You should be on tv on the gardening channel, Your well spoken, you know what your talking about and your to the point, I've watched all your videos, thanks so much for your great advice, I am a horticulturist but you have taught me a few things I didn't know.
Hey Patrick. I still love watching your videos even though I have seen them before, and I can keep checking for new videos. Keep following your dreams and we will be here waiting for you. Take care
out of everyone i think ur r the best instructor of them all, u made so much sense answered so manu questions these other channel wont provide .. 👏👏👏👏 ur great ! u knw something, u got a subscriber buddy!
Great points Patrick! I like the fact about raising the zone with added layers of protection. One day I hope to have a hoop house too. We rent where we live but if I ever move out to the river, I will definitely follow your plans. Hubby is not handy so it would be my project, lol.
We've just moved and I'm waiting to see where the sun is here with our new surroundings. I watched this b4 but came back for a refresher to show my husband exactly how I want mine to be done. Thank you.
That's awesome... If I had to do mine again, I'd eliminate having a clear section on the north side. My polycarbonate was the most expensive part... And being in North America, it was a waste. Next one!
Your approach to dealing with the weather is very informative. I have just the opposite problem but have learned much from your ideas. We still have not had any frost this winter and I am keeping my fingers crossed.
I did a Fall Planting for the first time this year in an open raised bed. The Carrots and Kolrabi did well and don't seem to mind freezing. I just push back the snow to harvest some - also have some Beets that seem to keep better outside than in the garage. I would love to build a hoop house, but in the meantime some veg have extreme cold hardiness.
I felt for the cat! I can't ever trip without an audience either 🤓 thanks for the great information, I'm on two acres now and in student mode! For the winter, looking forward to putting all this knowledge into practice come spring. Blessings to you and your garden
So glad I stumbled across this video! I live in an area that teeters between zones 3 and 4, and I want to find a way to cultivate perennials that might otherwise not survive the winters here, like blueberry plants. I don't even care about whether I can grow plants during the winter; I just want them to be alive when spring comes! It's definitely colder up here, but hopefully your tips will still come in handy.
It still amazes me how much you can grow this time of year !! The tip about growing with your zone and time of year sure will help lots of new gardeners be successful !
+Alberta Urban Garden Simple Organic and Sustainable Thanks, Stephen! Yes, growing in the winter is hard enough even when you don't try to fight Mother Nature. It's best to try to work with her in my opinion.
Steven, Patrick, Ive often wonder about the advice given for seed starting with a south facing window, that get 8 hours of direct sunlight. If your not in your correct time of year. For that particular crop.
Thanks! Very helpful. I'm in zone 5B and my vegetable garden gets going this spring. I'm looking forward to extending the growing season as long as possible, even when temperatures drop below freezing.
good video venting in zone 8a - I installed 4 automatic temperature operated foundation vents in the front and back of my greenhouse, down low in front - up high in back. these open above 45 degrees and allow air to flow through the green house. I also have a small fan on a timer that comes on in the afternoon to help with venting on warmer winter days. I heat with a timer activated ceramic heater on cold nights. I monitor 10 day forecasts and set the timers accordingly.
Aww! Hi, little kitty! In SoCal we can grow in winter without a greenhouse (yes, cold-weather veggies), but this is excellent info for my readers. I'll pass it along. ~ Melanie
Nice one Patrick! I returned home earlier with what is either an old railway sleeper or a lintel in the back of the car. I found it down a footpath on the other side of town and, whilst it's not in the best condition, it's not crumbling away and I hope to find more sleepers so I can start making raised beds to use what could be described as the European Economic Community's compost mountain at the bottom of the garden. This region used to have a very high density of railways until the 1960's and there must be hundreds if not thousands of sleepers laying around. Wish me luck as I set off to find 'em!
+Michael Ball Thanks, Michael! One thing to take into consideration is that sleepers were typically treated with creosote. Here's an article from The Telegraph on the topic: www.telegraph.co.uk/gardening/4794226/Toxic-sleepers-hit-the-buffers.html
Paul and I just watched this again. Thanks so much for all the good tips and showing how sun hits your garden. In this big open space we have, there always seems to be some pitfall to greenhouse or raised bed placement. Its as if we need to build a bunch of buildings just to enclose a garden. But you have ideas that help us search out microclimate areas. They are all around just not as easy to each... Did not realize when we got this property how hard it would be to grow on a hill that slopes downward from the sunrise which all plants seem to cherish more than the south sun here.
+Suzanne Ramoundos I'm glad you and Paul found the video helpful, Suzanne! Once you find a sunny spot for a greenhouse, is wind the biggest concern? I wish I could see how my little hoop house would hold up in that situation.
+OneYardRevolution | Frugal & Sustainable Organic Gardening No joke wish we could borrow you for about a year. SO much land and so many glitches Used to live in a row house with more success. The greenhouse, yes we have many sunny spots but slope point downward toward west...would need to level. The wind gets bad... need to tie down or set up permanent base...how to let state roads keep access to land? Septic truck for cleaning etc. Poor people here with high and low tunnels, many crushed under weight of the snow. How to place so two feet of snow can be traversed to clean off snow or on a sunny day to open inside structures...our cheapie..the zippers go stuck in the snow and froze..how on earth would we get the door open....where is the water source...on and on...but surely there is a way just on year 14 now trying to find it. :) But we keep on trying...Brilliant Idea or is it Einstein's definition of insanity.
