Thank you Jenna!! I feel so honored!😊 hands down! this is the best gardening channel on TH-cam! No way to sponsor/ support the channel? Want to buy you guys a nice dinner!
I hope I did your method justice! I just really appreciate the suggestions and enjoy having a way to correspond with other gardeners like you. Thank you so much!!
@@GrowfullywithJenna Wow TH-cam keeps deleting my reply to you? Trying to send you my email so I can send you pictures lol perhaps that is a violation?
Another way to deal with hungry critters is to put out food for them. Buy a bunch of bird seed or cheap peanuts for them. That way you will feed two birds with one hand. We are in zone 6 and have already gotten snow and freezing ground. We planted potatoes in a big raised bed, mulched and then covered with black plastic. A thick layer of snow also provides protection. We'll see how it goes. Hoping for the best. Thanks for your channel Jenna!
Snow cover is very helpful, acting as an excellent insulator. We've had snow already here, but it never sticks around long! I hope your spuds do great!
Southern Ohio here: our potatoes came up end of April from last year. Excited to see the outcome ❤ (Planted in a mound, 4 inches deep) I had another thought; type of potato may greatly affect the success. Whew! This gardening is much work(but so worth it!)
Pinning a tarp over your growing bed can help prevent water logged soil, usually the soil under the tarp stays slightly damp though capillary action (wicking) but you can check the soil moisture (under your leaf mulch) every so often to make sure.
I followed your instructions. I’m in MA ZONE 6. I planted about six small “roses skin” that had sprouted. Rather than throw away (I ordered these), I planted them deep (7-8”) in raised garden, covered with layer of soil & then a thick layer of straw. I got 3 large plants in Spring. I am enjoying the 8 small-med “new potato” and will go to pull out rest of them now. Pleased to have them grow with little work. (I did the potatoes about the same time as my garlic. We get some good snow so happy to have them early. Thanks. Will do again
I can see that you want to preserve what you grow. But as one in zone 5a it seems like a lot of work for a maybe it will grow? I just finished cleaning up leaves with the lawn mower then started blowing snow the following day. Take a break have a cup of coco by the fire. Garlic usually ends my season 😁
That's certainly an important risk/reward to think about! And I'm not sure how far North this would be worth it- I suspect I may be right on the cusp here. I'm ready to enjoy that cup of coco by the fire very soon. Take care!
Hopefully this weekend we'll get some! We actually had some snow flurries in October and a bit of snow in November, but then it warmed up slightly. Gotta love Ohio weather!
Excellent video! I prefer to over-winter beets, but many of these techniques will transfer. I dabble in growing potatoes in case of the eventually likely global food shortage.
Potatoes have been such a struggle for us here in Paducah, Kentucky. 1st year trying we planted them they grew but I kinda ignored them, No harvest. This Year We planted them in the early spring, Altho Our harvest was small they were Great! The problem this year was that it went from 55-58 degrees straight up to the upper 90s in 2 weeks! Thank You so much for sharing your Experience, Maybe our fall planting will be better for Next spring. Thanks Again Jenna...
I was planning to overwinter potatoes this year in the garden, but the jumping worms got in my way. So instead, I placed some seed potatoes in a 25 gallon grow bag along a south facing fence. I placed some garden waste on the bottom, then some clean leaf mold... placed my seed potatoes, then filled with compost and worm castings. I did leave a few inches at the top and covered with shredded leaves and some unfinished compost and lightly watered. Not sure anything will grow, but I had all these small potatoes I wanted to use. I still have plenty seed potatoes for the spring, but I just wanted to try overwintering some potatoes.
@@cbass2755 I would suggest you check with your local DNR or university AG extension service to see if jumping worms are in your area. I did not have them last year, and they devastated the soil in my potato/onion bed this year. They are easier to prevent than get rid of.
@@cbass2755 I have a video on the jumping worms, and how I made a leaf mold bin jumping worm proof if you are interested. Just click on the orange B and it will take you to my channel.
Thanks for another great video, love the experiments. And I've never had problems with voles but you inspired me to line all our new raised beds with hardware cloth pre-emptively before they are filled!
Perfect timing! Today I went down to the basement for the red potatoes I had stored since summer to find that many had sprouted. Incidentally, the ones that I stored in potato bags from Trader Joes were not nearly as sprouted (the Butter Golds, packed in a specially made plastic bag), so I used those to bake. We're in Colorado 5b and I decided that one way or the other I need to plant those spuds. Found your video tonight and it answered my questions. I have raised bed areas I'll use that I can do without until July or so. Thanks for this winter gardening video!
Just a few other random comments, keeping in mind that I live and garden in east central Alabama. I've heard recommended and practice placing fertilizer under each potato with some soil in between, when I plant them. Also down here, crops like cabbage, spinach, and turnips grown just fine here in the winter unprotected. So, thankfully, we have a year round growing season. I can get three full crops off the same piece of land per year, such as corn, followed by field peas, followed by turnips. That would be followed by rotating with other crops the next year. I enjoyed your video: thank you for it.
I'm excited to see how my methods works for you in your zone. It's been warm and rainy, his fall except for a single cold snap. I put potatoes, and allums in early September. For spring crop. What I can't believe survived the cold snap was my sweet potato vines. I'll be moving them inside this week, but it got down to 28 here and they were above ground unprotected. I'm going to just grow some of my smaller ones in hanging baskets so I'll have starts ready to go next spring. They are a chicken and rabbit favorite and make their yolks pretty. The vines are super beneficial for all animals too.
I can't wait too see ypur results. I have been hoing some rows for planting potatoes in the Spring and have been wortied about voles. Now I know what to do and hope to plant a fall crop next year.
