14 Ways to Extend Your Growing Season

By Gail Damerow
Published on June 1, 1994
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Since the soil in raised beds is above the garden path, it compacts less and needs less tilling ... and weeding.
Since the soil in raised beds is above the garden path, it compacts less and needs less tilling ... and weeding.
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Not only is a cold frame excellent protection against frost, but it also doubles as raised bed in the warmer months.
Not only is a cold frame excellent protection against frost, but it also doubles as raised bed in the warmer months.
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Your garden's growing season can span three-fourths of the year or more with the right practices.
Your garden's growing season can span three-fourths of the year or more with the right practices.
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Weed your garden often to eliminate competitors for soil nutrients.
Weed your garden often to eliminate competitors for soil nutrients.
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Planting particular vegetables at the right time of year will improve your garden's productivity.
Planting particular vegetables at the right time of year will improve your garden's productivity.

Most gardeners I know plant in late spring and then sit back and watch their gardens grow. Our family, on the other hand, keeps planting and planting and planting. As a result, while others complain about the price of lettuce, we’re enjoying virtually free salads. While others are using up the last of the season’s green tomatoes, our family is still slicing into juicy, ripe, freshly picked tomatoes.

No, we aren’t gardening geniuses. We just happen to prefer fresh vegetables, so we take advantage of every trick in the book to keep our veggies growing. Here are 14 ways you too can extend your growing season.

1. Know Your Garden’s Microclimate

Most climate maps cover areas that are too broad to be useful for any specific garden. The latest USDA map is better than the old one but still isn’t truly accurate. The only way to know your garden’s microclimate is to keep your own records over the years. But, since the weather is never the same two years in a row, even your own records will, at best, provide averages.

Not only does the weather change from year to year, but mini areas within your garden may differ significantly from one another. Is part of your garden shaded by trees or buildings? Is some area shielded from cold or drying wind by a fence or shrubs? Are there low spots where cold air and frost readily settle?

Select vegetables described as growing best in your general climate. If your garden has more than one microclimate, try different varieties in different spots. Some may do better than others in certain spots; some may do better one year than in the next.

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