I wish I could have a winter greenhouse. I live in Norway and it gets down to -30 degrees Celcius during winter. Also, I live in a valley between mountains and the sun never comes high enough during winter to actually shine it's light on my garden. I could, however, extend the summer season a few months with a greenhouse like this!
+Simone Christine You're absolutely right. You definitely need a spot that gets full sun to grow through the winter, but you could extend your growing season a few months!
I live in northwest Arkansas zone 7. I covered part of my garden last yr with 2 wire panels. 11' arcs at 4' each side by side cover 8x5' area. I covered it with sheets at first that worked great as shade clothes then some heavy visquine when in October. I harvested carrots on Christmas day and beets and chard through January. Had never attempted this before and was happy with the results. Even on a 25 degree day it was toasty inside. Heck I even grew spring weeds! So this yr I've upgraded. I have 2 4x10 beds side by side, covered with 16' panels so now I can walk inside. Made 10 -2' plots with peas, beets, carrots 3 lettuce, bok choi, kale and chard started inside. Right now it's covered with sheets since it's still high 80s here in the daytime. It should be a fun experiment! I say if you can do it there, I can do it here!
That's great, Jill! Yeah, you live in a great area for winter gardening under cover. Congratulations on all your success and best wishes with your garden this winter.
Very helpful and interesting. Building two aquaponic greenhouses on wheels ATM with the goal of extending the season as long as possible. I'm in Sweden so winter is challenging. Experimenting with compost and passive heat. Have a good one!
Another video with great advice. Who knows maybe this year we'll give it a try with an unheated greenhouse too. Our garden is also in zone 5 but across the pond, so we are always looking forward for your videos. Thnx, Patrick!
Extremely helpful. We are building a greenhouse from old windows and using raised beds inside so I can grow year round. I definitely would have overwatered.
When constructing your greenhouse put 2 inches of the foam board (dense and designed for building foundations) 2 feet in the ground around the perimeter to help keep the ground frost out.
I can see that I'm going to be coming back to you time and again for good information. I just found your channel and love it. Thank you for sharing your knowledge!
Really practical info Patrick. Love the effort you put into your videos. I am going to water today - because it is finally sunny and the soil surface in my greenhouse is dry. And because you said to!
I know now why my father-in-law had to use heaters in his greenhouses during the wintertime. He used plastic in the greenhouse, but had to use heaters on cold cloud covered days when growing cucumbers in the winter months next to the ocean in Japan.
have you thought of putting compost pile inside your greenhouse? If you started building a cylindrical chicken wire compost pile mid Autumn and Incorporated it into your green house you may be able to naturally heat it for those insanely cold winters (last 2 winters).
thanks for that Patrick. I always learn something from your videos. I have been lazy this year and haven't gotten plastic up on my hoop house. It has gotten down to 20 here at nights so I gave lost some things. Dave
+Organic Gardening in North Carolina You're very welcome! We got our hoop house covered just barely in time - literally on the day of our first snowfall. We're having our coldest weather of the winter this week. We hit 1 degree last night. It'll be interesting to see what plants are still standing at the end of the week! ;-)
Patrick, here in zone 8b, I've yet to see a winter that brassicas would require covering to make it. I've seen pics to prove it can get that nasty here, like the year I was born, when there was 6 inches of snow on the ground in our part of NW Florida. This winter has been so freakishly warm, that I still have a pepper plant alive from last years planting. My arugula and spinach mustards have bolted and are going to seed, and that usually begins in another 6 weeks. Tonight will be our 1st frost of the winter, and its almost spring lol.
+Poppy B. We had a very warm November and December too, but January has been pretty normal so far. We're expecting a low of 4 degrees tonight. I'm sorry to hear the warm weather has your cold weather crops bolting already!
Thanks Patrick - good information. We are also in Zone 5 up here in the mountains of southern BC - which also means limited direct sun in the winter. I continue to be intrigued by winter gardening and would like to give it a go - especially as the cost of fresh produce this time of year is a little much. Thanks again! - Love the cat!
+Jo Brown You're very welcome, Jo! Our winter garden gets about 4 or 5 hours of direct sun each day. Hopefully, you have a spot that gets that much? I'm glad you enjoy Oscar!
Super informative that I didnt get from other videos..building a greenhouse now (almost done). The plastic wont be permanent cuz I'm using my cattle panel as a trellis in summer so the extra layer of plastic would def be a help..in zone 6b
Greens grow really well in winter as long as you get them established in autumn. A week in the mid 30s here (~100F). I'm already thinking about the cold season and next spring too. I'm going to start mulching with more woodchips and less with the $15/bale pea straw hay (hopefully I can find a tree company who will give it to me for free or near free). A lot less pests in winter - except for the slugs.
+Darkfalz79 You're right. It's best to have plants established in autumn. They don't grow much in mid-winter. I definitely understand you looking forward to the cold season. I don't do well in that kind of heat! Fortunately, we haven't seen temps that high the past couple summers.
Thank you so much for including centigrade, it’s the only thing I’m metric on 😊🙏. Awesome video and channel. I’ll need to rewatch this a couple of times. Your hoop house is beautiful and so well kept 😊
Looks like the hoop house is really paying off Patrick. I'm trying to content myself with a few little green pepper plants just germinating under lights. The kitty thinks it's a ski slope.