I have always wanted to overwinter potatoes. You may have relieved my mind somewhat because I have always felt like it would work but this issue of rotting in cold damp soil was my holdback. I am in 8b zone like the lady you mentioned. I think I might give this a try. Thanks Jenna.
@@GrowfullywithJenna Will do BTW my greenhouse tomatoes are coming along. They are flowering now. Just a touch stringy. I have been putting extra light on them at night. Cut some cauliflower out of the garden today. Can you believe that I still saw a beetle on them. We did experience a few upper twenties at night over the last couple of weeks. I thought that would have done them in. I guess they found nested in the ground for a few days. Another great video.
I always laugh at the recommendations to “store in a cool, dry place at 45°F”. I’m like, I don’t have that in my modern home with central heat and indoor plumbing. Who am I, Pa Ingalls?
You need to really consider using larger fences to keep the zombies out of the garden. You should know this already. You were pretty good in the series finale of the Walking Dead. I really thought you were going to get Negan, but you kept your cool. And, that was probably a good way to end the show. Hope you get another series out of the show. The potatoes video is cool too. I might try this, but I'm in 6b, so there is that. Thank you for the video, and thank you for not offing Negan.
No suggestions but very interesting. I'm trying for the first time to grow onions in the winter - or should I say plant them in the fall and hope they survive the winter to give me a quick harvest come spring. I decided to give onions a try because I happened to just leave a few bulbs on a bed last year and they sprouted and gave me a nice bunch of onions in April this year. If I have lucks with the onions maybe I try potatoes next year.
I hope your onions do well! I am becoming quite a fan of overwintered onions, because it's one last thing I have to plant in the spring when I tend to be very busy.
You're welcome! Glad to hear you've not given up on potatoes yet. Even in my spring planted spuds, voles can be an issue, but I find overall that it's easier to grow them via spring planting.
Hello Jenna. I'm actually gonna try growing potatoes in containers DURING FALL AND WINTER. i know that this was 3 years ago vid but I will let you know how it works out. I am in zone 7B. my pots will be 30 gal grow bags (concerned about depth) in a greenhouse. Maximum sunlight vents closed. have not yet decided for heaters. the brand is Kanabec. wish me luck.
We didn't dig a trench we bought a auger bit but had went threw and tilled in ages manure and drilled down around 8 inch to bottom of hole added some bone meal and set potatoes in hole then added some azomite and covered hole then added leafs and hay. First year trying it after my stepfather planted them last year next to the house which might of keep the soil a little warmer that way!? Worth a try same issue either need to can or eat getting eyes growing.
I'm in zone 6 and I have not intentionally overwintered potatoes until this year. We've had tubers in the past that we have missed while harvesting and they sprout in the spring. Those potatoes have never produced a great harvest and they typically aren't any faster than spring planted potatoes.... but this year I did try planting some as a means to save potatoes through the winter since I don't have a cool storage place for them. I planted them in my garden that gets a lot more sun so I will be interested to see if we get a better harvest or not next year. I will be very interested to see how your experiment goes!
BTW, would like to hear how you tend the beds through winter and then as spring warms things up. Right now I have potato beds planted in November that are piled high with straw mulch. I am not watering them and need to figure out when to do so next year--this is my first time planting potatoes for overwintering. Zone 5b
For the potato beds, I don't do anything at all through the winter. In the spring as they start growing, if I remember I'll give them a dose of fertilizer and hill them if needed. That's about it 😀
Great video and lots of work!!! Here's what gets me. In a NORMAL winter the frost line in our zone, 6A, is about 30 inches. So how can this work??? Thanks!
Our soil is solid red clay. Like, digging is SO HARD! Once you get a few inches down you can’t even push a shovel through it, you literally have to just scrape and use leverage to scratch the dirt little by little. I’m definitely renting a tiller or something to break up our soil in the area I’m going to garden next spring. I’m covering the area with all the fallen fall leaves to break down over winter so when I till it will mix in with the clay. I don’t know what to add to amend the soil yet but it needs something or else it will just be too hard and compact for anything to grow.
Wow! I think you may need an Australian Shepherd. My dog is stationed near my garden, as an outside dog and I have absolutely no critter issues of any kind. I live in zone 7a, I have clay soil that I amended with compost and peat moss and vermiculite. Last year was my fourth year growing in but first year growing winter potatoes. I usually put leaves on in the winter but last year did a cover crop and put a tarp over the area for a month in the spring. I new nothing about planting potatoes, I got some from the menanites that grew eyes so I dug a hole about 4 to six inches deep and covered with soil. I had a lovely spring harvest but small in size because I dug the plants before they died back. I also planted some spring potatoes and half I dug up before the plants died back and half I waited until they died back and got much larger potatoes. Overall I got about 80 pounds and immediately replanted 25 pounds hoping they would grow eyes and I would have a fall picking but that did not work. We will see what next spring holds.
I love that you said this! We actually do have an Aussie (and a German Shepherd) and he is an excellent critter- getter! I haven't let them back into the garden area because I find that while he will catch voles, he causes SO much destruction in the process (digging them up) that he ends up causing more damage than the voles themselves 😆. Do you run into that trouble with your dog?
I'm curious? Were your spring potatoes planted as deep as your fall planted potatoes. I would assume this could have been the reason for less yields. (deeper planting would take longer to warm up) I plant mine 6"-8" max more so around 6", then hill them a few times throughout the growing season. I wouldn't think the freeze would kill them, I think they just go dormant until soil is warm enough for them to sprout. I live in Ontario Canada zone 5. This year I left a whole row of potatoes alone to overwinter to see what happens in the spring. I'm not sure if a good idea or not but love an experiment too so... We will see what happens. I feel like the potatoes will be pretty crowded down there compared to if I pulled them out and replanted singles potatoes in a row. But I know they survive overwinter only 6" below the surface because I always have forgotten volunteers popping up in the spring. I usually pull my potatoes end of their growing cycle and then place the smallest/damaged ones back in the same hole right away and leave for the following spring. This works well for me. The plants adapt season after season of replanting in certain conditions and seem to get stronger, better, bigger. Thanks for sharing Cheers
Spring potatoes were not planted as deep-- you may be right! My biggest concern here is the freeze/thaw cycles- we go from below zero to 60F... back and forth all winter- which can turn potatoes to mush... but testing out a shallower planting would be a test worth doing!
