5 Reasons Why Winter Gardening Is BETTER Than Summer Gardening!

[@TheMillennialGardener]

If you enjoyed this video, please "Like" and share to help increase its reach! Thanks for watching 😀TIMESTAMPS here: 0:00 Winter Vegetable Garden Tour 2:51 Reason #1: Insect Pests 4:48 Reason #2: Garden Diseases 5:55 Reason #3: Irrigation 7:06 Reason #4: Weeding 8:44 Reason #5: No Sweat 10:11 How To Keep Plants Warm 11:51 What About Gardening In Cold Zones? 14:56 Adventures With Dale

[@jessemills3845]

You missed Pollination. No bees.

[@cottagefarmflowers]

You've changed my 40-year gardening life! I never would've had this much success transitioning from Wis to Fla without your videos.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

I'm so happy to hear that! I'm so glad the videos have been helpful. Thank you so much for your support and generosity! I really appreciate it ❤

[@tiger1554]

This is exactly the topic I was looking forward to. Winter gardening is much more fun than summer gardening.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

It's just so much more relaxing. As long as we don't get an Arctic air mass outbreak - they're stressful and it becomes work covering things up. However, they're infrequent, and when you add up all the time I spend covering plants in winter, it's nowhere near the amount of time I spend spraying, weeding, irrigating, pruning, etc. in summer. Not even close!

[@NathanRittenhouse-i7d]

I just found you I’m in East Tennessee I got a high tunnel I just learning what I can grow have you got a video on how I need to mend my soil

[@NathanRittenhouse-i7d]

I’m growing in the ground

[@dreikas9016]

I live in zone 5a and our winters get really cold so gardening outside is really challenging. This year I started a hydroponic setup in my basement and it's going really well so far! I'm growing about a dozen different types of lettuce as well as basil, cilantro, radishes, and dwarf tomatoes.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

I would consider a greenhouse a necessity if I lived in that zone. If you have the space for it, I'm sure you'd love it. The hydroponic setup will probably be pretty effective.

[@teresabrockett7525]

Meanwhile in Maine... ❄🌨❄🌨❄ Seriously though, zone 5b sounds possible, but the last few years we've had Much less nice insulating snow and more serious deep freezes, like down into teens and Even single digits. 🥶

[@Jennifer-gu4yv]

One thing that hampers me from gardening in the winter is the short amount of daylight. And it seems that anytime I have a day off, it rains!

[@TheMillennialGardener]

The key is to get the winter crops planted early enough in the summer that they can reach maturity about when the sun loses its strength. That way, the crops can sit tight and hold in place. If you can nail that timing, your garden basically becomes a giant walk-in refrigerator where the crops just sit in stasis. If you're pretty far north, planting seedlings in late fall/early winter won't do much good, but if you can get it so they reach near peak in late fall, they can sort of stay frozen in time for a bit.

[@kayb2758]

@@TheMillennialGardener living in Piedmont of NC- charlotte when during summer ( timeframe) should I start planting for good winter garden

[@cindyeasterling6917]

I just came in from the garden with a load of broccoli, radishes, carrots, and rutabagas. Some mustard and green onion tops, too. Definitely my favorite season!

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Very nice! I need to go out and pick some broccoli, too.

[@charlenenagel7962]

I'm in Southern Ontario (zone 6) and have Collards, Radishes and Chard growing in a hay-bale structure covered by plastic. It has been a warm fall and early winter here so far so we'll see how long they last. I am interested in learning more about 'hot beds' which can be used to start gardening much earlier in the spring in colder climates. I love that there is always something new to learn!

[@mariap.894]

Summer gardening is HORRIBLE here in SoFlo!!! Now is the best time😊❤ your video says it all!!!👍Love for Dale🐕💖🐶

[@TheMillennialGardener]

I bet. South Florida's surely an unpleasant summer. Summers are bad here, too. It's just as wet and humid, if you can imagine.

[@kathleenhunter3161]

Thank You. This northern gardener who now lives is Texas really appreciated this video. Though there is a simple solution to growing in the cold. I saw a video not long ago where they put a frame with a clear plastic top on it over a hot compost heap. Put a little dirt over the compost and planted. The compost acted as a heating mat keeping the seeds and then plants warm enough to grow and the lid kept the cold out

[@TheMillennialGardener]

That sounds very questionable. In order to keep the compost warm, you'd have to keep turning it. I'm not sure how you'd turn compost you're planting in. And you can also mess up if the compost gets too hot or if it loses too much heat prematurely. I could be wrong, but it sounds more click-baity than actually sustainable. I would try and find an easier method of protection like row covers that work well for your zone.

[@valoriegriego5212]

Howdy MG! 👋 You seem to be picking up the baton from the channel One Yard Revolution with Patrick and Oscar.😃 I hope your encouragement gets more folks in all zones gardening year round.👍 I'm enjoying my winter garden.👩🏾‍🌾 Dale eats good!😋

[@victoriator8863]

I had the same impression about fall and winter gardening but you made it clear and concise. Thank you!