Another key is to hang space blankets or other insulation over the north side, which is losing heat. You should consider making a greenhouse with an insulated vertical north wall and glaze only the south side and part of the roof.
Thank you. I'm new to this idea of growing over the winter. My wife and I bought an inexpensive 5' x 5' x 6' greenhouse with a polypropylene PE cover to get started with. But the more I learn, the less I know. The only ventilation that's available in my greenhouse is to roll-up the door, so I've added an electric ventilation system that will exchange the inside air every 12 seconds, once the temperature gets above 85 F (29 C). I've got a small amount of water (10 gallons) to store some of the heat, but I don't think it's enough to make a difference. But there's a new product that I've seen, perhaps you've heard of it, or know where to buy some....bioPCM. I've got my north wall insulated with a double layer of canvas, but I think replacing it with bioPCM would be a better solution. Or at least putting the bioPCM inside the canvas so it's exposed to the sunlight.
sir your a God send. I have a black thumb, no clue, and five acres of land I desperately want to utilize to feed my family healthy food. I have and failed but I am ready to try again. your video is dummy proof. I so need that. would I be lucky enough for you to know about beekeeping. I'm addicted to the way you instruct at this point
+jennifer ruiz Hi Jennifer! Thanks for letting me know my videos have helped. You can do a lot with 5 acres, but I recommend starting out small and expanding as you learn and gain experience. What sort of challenges have you faced so far?
+OneYardRevolution | Frugal & Sustainable Organic Gardening ... so far I have raised a small flock of chicks into healthy egg laying machines. shortly after that they were killed by a stray dog roaming the area. I also attempted to grow tomatoes and successfully drowned them. I do plan on beefing up the chicken security when I get the money. it's all trial, error, and TH-cam. I'm so ignorant but I'm trying. lol
+OneYardRevolution | Frugal & Sustainable Organic Gardening ..actually yes. not to take advantage so soon but I have a very very wet land. I am pretty sure I will have to do a raised or container so my veggies don't drown. what would you recommend?
+jennifer ruiz Raised beds are a quick solution for a small garden. A longer term solution would be to make modifications to the landscape to route and store water in retention ponds.
Excellent tips and I just love the hoophouse! Amazing over the years to see what you've built in that small backyard o.- BTW your greens are some of the best I've seen anyone grow without hitting them with chemicals...so healthy. :) love it!
It was nuts! The kids brought their dog who is not potty trained, nor were the cats! Talk about and interesting Christmas! My all wood floors survived, but only just...! One of them is sick but getting better and they both need a vet visit as non was done by the kids. Oh well. They are cute though and like people. That makes up for the other things. I plan to institute your ideas onto my new garden area. It is 3 times the size of my old one. Just hope the weather is good this year. My husband wants more tomatoes! bjr
Noticed most of these things last year. I'm still kicking myself for building a raised bed that gets 2 hours of sun in the winter. Arghh! Hopefully I can build another raised bed before next winter that gets 8-10 hours. I've been trying to grow in in succession but I can't seem to get the timing right. I guess practice makes perfect. Thanks for the information :)
+OmgKitty's Garden and Family Life You're very welcome! Don't feel bad. My first winter garden was in the totally shaded area I showed in the video! ;-)
I would love to put up a green house to grow during the winter/cooler months. We live in Missouri and our weather swings a lot. It's almost mid April and we still have fear of snow in the forecast.
We got two cats that are 8 months old for Christmas. Your kitty's antics remind me of them. What is your kitty's name and is it a he or a she? Now that we are in a new house on an acre of land, I can actually do some of the things you speak of! YEAH!
+Barbara Rickman That's great, Barbara! You can do so much with an acre of land. Our cat's name is Oscar. You must have had a fun Christmas with 2 new kitties!
Great tips, Patrick! Yeah, the ventilation really has to be watched closely in a non-automatic vented hoophouse! If it weren't for my thermostatic fans, and shutters, the temps would get into the 90° range quickly, even on a 35° day! The tomatoes, and peppers wouldn't mind it, but the lettuces, and brassicas would start screaming ; )
+Keyplayr61 Greenhouse Hydroponics And Gardens Thanks, Keith! Yeah, you guys in warmer climates have to vent a lot more than we do. I keep everything locked up tight for days at a time here. We hit 1 degree last night! I probably won't have to vent again until late this week when it finally warms up a bit.
Incredibly informative! Thank you so much for all of this info! I was surprised to see how little you had to water. It usually looks moist in there with the condensation on the glass and plastic, but still only watering about once month is amazing! I can't wait for more info! Love to Oscar! Meow!
+gippywhite Thanks! I'm glad you found it informative. Yeah, if anything, there's too much water in there. I have to keep reminding my wife not to water. Oscar says hi!
OneYardRevolution | Frugal & Sustainable Organic Gardening With the way my memory works, not watering for weeks at a time would be an amazing option. LOL! Hi Oscar!
LOVE your cat!!! 🐱 - and the vids ;) This one is FANTASTIC!!! Never grew anything in freezing winter - will definitelly gove it a try! Thank you so much for the amazing handy tips!!!
Great video. Thank you. Going to get some stuff started tomorrow after watching this since we've just ordered the greenhouse. Looking forward to watching more of your videos.