Must be my hearing. Every time you mentioned voles, I heard wolves. When it was first said, I wondered what wolves would be in someone's garden space. lol.
Curious to see how it turns out, but I think my area is too cold to try this ourselves. Although our extreme lows are also around 5F, our winter mean temps are around 26F, compared to 30F for most of Ohio, so I think our soil freezes to depths of 2-3ft. Maybe if I dug a 1ft deep trench and filled it with some heat generating compost and then put a 2-3ft tall compost pile on top (temporarily, for the winter), it might work. Or maybe I'll just try this approach for cold hardy greens. It seems like the main source of stress for these cold hardy greens is not the cold air so much as the frozen ground limiting water uptake?
You're spot on- it is primarily the frozen ground that inhibits the greens- they can handle the cold air quite well. I'd love to hear if you try this approach for the greens!
Hi Jenna. As typical I like to ask questions on the newest video, so here goes. I've never grown onions from seed. Yeah, I know. Anyway I want to do that this coming season. I'm in the Oswego NY area, also in zone 6B. My days are probably slightly longer. My question is, when do I start the seeds, when do I plant them and most importantly, what varieties do you recommend. I saw a short you did on clipping your onion seedlings but I didn't see a video on growing them. So here I am. Thanks in advance
I have this very basic 'how to grow onions' video: th-cam.com/video/czkkPRkS58A/w-d-xo.html but it doesn't answer all of your questions. For spring planting, I start them from seed as early as possible- ideally the very end of December into early January. I transplant into the garden as soon as the ground is workable in the spring. Last spring I planted on March 15th. As far as varieties, my favorites include: Patterson for storage, Candy and Ailsa Craig for fresh eating, Monastrell or Red Zepplin for a red, and Cippolini or Red Torpedo di Tropea for a 'novelty' onion.
I love your channel but do you know a good channel for zone 8? I enjoy your knowledge and advice so I'm not going anywhere. I just would like to add a channel that has info pertinent to my zone. One question I have is how do you gather/store your seed potatoes? Before planting? Thanks in advance!!
I'm hoping some folks can chime in with suggestions here! I'm certain there are great channels for Zone 8, but off the top of my head I'm not sure what they are- I'm sorry! Regarding storing- I keep my seed potatoes just as I do my potatoes for eating, and outline that process in this video: th-cam.com/video/gFB2ssY4YH0/w-d-xo.html
Could you suggest a good place to buy potatoes--online? Also, have you found that certain potatoes are better in the Cincinnati area and which ones? I live in Cincinnati, and there doesn't seem to be many varieties. Thanks!
I get potatoes from Gurneys and The Maine Potato Lady. Some of my favorites include Purple Viking, Baltic Rose, Lehigh… and Yukon Gold seems to be a crowd favorite!
Cincinnati-ish here. Found it's a waste. Sure they'll sprout and start growing *super* early ... only to be blasted by late frost, killing the tops, and putting them behind the crop planted on the normal planting date.
Thanks for sharing your experience- very interesting! I'm wondering if, because you're on average 5-10 degrees warmer than I am here, it's contributed to the spuds sprouting up too early. Mine didn't sprout till the nights were staying pretty reliably above freezing. This is defintely something for folks to take into account if they're thinking about trying this!
I have mulched my garden several times in years past with chopped leaves and it seems to me that the leaves always stunted the growth of my crops or cut down severely on the germination rate of seeds. It is said that leaves have a toxin to keep grass and weeds from growing under them. Maybe the chopped leaves mulch is why your potato yield was so poor. The only way I use the current season chopped leaves now is for weeds or quack grass control and it seems to work well. After the leaves have rotted for two or three years they improve the soil and work well for mulch or compost on the garden.
There may be certain species that have toxins in their leaves, but I've used leaf mulch and leaf mold extensively in my gardens over many years and have never had an issue with them affecting my crops in a negative manner.
Columbus ohio and I had potatoes that I had been missed coming up last spring and also believe they were smaller perhaps because they didn't get blood meal and bone meal at spring planting as my spring planted potatoes. I'm waiting for spring planting but good to test and learn. Thanks and keep your dogs out of the garden.
Definitely could be the case- it would make sense that if they didn't get the same nutrition they would be smaller. I suspect that was part of my problem last year with the cruddy soil! And yes- the dogs can't get back to the garden, so no risk of them getting into vole stations!
I've another question on growing onions from seed. I'm inclined to sow the seeds into a tray and separate them out as I plant them in the Spring. I've noticed that people tend to use 72s. Is there a reason that I'm not thinking of? 🤔
You can definitely do this- onions seedlings are super easy to seperate out and transplant- they are shockingly rugged for their delicate appearance. I plant mine in cells only because that's the type of seed starting tray I have. My dad always sowed our onions in a big flat tray and that worked just fine!
I bet those early potatoes in the spring taste soooo yummy 🤤😋 I can't wait until you finally line your beds with hardware cloth 👍 I watch a channel called The Seasonal Homestead and she has FANTASTIC results with vole and mice traps. Maybe you can either contact her via IG or find her old video regarding the type of trap 🤷🏼♀️ I think IG is smarter 😂 Either way, I just want for you to have no more problems with those guys!!! 😂
I've heard this too, about all alliums-- unfortunately as of yet, it hasn't really helped me! I find that they don't eat the garlic or onions, but it doesn't seem to keep them from other crops. It's definitely worth a shot for other folks though!