[@sandymurray3997]

Absolutely. Just changes exactly what we grow. But grow we do....Pretoria South Africa

[@courtneycullen6289]

Ah! Thanks for the inspo to grow even more lettuce in my front yard flower beds. It's been a warm winter so far, but even when we spend a few days with lows below freezing, I have such an active garden. The flower farming side is doing excellent too. But I had the most wonderful broccolini from the garden on Christmas.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

It's been a really cold winter here, by comparison. The Southeast's been consistently below average, but that's a typical El Nino winter. Things are still chugging along, though. Next year, I need to plant a lot more lettuce. I always think I have enough and it never is 😆

[@GODPROPERTY125]

You are so right winter is so good but I'm going to have to grow everything upwards cause I have physical challenge I can't do it, I'm going to transform my garden going upwards grow bags on the table and I plan on getting a greenhouse reinforce it down for climate& bug control where's I don't have to bend down to much 😮‍💨🤕 😘

[@bethb8276]

Just a thought, but I saw some nice little galvanized raised beds on legs at Amazon, I was looking for myself, price wasn't too bad either.

[@susanstrudwick6275]

You’re an amazing gardener! Know so much! 🎉😊

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Thank you! I really appreciate that.

[@davidb6961]

So many positive messages Anthony about winter gardening. You have inspired me to have a go. Our main pest is white cabbage moth but I can control these with exclusion netting over hoop structures. Thank you.

[@xcourtingdisasterx]

Hey Dale! I’m in Pender Co and love your videos for local ideas and tested expertise! I’m also originally from the NE but have been gardening in SE NC for several years. I’ve got garlic, carrots, herbs and red clover cover crop in my raised beds now. Now I am looking at covering some beds for fresh greens and adding citrus! Looking forward to more videos.

[@jacob4047]

Harnett County here.

[@JeanneKinland]

I grew cabbage in the snow one year with a zone 5b. Just had a single low hoop tunnel and opened it up when we had warm sunny moments. I surely need a green house.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Cabbage is pretty cold tolerant once mature, but it benefits heavily from cover. Keeping the hard frost off means a lot, because the frost itself is actually more damaging than the cold.

[@mikeseitz8858]

I'm growing broccoli, Brussels sprouts, radishes, carrots, lettuce, onions, peas and garlic in 7 and 10 gallon fabric pots. No protection. Zone 8a SE Virginia.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Excellent choices!

[@lakesidehomesteaders]

Exciting stuff, Going to have to get out in the garden while the weather is great. Hello from just over the line in va

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Enjoy the warm spell. It's been cloudy, but at least it's mild and comfortable. It's going to get cold over the weekend, but we get the sun back at least. There's always a silver lining if you look for it!

[@Wellbaby94]

Absolutely true for Dallas! Everything looks gorgeous right now.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Excellent!

[@marchettejw]

The desert-like west that I live in (Northern Utah) we only get between 12-18 inches of rainfall a year, what that means for us is that there is little to no rust on vehicles, some still shows up occasionally. You can wash your car once/twice a year (if your like me). Most of our water is runoff from the mountains and kept in large reservoirs. We had such a bad drought a couple of years ago that I lost my lawn due to water restrictions, I'm ok with that mowing the lawn sucks! haha. we get the hot summers 100-105ish sometimes 110 but not very often. and in the winter we dip below 0 regularly. During the winter I've got a back room indoors that has been converted to kind of a little plant oasis.. oh yeah and altitude can play a big role in a lot of this, 4600ft roughly at my place here in the valley.

[@miasgardenadventures2998]

I am growing spinach, lettuce and beets in my container gardens!

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Excellent choice!

[@stellaluuk2713]

Here in Ontario, Canada zone 5b my kale and broccoli is still alive, it has taken a few days as low as -5C. The snow is the only protection. I used a row cover last year and had Swiss chard survive the winter, it was nice and soft straight out the garden, didn't need cooked.

[@karenbeeman5500]

I love winter gardening. I have raised beds & 2 rows of hoops on each bed so I can add an extra layer of 6 mil plastic for extra warmth. My beds are all planted & growing

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Awesome! That's fantastic!

[@MichaelRei99]

Well considering I’m in the north and my yard gets virtually no sun in the winter summer is definitely better than winter. But I understand your point completely.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

The sun is going to be a real problem. Do you have a basement you can set a few grow lights in? You can at least grow salad.

[@MichaelRei99]

@@TheMillennialGardenerI do and I just bought a grow tent but It is very large and I need to make room for it.

[@ivanguajardo7111]

Happy to see this episode! I've been noticing the same about winter gardening. For example, it takes much longer for the arrugula to flower. Without the summer heat the plant doesn't feel like it needs to produce seeds to continue its survival. Lol, maybe arrugula was never meant to be a summer crop!

[@TheMillennialGardener]

The key to winter gardening in places with weaker sun is to get the garden far enough along before the sun gets weak that the plants sort of stay in stasis. Since growth is very slow, the plants can hold in your garden for weeks or maybe even months. If you can get your carrots, beets, leeks and some longer days to maturity greens to near maturity in November, they can often just sit outside like a giant refrigerator. That's one of the real benefits. You don't have to rush to harvest.

