Winter Vegetables in the mountains

[TessaMember]

I am very tempted by your new book but just how wintery is winter? I live in Vosges mountains in France. We can be under snow for several months, with falls from Oct to April. The only vegetable I planted last autumn, garlic and leeks seems to be doing well. I know that the snow is a natural insulator. With only a very small tomato shed which I use as a greenhouse, can I really grow vegetables throughout the winter? I grow, bottle and store more and more veg each year with the aim of covering this hungry gap. We say we have a very short growing season but are we wrong?
Merci,

[charlesModerator]

 Hi Tessa, these are interesting thoughts and clearly your winter is more daunting than ours in Somerset. The book covers all aspects of winter vegetables, as well as fresh harvests, including storage. One advantage of colder winters is that cabbage hearts, for instance, keep really well if you have somewhere outside but frost free. There is information on forcing chicons indoors and growing salads in boxes on windowsills or tomato sheds!

Also I cover the hungry gap of early to mid spring (now!) when there can be a dearth of harvests because everything is growing but not ready; ideas for early salads, spinach, spring cabbage, pea shoots. 

[TessaMember]

Charles, Thanks for your reply. I think I knew I was going to buy your winter veg book anyway, just needed to convince my hubby. As it was him that did the digging he’s been won over very quickly with that one. Luckily I have a wonderful cellar to store most veg where the temperature is constant. Unfortunately it is bear at the moment, a few jars of tomate confit are all that remains and I’ve been forced back into the shops to buy my veg. I’ve already bought some winter salad to try out this year, and I’m keen to try anything that will survive.
I find your book really useful and enjoy the tips, I only wish I learnt gardening from an early age and from being in the garden with someone, sad to have to learn from a book but it is working and I will pass on the skills to my daughter.
cheers Tessa

[Natures BabeMember]

Hello Tessa, we had about five weeks of snow last winter and the previous year the hoops covered with environmesh collapsed under the weight of snow and killed off my overwintering broad beans, so last winter I erected a strong metal tent ( upside down V ) over the beans covered again with environmesh. The tent shape allowed the snow to drift down the sides of the mesh leaving a lighter covering of snow which acted as insulation and my beans survived well, to give me a good crop when the weather warmed again. I wonder if this technique might work well for you too?

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