I suppose you figured someone was going to do it. I just had to check out the warfarin you are using. Seems it is as you say, pretty safe. I would be cautious if you are pregnant or planning on being so. But even so the danger should be very low. It was interesting checking into it. President Dwight D. Eisenhower made it famous. Well, his doctors did. I don't see myself overwintering potatoes, unless I found myself in the situation you are in! Ya never know.
Yes I was- and I'm glad you did. I always appreciate when folks check things out for themselves- not just taking other's word for it (even mine). Poison of any kind is never going to be 100% without risk, but I felt like this was the 'lesser of the evils'.
I’m guesstimating the potatoes will be ready for harvest towards the end of this month into the beginning of July. I will shoot the update video then 😁
I've never tried this....in my area...here in Canada....the frost is to much for those spuds to survive....in your 2 samples for over wintering ....you should put those potatoes in a sleeping bag....🥴
Thank for sharing, Alex! Unfortunately, my voles seem to be unphased by alliums. I've had them tunnel right through a garlic patch-- they don't ever bother the garlic or onions, but it doesn't seem to deter them. I've heard from other folks that this works for them though!
the best pest defense is an outdoor Cat! seriously. if you get a cat that's raised outdoor, it will be loyal and kill just about any kind of rodent: rats, mice and even squirrels. and if you dont overfeed it, it'll even eat up those rodents too.
My preference would be not to. But when voles can take down the majority of the food I'm using to feed my family, and other alternative methods are not working, I feel little choice. Do you have any recommendations for non-poison vole control- I'd love to have an effective option? For reference I've tried repellents of several different brands, several different kinds of traps, flushing tunnels with water and encouraging the presence of natural predators.
@@GrowfullywithJenna my bag of death has arrived. pellets for the mice and moles. i wait til it freezes. i spent 100 bucks on bulbs; so they ain't getting a feast, they gettin' dead. Joe has never helped anyone but himself.
@@GrowfullywithJenna as much work as you put into these incredible videos, you deserve some sort of compensation! You’re the best Jenna! 🫡🫡 🥔 🥔🥔 Grow like a rockstar! 🌱
I've never thought about overwintering potatoes in zone 6a 😏 now I am. Thanks for sharing!
I'd love to hear if you decide to give it a try someday!
Thank you Jenna!! I feel so honored!😊 hands down! this is the best gardening channel on TH-cam! No way to sponsor/ support the channel? Want to buy you guys a nice dinner!
There's the Super Thanks button above to do just that.
@@Javaman92 thank you sir I found it!
I hope I did your method justice! I just really appreciate the suggestions and enjoy having a way to correspond with other gardeners like you. Thank you so much!!
@@GrowfullywithJenna Wow TH-cam keeps deleting my reply to you? Trying to send you my email so I can send you pictures lol perhaps that is a violation?
@@markmeyer9571 my email is growfullywithjenna@gmail.com- I’d love to see pics!
Another way to deal with hungry critters is to put out food for them. Buy a bunch of bird seed or cheap peanuts for them. That way you will feed two birds with one hand. We are in zone 6 and have already gotten snow and freezing ground. We planted potatoes in a big raised bed, mulched and then covered with black plastic. A thick layer of snow also provides protection. We'll see how it goes. Hoping for the best. Thanks for your channel Jenna!
Snow cover is very helpful, acting as an excellent insulator. We've had snow already here, but it never sticks around long! I hope your spuds do great!
Love the covering of your potatoes with black plastic until soil warms in the spring .... Ohio Gardener .... zone 6a
Southern Ohio here: our potatoes came up end of April from last year. Excited to see the outcome ❤ (Planted in a mound, 4 inches deep) I had another thought; type of potato may greatly affect the success.
Whew! This gardening is much work(but so worth it!)
I'm glad to hear it- best wishes for a great harvest!
I like the idea of adding more compost and hot manure
Do you think you'll try it out? I'd love to hear about your results!
Even if the potato harvest isn’t huge using this method I bet it will leave the soil in those beds in great shape next year.
Yes! And that's kind of always been my justification for doing this type of thing 😄
I have voles and many other critters, I need to wait until spring to plant my seed potatoes.
I will say, the spring planting is still definitely my go to... but I love just testing things out to see what I can get away with 😄
Pinning a tarp over your growing bed can help prevent water logged soil, usually the soil under the tarp stays slightly damp though capillary action (wicking) but you can check the soil moisture (under your leaf mulch) every so often to make sure.
Thanks for the tip!
I like the idea of 'throwing some in a lazy trench' I'm going to join the fun when we get some sunshine on Saturday!
I'm hoping it works!
I followed your instructions. I’m in MA ZONE 6. I planted about six small “roses skin” that had sprouted. Rather than throw away (I ordered these), I planted them deep (7-8”) in raised garden, covered with layer of soil & then a thick layer of straw. I got 3 large plants in Spring. I am enjoying the 8 small-med “new potato” and will go to pull out rest of them now. Pleased to have them grow with little work. (I did the potatoes about the same time as my garlic. We get some good snow so happy to have them early.
Thanks. Will do again
Glad to hear this!
I hope you get a lot because this seems like a lot of extra work. I'm in 6b and haven't had any complaints with early spring planting.
I hope so too, but at the very least this will go a long way towards improving these beds for future plantings!