[@aalejardin]

We definitely need to spread the word. Zone 7a (formerly 6b) here. I have a new raised bed garden and the soil didn't go in until July, so I decided to try some fall crops. We just had fresh broccoli and baby bok choy with our Christmas dinner plus fresh lettuce salad. I had covered many of the plants with a frost blanket but just noticed a cauliflower with a head beginning to form which was completely out in the open. We have had temps down to the low 20's. I look forward to trying more cold tolerant crops. I don't know whether any seeds would germinate at this time of year but I just bought a cold frame so we will see how that goes. In January we can get down into the teens and single digits, so, again, it will be an interesting experiment.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

That's outstanding progress! I bet you'll make some improvements on timing for next year and see even better results. A cover, like I have with my hoophouses, would help you tremendously, I think. I would stick to germinating seeds indoors for the time being. Things are going to struggle in your zone to germinate. My carrots took 2 weeks here. I thought for a minute the seed wasn't good, so if things are that slow here, I imagine they'd be a crawl in 6b/7a.

[@adamsw2424]

Lack of sunshine is more of a problem for me than temperature

[@RonnieMinh]

Love, love, love cold weather gardening!

[@bartkennedy7758]

I LOVE my winter crops!

[@Gonzalo_M]

Thank you for the motivation and for encouraging us to grow wherever we are! 😊

[@TheMillennialGardener]

You're welcome! I'm happy to hear it was encouraging!

[@soniamarshall9293]

You are so inspiring, ❤how can we not do something in the garden.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

I hope that's the case. I hope to inspire people to grow more things.

[@hazeysgarden]

My weed pressure has actually gone way up. Probably bc I’m in zone 9 where it just hasn’t gotten very cold yet, and the fact that the soil stays moist for so long. The weeds are loving it in my garden.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

You probably have an extensive weed seed bank. Using things like weed barrier in aisles, mulching your beds when not in use, mulching around your plants, removing all fallen fruits, etc., will greatly suppress weeds overtime.

[@hazeysgarden]

@@TheMillennialGardener yeah the one raised bed that is really bad had sat there for 4 years unattended so the weed seed bank is ballin 😂😭

[@renel7303]

​@@TheMillennialGardenerI'm 9B, same story. Our days are pushing up near 70F, nights 40-50. It's spring time here. We finally got rain about a week ago. Today I noticed the entire front yard is turning a lovely green. 😱 I've changed tack, I bought weed killer spray. We have lovely mature trees and despite outside cats a thriving bird population. They've brought me mulberry, palm trees and stinging nettle plus lots more. So in fall I sprayed the rhizome grasses. Twice. Looking pretty dead. I'm giving the other stuff 2 weeks then I'm spraying most of it in open areas. Out front I'll scalp it rake level it and I'm going to cover what's left with flowers. Not wildflowers, I'm sure someone would complain but big drifts of marigolds, increasing in height and swaths of alyssum and candy tuft with a couple of spots of wildflowers. It's a small yard. Trying something different while I save up to hire some work done.

[@wrongfulconvictions1]

This is the first time in my life that slugs are active during the chilly months. They are active well below 40 degrees F. Twisting copper wire and placing the twisted circles around the plants seems to work best.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Try iron phosphate snail and slug bait. It lures them away and kills them. It specifically targets slugs and snails, so it's pretty safe to use and very inexpensive. I have some linked in my Amazon Storefront in the video description under Disease Prevention and Pest Control.

[@smas3256]

@wrongfulconvictions Coffee grounds are toxic to slugs. They don't like a the bumps that Epsom salts and wood ash have which is all good for garden soil and plants but look it up first for what you are growing.

[@stephaniedillon2848]

Viva la revolución!

[@EdBurnett-e3k]

Your videos are fabulous, don’t know where you re located but we are close. Nice to have local knowledge, keep teaching, you have a gift.

[@TexasNana2]

So true about winter gardening 🙂 ❤ Dale 🤗

[@amarilysflores8602]

Oh my goodness!!! How beautiful! I am green with envy! haha I am in zone 8a. in SC - I guess that I will have to figure out how to make it during winter.

[@smas3256]

Thanks for all the great news and reminders. Lucky Dale. Mouth watering steak. Yum.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

You're welcome!

[@ZonaFigs]

Great video! I love winter gardening!

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Thank you!

[@AnyKeyLady]

Happy Holidays Dale, Mummy and Daddy! We have stuff in the garden and in doors but are taking a break as we are going to be relocating the sand pit, which is fair game this year and rebuilding the sides using the bench and lid. It also means that we can expand our back left side bed of asparagus, wisteria and Jasmine and plant some spinach, etc in the part shade, here in London UK. The back bed has the sprouts and is fenced off by square grids. We use the mid/ left side lawn for football - the OG English kind and the goal nets don't always those shots! Right side is the old gravel side, where our main bed is made from the old crazy paving slabs from the rear patio and we have containers. I am doing the #PottyMouthGarden challenge of sowing onion seeds on boxing day but it will the day after as i am still recording for YT. (Thank you to the game for releasing 50 new levels on Christmas day!....) Fun fact: showing the front of your two fingers (index and middle finger) is telling people in the UK to f off. Just showing the front of your middle finger means to p off. It's the inner side of your two fingers that make the peace sign or to make the number two. Showing the backs of your fingers is a sign of aggression and arrogance. The image of Churchill swearing with two fingers was to protestors, not the actual peace sign that was for the victory parade. Media getting their headlines and all... It is as shameful or disrespectful as showing the souls of your bare feet in some countries, where in a few countries was illegal. Just like public, drinking of alcohol, kissing or wearing a bikini. Trans women tend to fare worst after free surgery. I wasn't around then when people where travelling and conquering places but i can see why hand gestures was offensive. It does however, amaze me that people still use that disrespectful gesture there?