I am learning from your experiences Patrick I have started my broccoli two weeks ago for my Wintergarden and I am starting some of the lettuces now I'm just looking at what varieties that would be good here in eastern Ontario our climate is pretty much identical to yours in Chicago
Great video Patrick, I guess its quiet enough to talk live to the camera in there. I remember you used to nariate your videos! I live in Z8, and as you memtioned my zone in your video, ive often wanted a green house, but cant quite justify it. Theres really nothing I need to cover, for warmth. Its Jan 11, I still have peppers from last year, they have slowed down with the cooler nights. Im leaving them in to keep the biology in the soil active. Most of my first round of greens have bolted with the heat, and Im on a second round of greens. I dont doubt we will get 32F nights soon, but our last frost date is March 15. Wow its already time to start peppers seeds indoors. I kinda like the little break i get between Nov and March. Fighting pests, and disease on tomatoes etc...Now if I could figure how to keep a greenhouse cool enough in our summers, I could justify it for disease control and pests, but I'd have to air condition it. Lol
+Sabine RiverAuthority I hear you Nelson! You're right. I wouldn't get a greenhouse if I lived where you live. The challenging thing about talking about zones is that zone 8 in Texas isn't the same as zone 8 in the British Isles. A greenhouse would be helpful in some zone 8 locations but not others.
+OneYardRevolution | Frugal & Sustainable Organic Gardening Thanks Patrick, I learned something from your reply. I didn't realize that Z8 is not typical climate everywhere. Is it due to "hardiness" zones? For instance certain plants may due well in my Z8, but not is Europe Z8.
+Sabine RiverAuthority Low temps play a big part in determining hardiness zones. Texas and parts of the British Isles have similar average low temps during winter, but Texas has a much wider range of temps and much hotter summers. If I lived in the British Isles, I'd seriously consider a hoop house, but I probably wouldn't in Texas.
As a Canadian, these are great tips.
Thanks! I'm glad you found them helpful.
Great information Patrick, even though I live in the subtropics I still learn from and enjoy watching your vids. Cheers :)
+Self Sufficient Me Thanks, Mark! I appreciate it. Cheers!
I love how soft your voice is, well spoke , easy to digest video... thank You!
Brief, easily understood, and superbly presented!
You should be on tv on the gardening channel,
Your well spoken, you know what your talking about and your to the point,
I've watched all your videos, thanks so much for your great advice, I am a horticulturist but you have taught me a few things I didn't know.
Thanks, Simon! That is very nice of you to say.
Simon Delaney--I agree completely. Good info professionally presented.
There’s a gardening channel?!
TH-cam > TV
Hi, I spent 4 hours looking for greenhouse reviews. Found nothing I liked. I just found your video. The best video I have seen!. Thank You.
Thanks! I'm glad the video was helpful.
I love seeing that beautiful lettuce growing inside with the cold and snow outside. One of the best videos on the subject
Thanks, Jerri!
Hey Patrick. I still love watching your videos even though I have seen them before, and I can keep checking for new videos. Keep following your dreams and we will be here waiting for you. Take care
out of everyone i think ur r the best instructor of them all, u made so much sense answered so manu questions these other channel wont provide .. 👏👏👏👏
ur great ! u knw something, u got a subscriber buddy!
Thank you for your kind words! I'm glad you find my videos helpful.
Great points Patrick! I like the fact about raising the zone with added layers of protection. One day I hope to have a hoop house too. We rent where we live but if I ever move out to the river, I will definitely follow your plans. Hubby is not handy so it would be my project, lol.
+Rainbow Gardens Thanks, Donna! You live in a great zone for winter growing! You could have a zone 9 microclimate there. Good thing you're handy! ;-)
We've just moved and I'm waiting to see where the sun is here with our new surroundings. I watched this b4 but came back for a refresher to show my husband exactly how I want mine to be done. Thank you.
That's awesome... If I had to do mine again, I'd eliminate having a clear section on the north side. My polycarbonate was the most expensive part... And being in North America, it was a waste. Next one!
Your approach to dealing with the weather is very informative. I have just the opposite problem but have learned much from your ideas. We still have not had any frost this winter and I am keeping my fingers crossed.
+DonnaldaSmolens Thanks, Donnalda! This week will be the biggest challenge for the winter garden this year. It's very cold at the moment.
Love this! So many greenhouse videos are people with heated greenhouses.
I did a Fall Planting for the first time this year in an open raised bed. The Carrots and Kolrabi did well and don't seem to mind freezing. I just push back the snow to harvest some - also have some Beets that seem to keep better outside than in the garage. I would love to build a hoop house, but in the meantime some veg have extreme cold hardiness.
just moved to 6a so finding your videos is great timing THX
This was very educational. How can 66 people not appreciate it?
They don't like growing fresh organic veggies for them and their families apparently! ;)
Nice video!! More quality information in 7 minutes than vids I have watched that are over an hour long. Thanks for sharing.
i am going to try this cold frame inside the green house idea, and planting in the soil. thank you!
You're welcome, Jackie! Best of luck with your winter garden.
I felt for the cat! I can't ever trip without an audience either 🤓 thanks for the great information, I'm on two acres now and in student mode! For the winter, looking forward to putting all this knowledge into practice come spring. Blessings to you and your garden
So glad I stumbled across this video!