I can see that you want to preserve what you grow. But as one in zone 5a it seems like a lot of work for a maybe it will grow? I just finished cleaning up leaves with the lawn mower then started blowing snow the following day. Take a break have a cup of coco by the fire. Garlic usually ends my season 😁
That's certainly an important risk/reward to think about! And I'm not sure how far North this would be worth it- I suspect I may be right on the cusp here. I'm ready to enjoy that cup of coco by the fire very soon. Take care!
No snow for you yet I see. I love ❄️. It's so beautiful.
Hopefully this weekend we'll get some! We actually had some snow flurries in October and a bit of snow in November, but then it warmed up slightly. Gotta love Ohio weather!
Interesting. Here in east central Alabama, we plant potatoes in February and harvest them in June.
Nice! My spring plantings typically go in between mid-March and mid-April... depending on how the weather wants to behave!
Excellent video! I prefer to over-winter beets, but many of these techniques will transfer. I dabble in growing potatoes in case of the eventually likely global food shortage.
Thanks! I've never intentionally overwintered beets, but that's something I'm going to have to play around with!
Potatoes have been such a struggle for us here in Paducah, Kentucky. 1st year trying we planted them they grew but I kinda ignored them, No harvest. This Year We planted them in the early spring, Altho Our harvest was small they were Great! The problem this year was that it went from 55-58 degrees straight up to the upper 90s in 2 weeks! Thank You so much for sharing your Experience, Maybe our fall planting will be better for Next spring. Thanks Again Jenna...
I'm glad to hear it! I'm hoping next year's weather cooperates a little more... but you never know!
That squirrel shot made me smile! So cute! 😍....o yes thank you for this! great info..
I was planning to overwinter potatoes this year in the garden, but the jumping worms got in my way.
So instead, I placed some seed potatoes in a 25 gallon grow bag along a south facing fence.
I placed some garden waste on the bottom, then some clean leaf mold... placed my seed potatoes, then filled with compost and worm castings. I did leave a few inches at the top and covered with shredded leaves and some unfinished compost and lightly watered.
Not sure anything will grow, but I had all these small potatoes I wanted to use. I still have plenty seed potatoes for the spring, but I just wanted to try overwintering some potatoes.
Jumping worms? I’ve never heard of that. I’m in 6b too, Southern Michigan
@@cbass2755 I would suggest you check with your local DNR or university AG extension service to see if jumping worms are in your area.
I did not have them last year, and they devastated the soil in my potato/onion bed this year. They are easier to prevent than get rid of.
@@brianseybert2189 I sure will Brian. Thanks for the tip. Merry Christmas
@@cbass2755 I have a video on the jumping worms, and how I made a leaf mold bin jumping worm proof if you are interested. Just click on the orange B and it will take you to my channel.
@@brianseybert2189 Ha ha!! Went over and saw the video! Thank you Brian. I commented too and subscribed!
Thanks for another great video, love the experiments. And I've never had problems with voles but you inspired me to line all our new raised beds with hardware cloth pre-emptively before they are filled!
Oh good! I'm glad you were able to do this. I can't WAIT to see your gardens this coming season!
Perfect timing! Today I went down to the basement for the red potatoes I had stored since summer to find that many had sprouted. Incidentally, the ones that I stored in potato bags from Trader Joes were not nearly as sprouted (the Butter Golds, packed in a specially made plastic bag), so I used those to bake. We're in Colorado 5b and I decided that one way or the other I need to plant those spuds. Found your video tonight and it answered my questions. I have raised bed areas I'll use that I can do without until July or so. Thanks for this winter gardening video!
I hope it works well for you, Suzannah! I'd love to hear how things go!
Thank you for sharing this information. I find these other methods super interesting. I can't wait to find out the results.
Happy to share!
I love your channel I just ran across it because I wanted to know if you could grow potatoes in winter I love all your new ideas improvising others
Do you think you’ll try winter potatoes?
Just a few other random comments, keeping in mind that I live and garden in east central Alabama. I've heard recommended and practice placing fertilizer under each potato with some soil in between, when I plant them. Also down here, crops like cabbage, spinach, and turnips grown just fine here in the winter unprotected. So, thankfully, we have a year round growing season. I can get three full crops off the same piece of land per year, such as corn, followed by field peas, followed by turnips. That would be followed by rotating with other crops the next year. I enjoyed your video: thank you for it.
Thanks for sharing, Robert!
In zone 6 I have found Kinback potato, do the best, and well drained area.
Thanks for sharing!
Thanks!
I'm excited to see how my methods works for you in your zone. It's been warm and rainy, his fall except for a single cold snap. I put potatoes, and allums in early September. For spring crop. What I can't believe survived the cold snap was my sweet potato vines. I'll be moving them inside this week, but it got down to 28 here and they were above ground unprotected. I'm going to just grow some of my smaller ones in hanging baskets so I'll have starts ready to go next spring. They are a chicken and rabbit favorite and make their yolks pretty. The vines are super beneficial for all animals too.
That's awesome! My sweet potatoes are usually the very first thing to go when it gets cold!
I can't wait too see ypur results. I have been hoing some rows for planting potatoes in the Spring and have been wortied about voles. Now I know what to do and hope to plant a fall crop next year.
I'm excited to see the results too, Helen! I'd love to hear if you end up trying this out next fall!
Hey Jenna really looking forward to seeing your results of the overwintered potatoes, have you harvested yet?
Me too! I’ve not harvested yet, but should be soon… maybe 2 weeks? Potatoes are slow this year!
@@GrowfullywithJenna thank you for the response!🎉 I'm doing a few potato experiments myself and never even thought of overwintering them
Great video!!! Thanks for the update on getting rid of the voles. We have that problem too. I am definitely going to try this method. Thanks!!!
Glad it was helpful!
