Selected Fall Gardening Tips from Derek Fell
(Page 2 of 3)
September/October 1977
By the Mother Earth News editors
Butternut, buttercup, acorn, and Hubbard squashes all prefer a storage temperature of around 55°F. (They can be conveniently stored on shelves.) For best results, leave about an inch of stem on the fruits when you harvest them.
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You can greatly extend many of your garden plants' productive lives by growing them in (or transplanting them to) a cold frame in the frigid months. And right nowwhile there are still a few weeks of relatively temperate weather left-is as good a time as any to plan and construct such a unit.
In my experience, the best cold frames are those that have wooden sides and glasspaned (not plastic- or fiberglass paned) tops, with the sides themselves extending at least a foot below ground level for good heat retention. The reason I specify glass-paned is that during the short, often-cloudy days of winter, your plants need all the light they can get, and plastics are simply inadequate for the purpose. Only clean, clear glass will pass sufficient light to allow you to grow vegetables reliably in the winter months. (For a further discussion of cold frame gardening, read "Building a Cold Frame and Hotbed", pages 44-48, MOTHER NO. 38.)
ONION, SPARTAN SLEEPER
If you have the wherewithal, now would also be a good time to erect a small greenhouse. (See "MOTHER's MiniManual: Greenhouse Gardening", pages 7182 of MOTHER NO. 42.) It's interesting to note that-because of the higher yields, faster plant growth, and longer growing season attainable in a controlled environment-a 96square-foot (8' X 12') greenhouse is roughly equivalent to a 480-square-foot (20' X 24')outdoor garden.
Here again-as with the cold frame -don't be fooled by advertisements which may claim that you can grow tomatoes in January under plastic or fiberglass windows. Ordinary glass is still the best window material for greenhouses.
The most worthwhile crops to grow in your greenhouse-once you've built it -are lettuce (especially Salad Bowl and Bibb varieties, which grow well in low light), parsley, spinach, and the root crops. Cabbage, zucchini squash, and cucumbers may also prove productive in 12" pots, although you'll be assured of greater success if you time your planting so that maturity occurs in March, when the days are longer.