I live in an area that teeters between zones 3 and 4, and I want to find a way to cultivate perennials that might otherwise not survive the winters here, like blueberry plants. I don't even care about whether I can grow plants during the winter; I just want them to be alive when spring comes!
It's definitely colder up here, but hopefully your tips will still come in handy.
It still amazes me how much you can grow this time of year !! The tip about growing with your zone and time of year sure will help lots of new gardeners be successful !
+Alberta Urban Garden Simple Organic and Sustainable Thanks, Stephen! Yes, growing in the winter is hard enough even when you don't try to fight Mother Nature. It's best to try to work with her in my opinion.
If you don't work with her she will still win ;)
Steven, Patrick, Ive often wonder about the advice given for seed starting with a south facing window, that get 8 hours of direct sunlight. If your not in your correct time of year. For that particular crop.
+Sabine RiverAuthority You'll definitely get slower germination and growth this time of year even when growing inside in a south facing window.
I think it's great you can get such a high climate in your hoop house in your zone. Great video for winter gardening in colder climates.
+The Abled Gardener Thanks, Kim!
This will be our first winter with the greenhouse. Thank you for your truthful replies I am zone 8 b, 9a in Washington state by the Ocean.
Thanks! Very helpful. I'm in zone 5B and my vegetable garden gets going this spring. I'm looking forward to extending the growing season as long as possible, even when temperatures drop below freezing.
You are a mathematician! Crystal clear! Thank You.
Thanks!
Thank you for your info! My son and I are growing in a low tunnel with 6 mil greenhouse plastic! I didn't even think about doubling up.
good video
venting in zone 8a - I installed 4 automatic temperature operated foundation vents in the front and back of my greenhouse, down low in front - up high in back. these open above 45 degrees and allow air to flow through the green house. I also have a small fan on a timer that comes on in the afternoon to help with venting on warmer winter days. I heat with a timer activated ceramic heater on cold nights. I monitor 10 day forecasts and set the timers accordingly.
Aww! Hi, little kitty! In SoCal we can grow in winter without a greenhouse (yes, cold-weather veggies), but this is excellent info for my readers. I'll pass it along. ~ Melanie
Thanks, Melanie!
Nice one Patrick! I returned home earlier with what is either an old railway sleeper or a lintel in the back of the car. I found it down a footpath on the other side of town and, whilst it's not in the best condition, it's not crumbling away and I hope to find more sleepers so I can start making raised beds to use what could be described as the European Economic Community's compost mountain at the bottom of the garden. This region used to have a very high density of railways until the 1960's and there must be hundreds if not thousands of sleepers laying around. Wish me luck as I set off to find 'em!
+Michael Ball Thanks, Michael! One thing to take into consideration is that sleepers were typically treated with creosote. Here's an article from The Telegraph on the topic: www.telegraph.co.uk/gardening/4794226/Toxic-sleepers-hit-the-buffers.html
Thank you, I just bought a greenhouse and this video is perfect. My cat Shadow has found his spot already. Oscar is so cute...
Paul and I just watched this again. Thanks so much for all the good tips and showing how sun hits your garden. In this big open space we have, there always seems to be some pitfall to greenhouse or raised bed placement. Its as if we need to build a bunch of buildings just to enclose a garden. But you have ideas that help us search out microclimate areas. They are all around just not as easy to each... Did not realize when we got this property how hard it would be to grow on a hill that slopes downward from the sunrise which all plants seem to cherish more than the south sun here.
+Suzanne Ramoundos I'm glad you and Paul found the video helpful, Suzanne! Once you find a sunny spot for a greenhouse, is wind the biggest concern? I wish I could see how my little hoop house would hold up in that situation.
+OneYardRevolution | Frugal & Sustainable Organic Gardening No joke wish we could borrow you for about a year. SO much land and so many glitches Used to live in a row house with more success. The greenhouse, yes we have many sunny spots but slope point downward toward west...would need to level. The wind gets bad... need to tie down or set up permanent base...how to let state roads keep access to land? Septic truck for cleaning etc. Poor people here with high and low tunnels, many crushed under weight of the snow. How to place so two feet of snow can be traversed to clean off snow or on a sunny day to open inside structures...our cheapie..the zippers go stuck in the snow and froze..how on earth would we get the door open....where is the water source...on and on...but surely there is a way just on year 14 now trying to find it. :) But we keep on trying...Brilliant Idea or is it Einstein's definition of insanity.
+Suzanne Ramoundos I think having a steep roof to shed snow would be very important. It's definitely doable!
I wish I could have a winter greenhouse. I live in Norway and it gets down to -30 degrees Celcius during winter. Also, I live in a valley between mountains and the sun never comes high enough during winter to actually shine it's light on my garden. I could, however, extend the summer season a few months with a greenhouse like this!
+Simone Christine You're absolutely right. You definitely need a spot that gets full sun to grow through the winter, but you could extend your growing season a few months!
I live in northwest Arkansas zone 7. I covered part of my garden last yr with 2 wire panels. 11' arcs at 4' each side by side cover 8x5' area. I covered it with sheets at first that worked great as shade clothes then some heavy visquine when in October. I harvested carrots on Christmas day and beets and chard through January. Had never attempted this before and was happy with the results. Even on a 25 degree day it was toasty inside. Heck I even grew spring weeds! So this yr I've upgraded. I have 2 4x10 beds side by side, covered with 16' panels so now I can walk inside. Made 10 -2' plots with peas, beets, carrots 3 lettuce, bok choi, kale and chard started inside. Right now it's covered with sheets since it's still high 80s here in the daytime. It should be a fun experiment! I say if you can do it there, I can do it here!