I have always wanted to overwinter potatoes. You may have relieved my mind somewhat because I have always felt like it would work but this issue of rotting in cold damp soil was my holdback. I am in 8b zone like the lady you mentioned. I think I might give this a try. Thanks Jenna.
I hope you do, Robert! Let me know how it goes if you try it!
@@GrowfullywithJenna Will do BTW my greenhouse tomatoes are coming along. They are flowering now. Just a touch stringy. I have been putting extra light on them at night. Cut some cauliflower out of the garden today. Can you believe that I still saw a beetle on them. We did experience a few upper twenties at night over the last couple of weeks. I thought that would have done them in. I guess they found nested in the ground for a few days. Another great video.
I've had the smallest potato scraps spend the winter in my compost and sprout in the spring.
I also struggle with storage. The coolest place I have is the basement, which hovers around 58-62 in winter in the unfinished part.
I think a lot of folks struggle with this in modern homes!
I always laugh at the recommendations to “store in a cool, dry place at 45°F”.
I’m like, I don’t have that in my modern home with central heat and indoor plumbing.
Who am I, Pa Ingalls?
@@justsomeguy6133 😂
You need to really consider using larger fences to keep the zombies out of the garden. You should know this already.
You were pretty good in the series finale of the Walking Dead. I really thought you were going to get Negan, but you kept your cool. And, that was probably a good way to end the show. Hope you get another series out of the show. The potatoes video is cool too. I might try this, but I'm in 6b, so there is that. Thank you for the video, and thank you for not offing Negan.
😂😂... Yes- I definitely need some sturdier fences. They could push these right over! Though I find that zombies don't really care for potatoes.
Jenna’s tater lab. We got some spud science going on here. Should be cool to see the results in the spring and summer.
Haha- Jenna's Tater Lab-- I like that 😆
No suggestions but very interesting. I'm trying for the first time to grow onions in the winter - or should I say plant them in the fall and hope they survive the winter to give me a quick harvest come spring. I decided to give onions a try because I happened to just leave a few bulbs on a bed last year and they sprouted and gave me a nice bunch of onions in April this year. If I have lucks with the onions maybe I try potatoes next year.
I hope your onions do well! I am becoming quite a fan of overwintered onions, because it's one last thing I have to plant in the spring when I tend to be very busy.
Oh wow great video! Can't wait to see your results. I'm in N.Y zone 6a. I think I'm gonna try this!
Thanks, Nora- I'm excited to see the results too!
Thanks for the how to. Potatoes have not grown here for me yet but still trying. Maybe it is voles, I have lots of those.
You're welcome! Glad to hear you've not given up on potatoes yet. Even in my spring planted spuds, voles can be an issue, but I find overall that it's easier to grow them via spring planting.
This is s fascinating idea
Let's just hope it works a little better for me this coming year!
Can't wait till summer
Give me one good snow storm- then I'll be ready for summer too!
Hello Jenna. I'm actually gonna try growing potatoes in containers DURING FALL AND WINTER. i know that this was 3 years ago vid but I will let you know how it works out. I am in zone 7B. my pots will be 30 gal grow bags (concerned about depth) in a greenhouse. Maximum sunlight vents closed. have not yet decided for heaters. the brand is Kanabec. wish me luck.
I'd love to hear how it works out for you!
We didn't dig a trench we bought a auger bit but had went threw and tilled in ages manure and drilled down around 8 inch to bottom of hole added some bone meal and set potatoes in hole then added some azomite and covered hole then added leafs and hay. First year trying it after my stepfather planted them last year next to the house which might of keep the soil a little warmer that way!? Worth a try same issue either need to can or eat getting eyes growing.
Sounds like a good technique, Brian! I hope they do well for you!
I'm in zone 6 and I have not intentionally overwintered potatoes until this year. We've had tubers in the past that we have missed while harvesting and they sprout in the spring. Those potatoes have never produced a great harvest and they typically aren't any faster than spring planted potatoes.... but this year I did try planting some as a means to save potatoes through the winter since I don't have a cool storage place for them. I planted them in my garden that gets a lot more sun so I will be interested to see if we get a better harvest or not next year. I will be very interested to see how your experiment goes!
I hope they do well for you, Carrie! I'd love to hear about your results come harvest time!
BTW, would like to hear how you tend the beds through winter and then as spring warms things up. Right now I have potato beds planted in November that are piled high with straw mulch. I am not watering them and need to figure out when to do so next year--this is my first time planting potatoes for overwintering. Zone 5b
For the potato beds, I don't do anything at all through the winter. In the spring as they start growing, if I remember I'll give them a dose of fertilizer and hill them if needed. That's about it 😀
Great video and lots of work!!! Here's what gets me. In a NORMAL winter the frost line in our zone, 6A, is about 30 inches. So how can this work??? Thanks!
Our soil is solid red clay. Like, digging is SO HARD! Once you get a few inches down you can’t even push a shovel through it, you literally have to just scrape and use leverage to scratch the dirt little by little.
I’m definitely renting a tiller or something to break up our soil in the area I’m going to garden next spring. I’m covering the area with all the fallen fall leaves to break down over winter so when I till it will mix in with the clay. I don’t know what to add to amend the soil yet but it needs something or else it will just be too hard and compact for anything to grow.
Wow! I think you may need an Australian Shepherd. My dog is stationed near my garden, as an outside dog and I have absolutely no critter issues of any kind. I live in zone 7a, I have clay soil that I amended with compost and peat moss and vermiculite. Last year was my fourth year growing in but first year growing winter potatoes. I usually put leaves on in the winter but last year did a cover crop and put a tarp over the area for a month in the spring. I new nothing about planting potatoes, I got some from the menanites that grew eyes so I dug a hole about 4 to six inches deep and covered with soil. I had a lovely spring harvest but small in size because I dug the plants before they died back. I also planted some spring potatoes and half I dug up before the plants died back and half I waited until they died back and got much larger potatoes. Overall I got about 80 pounds and immediately replanted 25 pounds hoping they would grow eyes and I would have a fall picking but that did not work. We will see what next spring holds.
