Just when the winter blahs are setting in, we can begin our second round of cool weather gardening. Endive is very hardy and can be planted in January, but February is a great time for planting beets, turnips, garden peas, carrots, chard, and parsley.

A second round of lettuce and spinach can be planted in February. Plant several varieties—some seed packets come with several different types of lettuce. Romaine is very good and will stand up to some heat. When harvesting lettuce, just snip off the larger leaves rather than pulling the plant and you will have a much longer crop season.

Cool weather vegetables really lift the spirits in the winter, plus they are generally higher in food value per pound and per square foot than the warm season vegetables because the parts you eat are the vegetative parts: roots like carrots, beets, radishes, turnips; leaves like lettuce, cabbage, onion, spinach; immature flower parts like broccoli, cauliflower. These are generally more packed with food value than the fruit such as tomatoes and squash.

So give the planet, your mental health, and your family’s physical health (and taste buds) a boost with an undemanding, peaceful winter garden.

Gardeners will be live to answer your questions on Saturday, Dec. 2, 8 to 11 a.m. at the Visalia Farmers’ Market at its new location, Tulare County Courthouse north parking lot in Visalia. You can also contact them at 559-684-3325, or visit their web site at ucanr.edu/sites/UC_Master_Gardeners.

Source: thesungazette.com