That's great, Jill! Yeah, you live in a great area for winter gardening under cover. Congratulations on all your success and best wishes with your garden this winter.
Very helpful and interesting. Building two aquaponic greenhouses on wheels ATM with the goal of extending the season as long as possible. I'm in Sweden so winter is challenging. Experimenting with compost and passive heat. Have a good one!
Thanks! Best wishes with your projects.
Another video with great advice. Who knows maybe this year we'll give it a try with an unheated greenhouse too. Our garden is also in zone 5 but across the pond, so we are always looking forward for your videos. Thnx, Patrick!
+Maria Susana Thanks, Maria! Please let me know how it goes if you give it a try.
Love it. Im gonna start out trying to grow Dandelions.
Perfect info for me. Just installed a greenhouse in the Czech Republic. Thanks!
Best wishes growing in your greenhouse, Patrick!
Patrick Pray
Extremely helpful. We are building a greenhouse from old windows and using raised beds inside so I can grow year round. I definitely would have overwatered.
i cant wait to get to building! very helpful to know about the suns movement and time during the winter and understanding watering
Best wishes with your build!
When constructing your greenhouse put 2 inches of the foam board (dense and designed for building foundations) 2 feet in the ground around the perimeter to help keep the ground frost out.
Excellent video. You get right to the point and not a lot of chit chat. You're also very knowledgeable. Great job!
set up a portable mylar wall to reflect sunlight. glue the mylar to plywood for portability and wind damage prevention.
wow! you have you're veggies even in winter time! without heater
congrats! successful winter garden
Thank you! We've already planted most of the winter garden. Can't wait for fresh winter veggies!
I can see that I'm going to be coming back to you time and again for good information. I just found your channel and love it. Thank you for sharing your knowledge!
+Teresa McCoy Thanks, Teresa! I'm glad you found my channel and you're welcome back any time. ;-)
As I'm subscribed, that'll be a regular thing :)
another great instructive video for those who like fresh food year round! thank you
Thank you!
Such great information. Watching again to learn even more. Wish you were still posting!
This is great. No thermal mass of any kind like milk jugs or buckets? Fascinating.
Thanks, Chris! I'm adding ten 5 gallon black buckets of water this winter.
This was good timing, going to try winter gardening in the PNW, 60 miles north of Seattle.
Really practical info Patrick. Love the effort you put into your videos. I am going to water today - because it is finally sunny and the soil surface in my greenhouse is dry. And because you said to!
Thanks, Donna! Happy gardening!
I know now why my father-in-law had to use heaters in his greenhouses during the wintertime. He used plastic in the greenhouse, but had to use heaters on cold cloud covered days when growing cucumbers in the winter months next to the ocean in Japan.
Yeah, you'd definitely need heaters to grow cucumbers. As cold as it is here, I like to focus on cold hardy crops.
I agree with you that heating a greenhouse is very expensive unless you grow crops for market.
have you thought of putting compost pile inside your greenhouse? If you started building a cylindrical chicken wire compost pile mid Autumn and Incorporated it into your green house you may be able to naturally heat it for those insanely cold winters (last 2 winters).
+1975Jdonov That's a great idea. We'd definitely use compost to heat the greenhouse if we had more space.
thanks for that Patrick. I always learn something from your videos. I have been lazy this year and haven't gotten plastic up on my hoop house. It has gotten down to 20 here at nights so I gave lost some things.
Dave
+Organic Gardening in North Carolina You're very welcome! We got our hoop house covered just barely in time - literally on the day of our first snowfall. We're having our coldest weather of the winter this week. We hit 1 degree last night. It'll be interesting to see what plants are still standing at the end of the week! ;-)
Patrick, here in zone 8b, I've yet to see a winter that brassicas would require covering to make it. I've seen pics to prove it can get that nasty here, like the year I was born, when there was 6 inches of snow on the ground in our part of NW Florida. This winter has been so freakishly warm, that I still have a pepper plant alive from last years planting. My arugula and spinach mustards have bolted and are going to seed, and that usually begins in another 6 weeks. Tonight will be our 1st frost of the winter, and its almost spring lol.
+Poppy B. We had a very warm November and December too, but January has been pretty normal so far. We're expecting a low of 4 degrees tonight. I'm sorry to hear the warm weather has your cold weather crops bolting already!
the cat was so confused in the beginning lol
Thanks Patrick - good information. We are also in Zone 5 up here in the mountains of southern BC - which also means limited direct sun in the winter. I continue to be intrigued by winter gardening and would like to give it a go - especially as the cost of fresh produce this time of year is a little much. Thanks again! - Love the cat!
+Jo Brown You're very welcome, Jo! Our winter garden gets about 4 or 5 hours of direct sun each day. Hopefully, you have a spot that gets that much? I'm glad you enjoy Oscar!
Super informative that I didnt get from other videos..building a greenhouse now (almost done). The plastic wont be permanent cuz I'm using my cattle panel as a trellis in summer so the extra layer of plastic would def be a help..in zone 6b
Greens grow really well in winter as long as you get them established in autumn. A week in the mid 30s here (~100F). I'm already thinking about the cold season and next spring too. I'm going to start mulching with more woodchips and less with the $15/bale pea straw hay (hopefully I can find a tree company who will give it to me for free or near free). A lot less pests in winter - except for the slugs.