[@jerseygirl5486]

I still have lettuce, cabbage and parsley growing. It’s fun.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Nice!

[@theukyankee]

The challenge in England is the rain. In London, it's reasonably warm most of the winter, but we get so much rain. (tough to get out there to actually plant anything when it's pouring rain every weekend).

[@TheMillennialGardener]

I have collected 8.5 inches (216mm) of rain so far in December, and it's currently pouring. I'm going to wind up with 9-10 inches this month. If I can grow through it, I think most can. And you can always build the hoops like I do to block rainfall. Agricultural fabric will block some, but greenhouse plastic will block all rainfall.

[@theukyankee]

@@TheMillennialGardener thanks! I'll try that.

[@actorkaiserjohnson]

This was great! Thanks for making it!

[@TheMillennialGardener]

You’re very welcome! I’m glad to hear you enjoyed it 😀

[@becky3086]

I agree with most of this. I am in zone 8b and have found we have had a lot more frosts in Dec. than we normally do. I hope that is not a sign for bad weather come Jan and Feb.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Same here. This December was brutal with the frost count. In 2019-2020, we had a total of 14 freezes the entire winter season. This year, we've already had 16 freezes and 8 nights in the 20's already. It's a classic El Nino pattern where the cold is funneled into the South, but the Great Lakes region is fairly mild by comparison. I hope we get the cold out of the way early. There's another cold spell coming this weekend into next week, but it doesn't look too severe.

[@prepperwhatcolleen2167]

Love your channel, it’s always so happy and I love adventures with Dale. It helps me to relax after work

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Thank you! I appreciate it!

[@Growinggroceriesnc]

I do love it too

[@barco581]

Great video. And one doesn’t have to be down in NC. Here in Boston we have gardeners with some of these crops in community gardens all winter. Of course hoop houses and other frost protection often required.

[@rawhoney2199]

Thanks again! I'm sitting here planting seeds watching your video

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Outstanding! I'm glad to hear it!

[@froginprogress8510]

I planted a TON of carrots, anticipating that a lot would die off or get eaten. That didn't happen. The carrots are so thick that the dirt isn't visible between them. I see fat little birds rolling in the dew on top of them, so I haven't thinned them yet. Something is chowing into the broccoli and cabbages, but they're still steadily growing. Lots of fava beans that I regret planting, because there's nothing out right now to pollinate the flowers. My asparagus is still bright green and fern-y. The critters are a lot worse in winter where I am. Limited bugs, but a lot of bunnies and birds. And one offensively fat squirrel chunking up on roots and my chicken's food. I don't mind weeding, because I add it to my chicken's pen. Our winters are usually very mild, and a lot of our weeds really get going in the colder seasons (Miner's lettuce). I use cardboard to suppress weeds. Turns the ground into soup, so it doesn't encourage growth.

[@deltorres2100]

My garden is just as flush vibrant as yours right now, so I live in Houston Texas, but for some reason it’s much better this year

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Texas had a few awful winters. This year looks to be more moderate. The highs have been milder, more consistent and no bad cold yet.

[@mz.jenbrooks1262]

Great info. I am enjoying my fall and winter garden 🪴 ❤

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Glad to hear it!

[@cynthiamartinez5884]

I love winter gardening! I'm on my second season and wish I'd done it sooner. I'm in Oklahoma zone 7 while we also get a lot of warm days through winter we get big cold fronts on a regular basis that drop us into the 20s or teens for a short period of time. I keep most of the garden covered with plastic and it makes a huge difference on growth and protecting if from getting damaged from the cold fronts.

[@CarlaReed-r6e]

I’m in S.E. Oklahoma, I don’t have a garden yet, but looking to , but don’t know what zone I’m in

[@kgs2280]

I live in Southern California, and the rainy season is just starting, so I’m going to start my garden NOW. And I’ve got to put my Mexican Lime tree (also known as Key Lime in Florida) in the ground ASAP. Our rain barrels will also get filled up, and that will get us mostly through the hot, not-rainy summer next year. Thanks for a great video on this subject. Love your channel!

[@TheMillennialGardener]

In SoCal, this simply *has to be* the best time of year for gardening. Little need to irrigate, citrus season, avocados are hitting maturity...this has to be way better than summer.

[@irisdude]

Another amazing video! I am so glad to hear I am not the only one loving the garden this time of year. It is so important (and convenient) to grow your own food. When I need green onions, i go out to the garden and chop some, even broccoli leaves and radish leaves are good in salads. And the carrot leaves taste like parsley, even though I have some parsley growing.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

It's a great time of year. I used to really dislike winter, but having an extensive garden and things like citrus ripening has made it a lot better.

