From the Beginning

At the end of December, 2016, I noticed an unused spot in my backyard that was in full sun all day in winter. Since the soil had temporarily thawed, I decided to begin a second winter garden. Two winter gardens would allow me to alternate between them and give the soil in one time to recover as I grew spinach in the other. It would also allow me to document the establishment of a winter garden from the very beginning. The above picture shows the first step: turning the soil. If this is done shortly before the weather turns cold, the soil will freeze. The large clods of upturned dirt in the above picture are frozen solid. Throughout the winter, these frozen blocks of dirt with freeze and thaw and by early spring be reduced to soft, dry piles of dirt.

The pictures above and below show the soil in early spring. The freezing and thawing has reduced the soil to a soft consistency, and I have smoothed it to prepare for planting in early fall.

The picture below shows a thick layer of leaves covering the soil. This mulch will protect the soft dirt from the hot summer sun and keep it cool, soft, and moist.

In the picture below, summer is now over and September planting time has arrived. I removed the thick layer of leaves and mixed the lowest level of leaves into the soil. I also built three new cold frames for this garden plot taking dimensions from available glass that I had on hand. The soil is ready for seed.

The picture below shows both young plants and a few newly emerged seedlings. Spacing between plants is 8 inches in rows set 8 inches apart.

The picture below shows the three cold frames newly buried by a winter snow.

This picture shows the same cold frames with the insulation blankets and tarps set aside to allow the winter sun to warm the ground inside. Inside, the plants are growing nicely.

In the picture below, the largest plants are beginning to crowd their neighbors. It's time for the first cutting. I'll harvest the large, outside leaves. I use a utility knife and cut close to the base of the plant. Taking these leaves stimulates the plant. The small, emerging leaves in the middle will now grow quickly.

A few weeks have passed, and the small, center leaves are now large outer leaves, and it's time for them to be harvested. The picture below shows these plants ready for their second cutting.

The sequence below shows the explosive growth of the plants. The last picture shows the plants as they try to make seed (known as bolting). When they get this big, I watch for the emergence of center flower stalks and remove them. The plants respond by putting their energy back into making the leaves larger and thicker (and more delicious). When these large leaves are harvested, smaller leaves will continue to grow, but the plants are nearly done. When the leaves begin to turn yellow, it's time to pull up the plants and prepare the soil for a green manure crop to help the soil recover.

The last two pictures in the sequence illustrate the great abundance of spinach available for harvest. These three small plots produced far more produce than I could consume or give away.