Can I plant anything?

[Kelilah]

We moved into our house in August and it was a whirlwind of getting settled and hustling for new jobs. My husband just built us some raised beds last week for something to do and yesterday he filled them up with compost, chicken litter, and dirt. The plan was to sow some cover crop in there and start over in the spring with the good rich soil, but I really wanted a winter garden this year and I wonder if I missed it.

I was going to plant some kale, spinach, bok choy, all the good greens. Maybe some broccoli and parsnips and carrots. I don't know if I missed the season though, but our co-op is still selling starts. Is it too late to plant? What would you recommend I set out? I'm in Zone 7, Portland, Oregon. It's raining a lot with temps 40-50 degrees Fahrenheit this week.

[hjrowan]

Don't know if this helps but I'm in Seattle (zone 8) and planted a Fall garden in late August/early September using starts from a nursery and the results have been pretty crap! Our weather just hasn't been warm enough - my lettuces/kale stopped growing a month or so ago and my broccoli hasn't fruited at all.

The starts might be useful if you have a greenhouse perhaps but otherwise I think I'd concentrate on starting your garden next year HTH

[Kelilah]

Oh, dang. Thanks for the input. Cover crops it is, I suppose!

Have you tried a cloche? We were planning on doing that, maybe it might save yours?

[lmonter]

I suppose if you have a little greenhouse or coldframe you could sow some lettuce (I'm currently in a chilly zone 5 and have little teeny, slow growing lettuces that have survived the first snowfall) or something. And just have a coldframe around them to keep them warm on the chillier nights.

Carrots, I wouldn't waste your seeds. Could take like 2 months for them to germinate, maybe. I've had better luck sowing carrots in the middle of summer here (when the temps are typically in the 90's - germination time is freakin' awesome!). The other stuff, I haven't really grown much of... but broccoli is notoriously temperamental for me.

I think a cover crop would be your best bet... and start snuggling up inside with your seed catalogs and graph paper.

[Toolip]

Yeah, I'm in zone 8 and supposedly we can grow green stuff (kale, cabbage, lettuce...) year round but I haven't figured out the trick yet. It seems that the latest that I can plant with success is July.

You could get some garlic in though!

[Kelilah]

Garlic is in, and some bulbs! I did that a few weeks ago, thank goodness. I planted vast quantities of garlic all over my yard, around the roses (my new house has lots of roses in the front yard). Also got some crocuses and irises in, and a couple of tiger lilies, but I was hoping for something I could eat this winter. I suppose we'll have to keep buying our produce from the co-op this winter and start the gardening again in the spring.

Thanks!