+Darkfalz79 You're right. It's best to have plants established in autumn. They don't grow much in mid-winter.
I definitely understand you looking forward to the cold season. I don't do well in that kind of heat! Fortunately, we haven't seen temps that high the past couple summers.
Thank you so much for including centigrade, it’s the only thing I’m metric on 😊🙏. Awesome video and channel. I’ll need to rewatch this a couple of times. Your hoop house is beautiful and so well kept 😊
Grateful thanks, from Ontario, Canada; I'll let you know how it works out. Building next Spring/Summer.
You're welcome, Pace! Yes, please let me know!
Great video. Very concise and informative!
Looks like the hoop house is really paying off Patrick. I'm trying to content myself with a few little green pepper plants just germinating under lights. The kitty thinks it's a ski slope.
Thank you! I learned a few tricks
i'm going to try put large barrels of water in the greehouse to help moderate day/night temperatures
Another key is to hang space blankets or other insulation over the north side, which is losing heat. You should consider making a greenhouse with an insulated vertical north wall and glaze only the south side and part of the roof.
Thank you. I'm new to this idea of growing over the winter. My wife and I bought an inexpensive 5' x 5' x 6' greenhouse with a polypropylene PE cover to get started with. But the more I learn, the less I know. The only ventilation that's available in my greenhouse is to roll-up the door, so I've added an electric ventilation system that will exchange the inside air every 12 seconds, once the temperature gets above 85 F (29 C). I've got a small amount of water (10 gallons) to store some of the heat, but I don't think it's enough to make a difference. But there's a new product that I've seen, perhaps you've heard of it, or know where to buy some....bioPCM. I've got my north wall insulated with a double layer of canvas, but I think replacing it with bioPCM would be a better solution. Or at least putting the bioPCM inside the canvas so it's exposed to the sunlight.
Awesome update thank you for sharing have a blessed day
+Linda Penney Thanks, Linda!
That was really helpful, greetings from cold Berlin April 2021
sir your a God send. I have a black thumb, no clue, and five acres of land I desperately want to utilize to feed my family healthy food. I have and failed but I am ready to try again. your video is dummy proof. I so need that. would I be lucky enough for you to know about beekeeping. I'm addicted to the way you instruct at this point
+jennifer ruiz Hi Jennifer! Thanks for letting me know my videos have helped. You can do a lot with 5 acres, but I recommend starting out small and expanding as you learn and gain experience. What sort of challenges have you faced so far?
+OneYardRevolution | Frugal & Sustainable Organic Gardening ... so far I have raised a small flock of chicks into healthy egg laying machines. shortly after that they were killed by a stray dog roaming the area. I also attempted to grow tomatoes and successfully drowned them. I do plan on beefing up the chicken security when I get the money. it's all trial, error, and TH-cam. I'm so ignorant but I'm trying. lol
+jennifer ruiz Yes, it's definitely a learning process. Please let me know if I can help answer questions about growing veggies. Best wishes!
+OneYardRevolution | Frugal & Sustainable Organic Gardening ..actually yes. not to take advantage so soon but I have a very very wet land. I am pretty sure I will have to do a raised or container so my veggies don't drown. what would you recommend?
+jennifer ruiz Raised beds are a quick solution for a small garden. A longer term solution would be to make modifications to the landscape to route and store water in retention ponds.
Patrick that I like your greenhouse and cold frames inside it. Thanks for the Tips. Very good video
+Patrick Meehan Thanks, Patrick! You are very welcome.
Cat is cracking me up! I had a corn smushing cat a few seasons back. Lol
I'm glad you enjoy Oscar's performances. 😸
Thank you for the information
+Serag Elayouby You're welcome!
Excellent tips and I just love the hoophouse! Amazing over the years to see what you've built in that small backyard o.- BTW your greens are some of the best I've seen anyone grow without hitting them with chemicals...so healthy. :) love it!
Thanks!
It was nuts! The kids brought their dog who is not potty trained, nor were the cats! Talk about and interesting Christmas! My all wood floors survived, but only just...! One of them is sick but getting better and they both need a vet visit as non was done by the kids. Oh well. They are cute though and like people. That makes up for the other things.
I plan to institute your ideas onto my new garden area. It is 3 times the size of my old one. Just hope the weather is good this year. My husband wants more tomatoes!
bjr
+Barbara Rickman That sounds like fun, Barbara! I hope your kitty is feeling better. Best wishes with your garden expansion!
Noticed most of these things last year. I'm still kicking myself for building a raised bed that gets 2 hours of sun in the winter. Arghh! Hopefully I can build another raised bed before next winter that gets 8-10 hours. I've been trying to grow in in succession but I can't seem to get the timing right. I guess practice makes perfect. Thanks for the information :)
+OmgKitty's Garden and Family Life You're very welcome! Don't feel bad. My first winter garden was in the totally shaded area I showed in the video! ;-)
I would love to put up a green house to grow during the winter/cooler months. We live in Missouri and our weather swings a lot. It's almost mid April and we still have fear of snow in the forecast.
Greenhouses really help to smooth out the temperature swings at this time of year.
thanks a bunch for putting these to geteher in one place
You're welcome, Peter!