[@irisdude]

@@TheMillennialGardener Yes, it does! Now, if you want to learn how to make citrus vinegar with all the citrus peels that usually get thrown out or composted, you can see several excellent videos on how to do it easily by Googling MARYS NEST CITRUS VINEGAR. It is so easy to do. I did it the last couple years and I use the vinegar for salad dressings, cleaning, and washing produce. I also made her apple scrap vinegar and strawberry scrap venegars made with the skins, cores and tops that normally get tossed out. You can freeze the scraps in a freezer bag until you get enough to make a batch of vinegar in a half gallon jar. You can make in smaller or larger containers too, but a half gallon size works great for me.

[@IllumeEltanin]

I have a container in a community garden on the Eastside of Seattle. I believe there are easily 100 plots, half plots, and containers in the garden. I’m the only one attempting to winter garden in a container using your techniques, and there’s one owner of an in ground half plot also gardening. But we appear to be it. Perhaps if we’re successful, more plot owners will join in next year.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

I hope you see success and it inspires others to grow. I think the challenge in Seattle will be the weak sun and short days. The trick, I think, in your area is to start your winter garden very early so the plants are 80-90% of their way to maturity by Thanksgiving. That way, the mostly mature plants can just sit still in stasis and hold for awhile. Basically, your garden would be a giant refrigerator. If you start seedlings now, they'll grow slow, but if you can provide a cover to build warmth during the day, you'll get a massive jump start on spring.

[@Spencer_Plant_Projects]

As a fellow PNW community gardener you can usually grow established kale, chard, green onions and peas. You won't get much growth december-feb but the winters are usually mild enough that all these plants will grow well even unprotected. Having an adequate supply of calcium and micronutrients will give your plants much better cold performance

[@IllumeEltanin]

@@Spencer_Plant_Projects Thank you! I’m growing leaf lettuce that I transplanted in mid-October. I have leeks doing as Anthony suggested; they were planted in spring and are just hanging out until whenever I need them. I have established purple tree collards that I cut back also in mid-October. They were getting leggy and I’m hoping they’ll fill out more. I’m overwintering garlic and elephant garlic and I sowed some carrots, beets, and turnips. I also transplanted a sage seedling and a couple of bay laurel twigs. I’m pretty certain I’ll need to transplant the bay laurel out of the container eventually, but I have nowhere to establish the twigs, so I’m hoping the container will work for now. Even with all our rain I’m feeding my plants water soluble bat guano and fish emulsion every two weeks. I make my own bone meal from dried and roasted chicken carcasses I have from making bone broth in my Instant Pot. But, I stopped adding the bone meal when the rains came in September, thinking it would get washed away. Should I go back to working it into soil every few weeks, even with all of the rain? The container is covered by a 0.90 frost blanket over PVC tubing. I’m hoping that will see my plants through these colder months.

[@IllumeEltanin]

@@TheMillennialGardener Thank you, Anthony! I just told Spencer_Plant_Projects what I’m attempting, but if it helps me get a head start on Spring, I’ll be happy. We haven’t had a hard freeze yet, so while things are growing slowly, they are growing. Thank goodness for the rain! The park the community garden is located in turns off the water to the garden in November! So, I truck water in to do my water soluble fertilizing every couple of weeks. That may have something to do with why so few of the other gardeners winter garden. But, so far so good for me.

[@Spencer_Plant_Projects]

@@IllumeEltanin remember that the cold slows down the release of calcium from something like bone meal so you need to have it added prior to the dead of winter. I find that applications of gypsum (a mined mineral that is fairly water soluble) applied in the warm part of fall will give best calcium release, and if you can find the micronized stuff it will be available quicker. Making sure you have ample calcium will also improve the leggy growth you can get in the winter. You can also get a fish hydrolysate locally called Pacific gro which contains 10% crab/shrimp which is also a good source of calcium. You don't need to add a lot of fertilizer this time of year because the plants can only use so much with their metabolism slowed and low rates of photosynthesis so save your time and money until March/April.

[@dorothyhughes1061]

I'm in Zone 7b and have several vairities growing now, yet are fairly small. Thanks for the helpful information today! I

[@TheMillennialGardener]

It's slow now with the short days, but we'll start gaining day length rapidly in a few weeks and things will start picking up speed.

[@debbiep7419]

I'm still trying to figure out winter growing in NC 7b having moved here from SoCal zone 10. I planted lettuce and built a small hoop structure over it covered with frost fabric. Sadly, all the plants died when the overnight temps got down to the low 20s. Guess I still have some learning to do.

[@DavidBrown-xq9nb]

Excellent video!!!

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Thank you!

[@jaimietollison7722]

Inspiring! I’m in OK and growing romaine lettuce, bok Choi and snow peas.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Good choices! There is a real abundance of what can be grown. Carrots grown in winter are fantastic, and beets, radishes and so many bitter greens turn out awesome.

