A Look at Gardening in Winter Months

For gardeners, the first frosts of fall time can lead to mild bouts of depression. After months of prepping the garden soil, getting your seedlings started, transplanting them into the cold and moist earth, and then watching them grow and give off their fruit, the colder months of mid to late fall force us to recognize that the gardening season has once again come to an end. Or has it? Many gardeners resign themselves to wistfully looking through seed catalogs while waiting for spring to return. However, even if you live in the frigidly cold climates of Michigan, Maine, or Montana, there are several things that avid gardeners can do to keep busy during the winter.

Plant Garlic 

The garlic plant is thought to be native to the northernmost regions of Siberia. It was probably brought to the Americas in the 1800s when fishers from Alaska opened trade routes with small Siberian farmers. Siberia's growing conditions are harsh, and the hardy garlic plant is one of the few plants and vegetable crops that thrive during the winter months. Most planting guides recommend planting garlic bulbs several weeks after the first frost.

The Old Farmer’s Almanac states that “garlic roots develop during the fall and winter—before the ground freezes—and by early spring, they start producing foliage.” While the best planting time will depend on your specific climate and when frosts occur, the goal is to give the garlic plant enough time (usually between 2 and 4 weeks) to develop a robust root system before the ground completely freezes over. The root system thrives in the cold (but not frozen) ground temperatures, and as soon as the ground thaws in spring, top growth called garlic scapes will begin to emerge from the ground. Tender garlic scapes are usually one of the first “spring” vegetables, though, in some climates, they might appear as early as February.