One thing I think i learned though is that potatoes need slightly acidic soil and the peat moss helps with that
I love that you said this! We actually do have an Aussie (and a German Shepherd) and he is an excellent critter- getter! I haven't let them back into the garden area because I find that while he will catch voles, he causes SO much destruction in the process (digging them up) that he ends up causing more damage than the voles themselves 😆. Do you run into that trouble with your dog?
I'm curious? Were your spring potatoes planted as deep as your fall planted potatoes.
I would assume this could have been the reason for less yields. (deeper planting would take longer to warm up) I plant mine 6"-8" max more so around 6", then hill them a few times throughout the growing season.
I wouldn't think the freeze would kill them, I think they just go dormant until soil is warm enough for them to sprout.
I live in Ontario Canada zone 5.
This year I left a whole row of potatoes alone to overwinter to see what happens in the spring.
I'm not sure if a good idea or not but love an experiment too so...
We will see what happens. I feel like the potatoes will be pretty crowded down there compared to if I pulled them out and replanted singles potatoes in a row. But I know they survive overwinter only 6" below the surface because I always have forgotten volunteers popping up in the spring.
I usually pull my potatoes end of their growing cycle and then place the smallest/damaged ones back in the same hole right away and leave for the following spring. This works well for me. The plants adapt season after season of replanting in certain conditions and seem to get stronger, better, bigger.
Thanks for sharing
Cheers
Spring potatoes were not planted as deep-- you may be right!
My biggest concern here is the freeze/thaw cycles- we go from below zero to 60F... back and forth all winter- which can turn potatoes to mush... but testing out a shallower planting would be a test worth doing!
Must be my hearing. Every time you mentioned voles, I heard wolves. When it was first said, I wondered what wolves would be in someone's garden space. lol.
Thank goodness- no wolves here... yikes! Though maybe they'd take care of my vole problem...
Curious to see how it turns out, but I think my area is too cold to try this ourselves. Although our extreme lows are also around 5F, our winter mean temps are around 26F, compared to 30F for most of Ohio, so I think our soil freezes to depths of 2-3ft. Maybe if I dug a 1ft deep trench and filled it with some heat generating compost and then put a 2-3ft tall compost pile on top (temporarily, for the winter), it might work.
Or maybe I'll just try this approach for cold hardy greens. It seems like the main source of stress for these cold hardy greens is not the cold air so much as the frozen ground limiting water uptake?
You're spot on- it is primarily the frozen ground that inhibits the greens- they can handle the cold air quite well. I'd love to hear if you try this approach for the greens!
Hi Jenna. As typical I like to ask questions on the newest video, so here goes. I've never grown onions from seed. Yeah, I know. Anyway I want to do that this coming season. I'm in the Oswego NY area, also in zone 6B. My days are probably slightly longer. My question is, when do I start the seeds, when do I plant them and most importantly, what varieties do you recommend.
I saw a short you did on clipping your onion seedlings but I didn't see a video on growing them. So here I am. Thanks in advance
I have this very basic 'how to grow onions' video: th-cam.com/video/czkkPRkS58A/w-d-xo.html but it doesn't answer all of your questions. For spring planting, I start them from seed as early as possible- ideally the very end of December into early January. I transplant into the garden as soon as the ground is workable in the spring. Last spring I planted on March 15th. As far as varieties, my favorites include: Patterson for storage, Candy and Ailsa Craig for fresh eating, Monastrell or Red Zepplin for a red, and Cippolini or Red Torpedo di Tropea for a 'novelty' onion.
@@GrowfullywithJenna Thank you so much!
I love your channel but do you know a good channel for zone 8? I enjoy your knowledge and advice so I'm not going anywhere. I just would like to add a channel that has info pertinent to my zone. One question I have is how do you gather/store your seed potatoes? Before planting? Thanks in advance!!
I'm hoping some folks can chime in with suggestions here! I'm certain there are great channels for Zone 8, but off the top of my head I'm not sure what they are- I'm sorry! Regarding storing- I keep my seed potatoes just as I do my potatoes for eating, and outline that process in this video: th-cam.com/video/gFB2ssY4YH0/w-d-xo.html
I'm very interested to see the results of your different tests.
Me too, William!
Could you suggest a good place to buy potatoes--online? Also, have you found that certain potatoes are better in the Cincinnati area and which ones? I live in Cincinnati, and there doesn't seem to be many varieties. Thanks!
I get potatoes from Gurneys and The Maine Potato Lady. Some of my favorites include Purple Viking, Baltic Rose, Lehigh… and Yukon Gold seems to be a crowd favorite!
What about doing this in grow bags kept on porch to lessen freezing till moved to the garden in spring?
Cincinnati-ish here.
Found it's a waste. Sure they'll sprout and start growing *super* early ... only to be blasted by late frost, killing the tops, and putting them behind the crop planted on the normal planting date.
Thanks for sharing your experience- very interesting! I'm wondering if, because you're on average 5-10 degrees warmer than I am here, it's contributed to the spuds sprouting up too early. Mine didn't sprout till the nights were staying pretty reliably above freezing. This is defintely something for folks to take into account if they're thinking about trying this!
I have mulched my garden several times in years past with chopped leaves and it seems to me that the leaves always stunted the growth of my crops or cut down severely on the germination rate of seeds. It is said that leaves have a toxin to keep grass and weeds from growing under them. Maybe the chopped leaves mulch is why your potato yield was so poor. The only way I use the current season chopped leaves now is for weeds or quack grass control and it seems to work well. After the leaves have rotted for two or three years they improve the soil and work well for mulch or compost on the garden.