[@joshuahoyer1279]

Slugs are the only menaces we have to worry about here. We get so much mild, rainy weather from now until May, the slugs and snails just ravage our greens. I've been going out every few nights with a headlamp and hunting these guys to keep the population down, as I don't like putting pellets around our plants. But other than that I totally agree! I just out some more leeks in the ground, along with some beet, turnip and carrot seeds, all under the clear tote I used for curing sweet potatoes. It'll keep things warmer, drier, and sheltered from slimy gastropods.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Consider trying iron phosphate snail and slug bait. It lures them away and kills them. It specifically targets slugs and snails, so it's pretty safe to use and very inexpensive. I have the bait linked in my Amazon Storefront in the video description under Disease Prevention and Pest Control.

[@songsforthemaster]

I wish I could convince my hubby to invest in fencing and/or a green house so I can plant more and to have a Fall/Winter garden. Would be in my glory. ☺️

[@TheMillennialGardener]

I'm sure there is a way to convince him. I would start by annoying him until he gives in, and if that doesn't work, threaten to hire a man that will 😂

[@MichaelRei99]

@@TheMillennialGardenerthat usually works on me!😂

[@songsforthemaster]

@@TheMillennialGardener 🤣 Toooo funny. It took alot for me to get him to help with an 8x14 raised bed with attached deer fence and a small 2x4 raised bed. Maybe someday. I’ll keep working on it. 😉

[@laurieide4303]

Such great information

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Glad it was helpful! Thanks for watching!

[@laddieokelley6095]

Beginning to agree with you, requiring just non-heroic preparation and some protection from fierce north winds here. Thanks for advice on hoop house cover for my round raised planter. My only modification was to thread EMT over 18-inch rebar pins driven into my hard ground, then inserting the hoop braces. Brassicas now protected from frosts experienced in recent days.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

I use rebar to hold my big shade tunnel in place. It works well, but never take the hoops off with the rebar sticking out of the ground. It's a major hazard. I've been reticent to recommend that, because if someone were to trip and fall, they could be impaled. Just be very careful.

[@joealta3450]

@TheMillennialGardener Amazing how bright it is there. Here in the NE.... although it's been bizarrely warm... like the same temps as you... it's really gloomy. Not nearly enough light to grow much outdoors. Only the Tuscan Kale and some Parsley is still going... Maybe a few scallions. Good work there! I totally get why you moved.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

It's gloomy here, too. It's been raining for 24 hours, almost 3 inches of rain. No sun until Friday. It happens in the winter. We get 3-5 day cold fronts when it's sunny, then we get 3-5 day warm fronts and it tends to get cloudy with some rain. Things don't grow quickly this time of year, but if you start your winter garden early enough, they don't need to, because the mature vegetables will just sit in stasis and not grow much. It gives you a very long harvest window since things don't go bad quickly.

[@joealta3450]

@@TheMillennialGardener My body was engineered for the Mediterranean.... I don't like the cold. But, I'll take anything that might keep me in the garden longer. Growing supports my mental health.... That's why I grow scallions and herbs in the dead space behind the furnace and have a big hydro lettuce farm next to the washer/dryer. Working on basement tomatoes... they're a bit more difficult.

[@joealta3450]

@@TheMillennialGardener The messed up thing is that the weather here in Toronto has been similar to yours in recent days. We're only flirting with freezes. I hate the cold but for Canada I know that this is really weird. It's very strange for there to be no snow on the ground and all the grass green. It's been gloomy and raining ever day for two weeks I think.... If my days were not so short I think I could actually be growing some crops outdoors right now.

[@missietgardendelight6029]

I have aphids that are on some of my curly kale plants. We’ve had lots of temperatures below freezing for 8 or 9 hours straight. Lowest temperature of 27 degrees that did not kill them.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

If you hose the plants off very hard, that will knock most of them off. Do that 3-4 days in a row and that should get rid of most of them. If that still doesn't do it, a quick treatment with pyrethrin would knock them out.

[@flyfishdr]

Struggling with aphids this fall and winter Have to spray every two weeks

[@sylvia10101]

Thank you for the great information 😊👍

[@TheMillennialGardener]

You're very welcome!

[@ptngarden]

Thank you for sharing

[@TheMillennialGardener]

You're welcome!

[@ChristyThorington-zp6dx]

My greenhouse has definitely helped my mental health this winter! The only things is I have aphids! Gotta go through your other videos! 😮

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Aphids can generally be removed by dunking the plants in water or hosing them down very hard a few times. That should, at least remove 90% of the population. If that doesn't cure the issue, a spraydown with pyrethrin or dusting with spinosad should do it.

[@Sweettomatovine]

Great video 🤗

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Thanks!

[@leswilliamson3587]

Great information

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Thank you!

[@alisonebw]

I am very interested when you started your plants for fall. When did you plant your peas? I have just increased my garden space and will be able to add many more varieties of crops. Been working on learning how soon I can plant out in the spring with using AG fabric.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

It depends what I'm growing and what the varieties are. The peas go in late September when the soil cools down enough for germination.

[@zone9gigi]

Great video! What about when is the best time to start seeds for a winter garden?

[@TheMillennialGardener]

That is going to depend on where you live. I grow year round. Each individual location is going to vary depending on what you're growing. It's impossible to tell that information to someone unless they live in the same region as you. You must take general information and fine-tune it with experience.

