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Southern US Winter Plants?
http://byap.backyardmagazines.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=13362		 Page 1 of 1
Author:  DamselandDread [ Aug 11th, '12, 01:25 ]
Post subject:  Southern US Winter Plants?
The winter dirt garden usually has collards, turnips, kale, swiss chard, and mustard greens. I gave up on beets and spinach because the severe nutrient deficiencies in this white, pure quartz sand that pretends to be soil around here just don't allow these to thrive no matter how much wood ash and lime I give them.

Any reason that any of these shouldn't be successful in an AP system?

I'd love to try some endive, escarole, romaine lettuce, chinese cabbage, and bok choi too.
Author:  PLJ [ Aug 11th, '12, 01:55 ]
Post subject:  Re: Southern US Winter Plants?
From what I understand beet and spinach will perform well in an AP system, but I am only a couple of months ahead of you and am no AP expert. I am, however, growing silverbeet on a raft in my FT, as well as in my 'soil' for a growth rate comparison.
Like you, I have white, infertile sand for soil and it certainly presents some challenges. I had a good laugh when I first heard the locals up here referring to their sand as 'silver loam'. At least it is easy to dig! :D
Good luck, DamselandDread!
Author:  DamselandDread [ Aug 11th, '12, 02:50 ]
Post subject:  Re: Southern US Winter Plants?
If I've got the "divided by a common language" thing right, your silverbeet is my Swiss Chard so that's good to hear.

I've seen pictures of some amazing AP cabbages, but I can't get cabbage without worms in it unless I spend more money on floating row cover than it costs to buy cabbage in the grocery store.

I'm a Yankee and the thing I love most about having moved south is the ability to garden all winter. Though if I'd have known that collards (a regional favorite largely unknown in other parts of the US), were so delicious and so hardy I'd have tried them in New England in the same plastic tunnel I used to carry lettuce into the early part of winter. They might have lived under the snow until spring.
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