There may be certain species that have toxins in their leaves, but I've used leaf mulch and leaf mold extensively in my gardens over many years and have never had an issue with them affecting my crops in a negative manner.
What were the results? Great channel!
Columbus ohio and I had potatoes that I had been missed coming up last spring and also believe they were smaller perhaps because they didn't get blood meal and bone meal at spring planting as my spring planted potatoes.
I'm waiting for spring planting but good to test and learn.
Thanks and keep your dogs out of the garden.
Definitely could be the case- it would make sense that if they didn't get the same nutrition they would be smaller. I suspect that was part of my problem last year with the cruddy soil!
And yes- the dogs can't get back to the garden, so no risk of them getting into vole stations!
I've another question on growing onions from seed. I'm inclined to sow the seeds into a tray and separate them out as I plant them in the Spring.
I've noticed that people tend to use 72s. Is there a reason that I'm not thinking of? 🤔
You can definitely do this- onions seedlings are super easy to seperate out and transplant- they are shockingly rugged for their delicate appearance. I plant mine in cells only because that's the type of seed starting tray I have. My dad always sowed our onions in a big flat tray and that worked just fine!
@@GrowfullywithJenna YOU are the best! Thanks again. 🙂
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I bet those early potatoes in the spring taste soooo yummy 🤤😋
I can't wait until you finally line your beds with hardware cloth 👍 I watch a channel called The Seasonal Homestead and she has FANTASTIC results with vole and mice traps. Maybe you can either contact her via IG or find her old video regarding the type of trap 🤷🏼♀️ I think IG is smarter 😂 Either way, I just want for you to have no more problems with those guys!!! 😂
Thank you, Joanna! I will look into this!
I heard that planting onions around the potatoes is a deterrent towards voles and squirrels. Probably will not help over winter though.
I've heard this too, about all alliums-- unfortunately as of yet, it hasn't really helped me! I find that they don't eat the garlic or onions, but it doesn't seem to keep them from other crops. It's definitely worth a shot for other folks though!
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I suppose you figured someone was going to do it. I just had to check out the warfarin you are using. Seems it is as you say, pretty safe. I would be cautious if you are pregnant or planning on being so. But even so the danger should be very low. It was interesting checking into it. President Dwight D. Eisenhower made it famous. Well, his doctors did.
I don't see myself overwintering potatoes, unless I found myself in the situation you are in! Ya never know.
Yes I was- and I'm glad you did. I always appreciate when folks check things out for themselves- not just taking other's word for it (even mine). Poison of any kind is never going to be 100% without risk, but I felt like this was the 'lesser of the evils'.
Can you cut potatoes in pieces and plant them?
Yes, as long as each piece has at least 1 eye. Check out this video for more detail: th-cam.com/video/y5xHAjDdaTg/w-d-xo.htmlsi=loa0fOMaHb3qdDcj
My suggestion: wait until Spring to plant your potatoes.
And for the bulk of my planting, I do. But I can't resist the urge to play around with different methods!
Don't think Ohio weather know what's wanting to do this year 🤣...
😂 It never does!
@@GrowfullywithJenna I take the rain over snow anyday lol
Hi please share where to purchase patatoes seeds
This time of year I'm just using my own potatoes. I'm not aware of any place you can purchase seed potatoes right now.
Is there a potato 🥔 update?
I’m guesstimating the potatoes will be ready for harvest towards the end of this month into the beginning of July. I will shoot the update video then 😁
I've never tried this....in my area...here in Canada....the frost is to much for those spuds to survive....in your 2 samples for over wintering ....you should put those potatoes in a sleeping bag....🥴
There are definitely many northern areas where it's just going to get too cold- I'd be curious exactly how far North one could do this successfully.
Planting along side onions or garlic may help according to this video th-cam.com/video/QyJeSsjCp4M/w-d-xo.html
Thank for sharing, Alex! Unfortunately, my voles seem to be unphased by alliums. I've had them tunnel right through a garlic patch-- they don't ever bother the garlic or onions, but it doesn't seem to deter them. I've heard from other folks that this works for them though!
You need some owls girl! Help kill the voles
I know we've got them out here- we hear/see them once in a while. I probably need to figure out how to encourage more!
the best pest defense is an outdoor Cat! seriously. if you get a cat that's raised outdoor, it will be loyal and kill just about any kind of rodent: rats, mice and even squirrels. and if you dont overfeed it, it'll even eat up those rodents too.
I think your over thinking this. I get volunteer potatoes for years after planting them, and I'm in zone 4
Yes, I typically will get volunteers if I leave some in the ground, but was curious if there was a better method. It's just fun to test things out.
please don't use poison 😞
My preference would be not to. But when voles can take down the majority of the food I'm using to feed my family, and other alternative methods are not working, I feel little choice. Do you have any recommendations for non-poison vole control- I'd love to have an effective option? For reference I've tried repellents of several different brands, several different kinds of traps, flushing tunnels with water and encouraging the presence of natural predators.
Does Joe Biden pop up in Spring?🙃
Maybe he can help keep the voles away?
@@GrowfullywithJenna my bag of death has arrived. pellets for the mice and moles. i wait til it freezes. i spent 100 bucks on bulbs; so they ain't getting a feast, they gettin' dead. Joe has never helped anyone but himself.
Thanks!
Oh my goodness, Mark, thank you so much. 😊 I certainly wasn't expecting this!
@@GrowfullywithJenna as much work as you put into these incredible videos, you deserve some sort of compensation! You’re the best Jenna! 🫡🫡 🥔 🥔🥔 Grow like a rockstar! 🌱