[@hopemorrison2367]

Can you go thru the process of everything you do to grow greens from start to finish

[@TheMillennialGardener]

It depends on what the plant is. Different plants have different requirements. I have a lot of growing guides made over the years organized in a playlist here: kzbin.info/aero/PL1gY7BoYBGIG5w9sjKQ4-yHZQotrCjpvw&si=_NdGO-3tey33tNEr

[@TJtheHAWK]

I wish i got to grow more year round here in NH. I got a heated greenhouse, but even then, the sun is too weak from Nov thru Feb.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Have you considered getting a supplemental grow light? I imagine things like radishes, arugula, etc. could still make some progress with the weak sun alone, but more vigorous species may need some supplemental light. I would, actually, urge you to change your way of thinking, though. Instead of looking to grow through winter, look to keep your plants in stasis. Since your sun is weak and temps cool inside your greenhouse, the plants will basically stay as-is all winter long. Therefore, try getting an earlier start in the summer and shoot for your plants to hit close to maturity around Halloween/Thanksgiving timeframe. That way, they can just hang out and not move much all winter, and you can go out and leisurely harvest as you need all winter long. Leeks, cabbage, kale, some lettuces, green onions, cilantro, parsley, thyme, oregano, beets, and carrots are all things that will "hold" very well for long periods of time.

[@TJtheHAWK]

@TheMillennialGardener hey thanks for the tips. It's my first year with the greenhouse, so still experimenting, but I will definitely try that next year. I do have some spinach and Lettuce in a bit of a stasis state right now but I got them in too late. Hopefully I'll get an early spring harvest.

[@elizabethmoffett98]

I was trying to ask you in your Avocado video how tall does your avocado trees grow. I Google it, and it said up to 60 feet tall and 35 feet wide. Do you prune them to keep them shorter? I planted one from seed her in Houston, Texas which is almost 2 feet tall. I covered it today.

[@bevami1]

Please do a video on soil prep

[@TheMillennialGardener]

I have a ton of soil prep videos. They're organized in a playlist here: kzbin.info/aero/PL1gY7BoYBGIGp0XbmUDUVdDY-TNWg1mdw&si=VFfrWMDiPQ3Nrhwz

[@janinegarfinkel4901]

Do you not have cabbage aphids in winter? I’m in Zone 8a, SC, (northeastern) and have been struggling with them this year for the 1st time.

[@cherylharrisonserenitytrav7499]

I am in Eastern NC. Zone 8, Is it too late to plant Rutabagas, turnips and Mustard Greens?

[@TearDrop455]

I’m in Maryland…. wanting to move South!

[@TheMillennialGardener]

I know the feeling. It was a great decision for me, personally. If you can do it, I recommend it!

[@rawhoney2199]

Can you please tell me if I should put fertilizer in seed planting? I'm using seed starting miracle grow. I'm planting mustards ,turnips, beets, lettuces,herbs, and burdock.indoors.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

No. You shouldn't apply any fertilizer until the plants germinate and develop 1-2 full sets of true leaves. The seed itself contains all the nutrients the plant needs to germinate and put out a set of true leaves. I usually fertilize with 1/3 strength water soluble fertilizer 10-14 days after germination once they get some true leaves.

[@rawhoney2199]

@@TheMillennialGardener BIG THANKS!

[@trenttan3779]

It's nearly impossible to garden in the summertime here in Vegas without excessive watering and plenty of shade. Even then, forget about your average greens. They either burn or bolt.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

I believe it. Have you tried shade cloth yet? If you erect shade cloth, run drip irrigation and mulch heavily, it should be more manageable. This worked wonders for me: kzbin.info/www/bejne/mYCQhmStjqyNbrMsi=RgsuT0857F-cdKsn Your climate is hotter than mine, but because of the dry air, the shade makes a bigger difference. It may surprise you.

[@telasims233]

OMG Dale is sooo cute ❤ I have a question... Earlier I was watching one of your videos, I use them as a reference, I was actually at T Bones Nursery in Milledgeville Ga, and I was showing them the varieties you recommended recommended.. what I'm doing is, first I'm purchasing your list of rain resistant, in Zone 8a. I've acquired I think those, then I'm choosing from your list of early to late growing I want to stagger them so I still have figs at the end of the growing season... When I signed off.. it flashed subscribe to second channel??? do you HAVE a second channel?? as much as I watch your videos, surely KZbin has and algorithm that should hook up your subscribers??

[@diyoregonnowtexas9202]

whats the best type of soil for those steaks you have there and is it a winter crop you grow in the greenhouse?

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Unfortunately, I haven't figured out how to grow them yet 🥩

[@SeedsofFaithGarden]

I wouldn’t say that there are NO pests. I am still battling aphids in zone 8b!!!😮

[@mariaallevato6121]

Here in CO we get so much hail in the summer! Do you ever have hail damage your hoop fabric/plastic?

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Hail is very rare on the East Coast. It isn't something we experience much. Most greenhouse plastic is thick enough to not be damaged by typical hail. As for fabric, that's going to depend on the severity and size. This stuff is very cheap, so it's not a big deal to replace the fabric.

[@oxfordcreekfarm]

I'm in North Texas and even though i'm in zone 8b it gets cold here and while it doesn't kill anything it does send it into like a hibernation state and things stop growing. Not sure how to overcome that. Also can I plant anything this late or did I need to have started it in Fall? Maybe radishes?

