evenly and densely over the surface of the potting mix. Because you’ll be harvesting tiny sprouts, seed can be spaced much closer than the directions on the seed packet indicate.
3 Lightly cover seed with potting mix and mist with a spray bottle to water thoroughly; the lid to your plastic container makes the perfect drip tray protecting counter surfaces from water damage. Place planted container in a sunny windowsill or beneath lights. Water from below or mist frequently with a spray bottle to keep soil evenly moist but not soggy.
4 In 1½ to 2 weeks your microgreens will be 1 to 2 inches tall. Harvest by snipping with scissors just above the soil level to keep greens clean. Store washed and dried leftover microgreens in a lidded plastic or glass container in the refrigerator.