We got two cats that are 8 months old for Christmas. Your kitty's antics remind me of them. What is your kitty's name and is it a he or a she?
Now that we are in a new house on an acre of land, I can actually do some of the things you speak of! YEAH!
+Barbara Rickman That's great, Barbara! You can do so much with an acre of land. Our cat's name is Oscar. You must have had a fun Christmas with 2 new kitties!
TY for shearing.
Great tips, Patrick! Yeah, the ventilation really has to be watched closely in a non-automatic vented hoophouse! If it weren't for my thermostatic fans, and shutters, the temps would get into the 90° range quickly, even on a 35° day! The tomatoes, and peppers wouldn't mind it, but the lettuces, and brassicas would start screaming ; )
+Keyplayr61 Greenhouse Hydroponics And Gardens Thanks, Keith! Yeah, you guys in warmer climates have to vent a lot more than we do. I keep everything locked up tight for days at a time here. We hit 1 degree last night! I probably won't have to vent again until late this week when it finally warms up a bit.
Simply excellent. Top job guys! Thank you.
Thanks, Patrick!
Incredibly informative! Thank you so much for all of this info! I was surprised to see how little you had to water. It usually looks moist in there with the condensation on the glass and plastic, but still only watering about once month is amazing! I can't wait for more info! Love to Oscar! Meow!
+gippywhite Thanks! I'm glad you found it informative. Yeah, if anything, there's too much water in there. I have to keep reminding my wife not to water. Oscar says hi!
OneYardRevolution | Frugal & Sustainable Organic Gardening With the way my memory works, not watering for weeks at a time would be an amazing option. LOL! Hi Oscar!
Thank you we are trying to get the hang of using our greenhouse in all seasons, and I found your video helpful. I am subscribed now.
That is some great advice :) tyvm.
+Benja's Uber 1337 Hobby Thanks!
Great video, lots to take in I think I will have to re-watch this one.
+Fruit & Veg Thanks! I'm glad you found it helpful.
LOVE your cat!!! 🐱 - and the vids ;) This one is FANTASTIC!!! Never grew anything in freezing winter - will definitelly gove it a try! Thank you so much for the amazing handy tips!!!
Great video.
+Jacob Thanks, Jacob!
im z5 too :) got our kale spinach carrots and lettuce germd and ready for cover
fennel dill parsley and cilantro too
That's great! Best wishes with your fall/winter garden!
Great video. Thank you. Going to get some stuff started tomorrow after watching this since we've just ordered the greenhouse. Looking forward to watching more of your videos.
I am learning from your experiences Patrick I have started my broccoli two weeks ago for my Wintergarden and I am starting some of the lettuces now I'm just looking at what varieties that would be good here in eastern Ontario our climate is pretty much identical to yours in Chicago
Thank you for the great advice. I’m going to grow greens this winter using your suggestions. 👍🏻
Will watch again when I have house :) very helpful. Thank you so much
Thanks for sharing Patrick. Great information as usual. Best wishes Bob.
+Bob Lt (BobMel's Gardening) Thanks, Bob!
Glad to see your kitty helping out, what would we do without them?
Thanks for the helpful info!!
great tips ! was debating planting for winter but am sold now ! subscribed! keep up the great work!
That's great, Simon! Best wishes with your winter garden. Please let me know if I can help.
Thanks so much! What great and simple tips. I hope to follow your advice!
Your welcome, Elise! Best wishes with your winter garden.
Great video. 👍 thanks 😊 🙏
Thank you for details! Looking forward to move videos.
Great video Patrick, I guess its quiet enough to talk live to the camera in there. I remember you used to nariate your videos! I live in Z8, and as you memtioned my zone in your video, ive often wanted a green house, but cant quite justify it. Theres really nothing I need to cover, for warmth. Its Jan 11, I still have peppers from last year, they have slowed down with the cooler nights. Im leaving them in to keep the biology in the soil active. Most of my first round of greens have bolted with the heat, and Im on a second round of greens. I dont doubt we will get 32F nights soon, but our last frost date is March 15. Wow its already time to start peppers seeds indoors. I kinda like the little break i get between Nov and March. Fighting pests, and disease on tomatoes etc...Now if I could figure how to keep a greenhouse cool enough in our summers, I could justify it for disease control and pests, but I'd have to air condition it. Lol
+Sabine RiverAuthority I hear you Nelson! You're right. I wouldn't get a greenhouse if I lived where you live. The challenging thing about talking about zones is that zone 8 in Texas isn't the same as zone 8 in the British Isles. A greenhouse would be helpful in some zone 8 locations but not others.
+OneYardRevolution | Frugal & Sustainable Organic Gardening
Thanks Patrick, I learned something from your reply. I didn't realize that Z8 is not typical climate everywhere. Is it due to "hardiness" zones? For instance certain plants may due well in my Z8, but not is Europe Z8.
+Sabine RiverAuthority Low temps play a big part in determining hardiness zones. Texas and parts of the British Isles have similar average low temps during winter, but Texas has a much wider range of temps and much hotter summers. If I lived in the British Isles, I'd seriously consider a hoop house, but I probably wouldn't in Texas.
In warmer zones, you can just build a greenhouse from which the plastic is removed each spring. We leave our hoops up all year and cover as needed.
Nice setup. Good information. Thanks