Planting in the garden during winter?

This actually seems like a really simple question - can I actually put plants in the garden during the winter months? I realise there is the risk of frost, but surely that risk is also there for any plants put in during the warmer months?


I'm just thinking its so mild right now, I can mail order some spring and summer plants online and get the gardening done early, before the spring.


Am I mad for even contemplating doing any gardening in the winter? I got strange looks from people in the garden centre for buying plants in November, and they are all doing well!





Cheers





Richard

Planting in the garden during winter?
You can enjoy a beautiful garden no matter what season of the year. Just as you can transform your natural surroundings during the growing seasons with colorful blooms and ripening fruits and vegetables; so, too, can you turn winter’s season into one of beauty, bounty and interest. Annuals may be long gone, perennials may have died back to the ground, and deciduous plants may stand stripped of their leaves; nevertheless, there are still many wonderful shrubs and trees available to liven the dreariest of winter landscapes. Carefully selecting plants for their evergreen foliage, colorful barks and interesting form, and bright berries will add interest to your landscape all winter long.
Reply:Personally I would wait until March/April. Although we are having a mild winter the ground is still cold from the pre-Christmas frosts. February and March can be quite chilly, at least if you plant later your plants will get established quicker in warmer earth. Good luck with your garden anyway!
Reply:Richard, it depends on where you are actually at. There are some vegetables which can do very well in the winter if you have a mild enough one. I live in middle Georgia and for the past 4 years we have had rare frosts and they have been mild ones as well. In those years I've been able to keep descent cole crops going, as they are a "cool crop". Cole crops include lettuce, cabbage, brocolli, cauliflower, brussel sprouts, and probably a couple others. Some varieties of peas might do well, too. For your spring planting you should use these varieties resistance and even love of cooler weather to your advantage, as well. Get a packet of each of them, a bunch of jiffy pots, garden soil, and some cheap, large cake pans. Also get some harvest extenders. These are like mini-greenhouses that you set up in your garden. It is basically a plastic sheeted dome that covers your rows, locking in the heat from the day and protecting from extreme cold at night. They work really well and are re-usable year after year if you take good care of them.





Plant the seeds indoors 3 months before your typical first frost. Keep them inside the first week to let the warmth encourage gemination and then start putting them out during the day (not when the temperature is below 35F). During this time begin preparing your garden for planting. Make certain the soil is conditiioned and you test it for the right nutrients (a test kit can be bought for around $5-10). Use only organic fertilizer if you can. I know it's more expensive but it doesn't destroy your soil like chemical fertilizers do. When the roots are coming through the jiffy pots at around 10 places per pot, transplant them to your garden and cover with the greenhouse simulators. This will give you an earlier harvest and more prolific in vegetables as the plants will have longer to grow in their preferred temperature range. That extra time will be at the end, too. . . when they're producing fruit! Remember to check your soil each year to condition it with deficient nutrients (organic) and this will be successful year after year. Get into crop rotation and cover crops and your soil will actually improve every year till it's at maximum fertility and then you'll have the best production garden in the neighborhood. But those are other subjects. Let me know if you need more help!!
Reply:dont be mad you can start plants inside or a little greenhouse, that is how we still have plants from spring we made alittle shelter out of plastic cover like the kind on aroll , and weput a light in their and they are still alive and making flowers.
Reply:Winter is the best time to plant hardy shrubs and trees.
Reply:you can plant trees and shrubs in spring..winter is far from over yet, so i wouldnt risk planting yet..maybe you could keep them in a greenhouse or porch untill spring.
Reply:There is such a thing as winter sowing. Many people do it. If it works for you; go ahead. I just planted some things, and it has been quite cold here.





The difference is that some plants need to start out at a certain temperature to germinate; others don't. Once they are established in the garden, they are able to withstand lower temperatures But there are also microclimates to deal with and how your garden is situated.





Try it; it can't hurt, and you learn a lot!
Reply:Generally-speaking whatever the garden centres have in stock can be planted out.





Spring bulbs like daffodils, tulips, hyacinths should have been planted in November latest, so you are too late for those.





While the ground is soft it is OK. Put down a mulch (bark chippings) to give the roots some protection against the frost.
Reply:Try planting shrubs, which should be dormant right now. Cover the ground around the stems with dry composting, and cover the branches with netting to protect against frosts. It might look odd, but these precautions will bring benefits in Spring and Summer.


Shrub roses with bare roots are very cheap now, and can be planted into the beds.


Fruit trees likewise can be planted, but stake firmly with a low tie in order to avoid wind damage.
Reply:you can start your garden inside. I would just wait till may to bring them out. keep em buy a window or patio door...
Reply:if you are planting perenials it will be no problem as they will be hardy enough to cope through the winter do not cover them or protect them from frost as this only reduces there hardiness to future winters