Several years ago when I first began to garden, in a purposeful way, I knew there had to be more to it then waiting for the right season, putting seed in the ground, weeding, harvesting and waiting for next year again; but I didn’t know what. One of the first things I did was visit local nursery and ask them if they could recommend a good greenhouse. The nice fellow apparently discerned my ignorance and asked me a few questions. After a few minutes he said “it sounds to me like what you’re looking for is a cold frame”. That statement helped to change the way I would see gardening forever.

I have read about gardening in the deep Southern U.S. It is much different then gardening in the North. The Southern states are much more temperate. In the North you have to make use of every available day in the growing season. That means you want to extend the season out on both ends as far as possible; thus the term “season extenders”.

One of my favorite gardening experts says “if you don’t lose some of your first plantings, your planting too late”. There are various ways to extend the growing season. A common method is to start seeds indoors, harden off the plants and then plant when appropriate. Another way is to have a walk in, unheated cold frame. These will raise the daily temperatures and help protect tender plants at night when the temperature drops. Another method is to have a miniature cold frame with a lid that you can reach your hands into to tend to your plants. Another way is something called row cover. A row cover can be plastic sheeting or a product manufactured specifically for that purpose. These materials are usually held in place by wire, plastic pipe or other material. There are other types of season extenders too such as “cloches” that you may want to consider.

Season extenders are usually referenced in the context of prolonging the growing season by helping to prevent plants from freezing when the temperatures fall below freezing. However they are often just as beneficial to keep excessive rain from rotting seeds, starts or maturing root crops. They also help to keep unwanted pests from eating your dinner. You may want to investigate season extenders as a resource to keep in your gardening arsenal.

I’ll see you out in the field,
Parson Rayphe