[@TheMillennialGardener]

It's just a fact of winter. The same thing happens here. We get 3-5 day cold spells and everything stops growing, then it warms up and the growth continues, albeit slowly. The only way to mitigate it is to install hoop houses and catch some warmth with the agricultural fabric. Greenhouse plastic will probably be a no-go for your climate, because it'll get too hot in there during the day. You still have to contend with the short days, but we've passed the inflection point and things will get better as the days lengthen. Yes, you can start seeds now, but I recommend starting them indoors. If you start seeds now, they won't be ready for transplanting outside until February and by then, the days will be much longer and sun more intense. If you want to direct sow right now, I recommend fast growing things like radishes, arugula, cilantro, leaf lettuces, spinach, carrots, beets and chard. They usually make progress when direct sowing.

[@WillWilsonII]

You can really pick a yard salad this time of year

[@TheMillennialGardener]

If you have a large enough garden and plan ahead, it'll never stop all winter long.

[@figtree393]

Grow garlic. Mine started coming up today.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Oh mine have been up for awhile. Almost 100% germination.

[@user-cy4fs5li5c]

I live in Texas and feel like I’m so behind on getting a winter garden started! Everybody’s talking about the harvests they’re having right now. Is it too late for me to plant seeds?

[@bethb8276]

You didn't mention your growing zone, but here in South Florida zone 10b you can still plant sweet peas, onions, garlic, lettuce, mustard greens, Chard, pretty much most leafy greens should do fine, especially with protection from cold like frost cloth, maybe some cold tolerant tomatoes, if they're already transplant size. The trick would be getting things to germinate with low light, so if you are planting from seeds you may want to grow indoors on heating pads with grow lights and then plant out after your last frost date. In my zone here in Florida, my last frost date is the middle of February.

[@user-cy4fs5li5c]

@@bethb8276 I’m in zone 8b so nowhere near as sunny as you. I never have luck starting seeds indoors. I think I’ll put some seeds in milk jug greenhouses and wait until they finally decide to sprout. I guess it’s worth a try. I just can’t nail my timing on planting! Always too early or too late!

[@bethb8276]

@user-cy4fs5li5c I would still try lettuce and peas, they handle cold pretty well. You could also make a garden journal, track your weather patterns for your area, especially temps, and how each plant does for future reference. I gather from what you said you only plan to direct sow? I saw someone who would use a ziploc to put all the seeds they planned to plant for each month, and then wrote the month on each ziploc. Helped them to not forget, and broke it down so it wasn't so daunting. The mini greenhouse milk jugs is a good plan. Keep trying, you'll get it!

[@innerjon]

What do you do with your irrigation and rain barrels in the winter?

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Nothing. If it gets very dry, I use it, but usually we get more rain than we need in winter.

[@Firevine]

Wait, you got rain this year? We didn't in Georgia 😬 Horrible drought this year.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

I've had over 9 inches of rain so far this month and over 70 inches so far this year. Tons of rain here, as always. Georgia's definition of drought would be a flood for most areas of the country 😂

[@Firevine]

@@TheMillennialGardener Ha! Very true. I've seen so many times where they would talk about drought on the news when we were getting tons of rain. This year was definitely the real deal though and a total anomaly.

[@hopemorrison2367]

Hey

[@OurLadyFarms]

Can you share your favorite varieties!!!

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Of what, exactly? I experiment with new varieties each year, but I don't have loyalties to most winter crop varieties. It's not like a tomato, pepper or cucumber where different varieties can be radically different. The most difference you'll see in a winter garden is romaine lettuce, leaf lettuce or red lettuce. I experiment with different varieties to test their cold tolerance, but taste doesn't vary much.

[@twilightgardenspresentatio6384]

No weeding!

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Yes!

[@FireflyFarmsteadApothecary]

Do you start your plants indoors for Fall and winter gardens?

[@davidgunnarsson5524]

Well, you see I live in Sweden.....

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Where there is a will, there is a way. Anyone can build a small greenhouse or hoop structure. Anyone can experiment with different species and varieties of plants that can still grow when sun is weak. And anyone can experiment with different plant timings. If you live in Sweden and your sun is weak in winter, then you need to plant your winter vegetables earlier so they mature in early to mid-Fall. Then, the winter will act like a giant refrigerator and hold them in stasis until you need to harvest them. There are tons of plants that will hold for months - leeks, beets, cabbage, kale, carrots, etc. will all stay put for months in northern winters with weak sun. If you truly experiment and get creative, you can grow almost anywhere.

[@hopemorrison2367]

I cant get anything to grow in winter

[@TheMillennialGardener]

You must figure out the reason why. If the soil is too cold for seeds to germinate, you must start transplants indoors. If the temperature is too cold for plants to grow, you need to make a hoophouse structure. If the sun is too weak, you need to start your plants earlier in the year while the sun is still strong enough to get them to maturity and they'll just hold in your garden during the peak of winter. And, if your sun is weak, you should experiment with fast growing things like radishes, watercress, arugula, etc.

[@NathanRittenhouse-i7d]

Eat like a rabbit in the winter time