3 Easy Ways to Extend Your Vegetable Growing Season

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If you live in an area with distinct seasons, there are natural limitations to when you can grow vegetables outdoors. In the spring, you must wait until the threat of frost has passed and soil temperatures reach acceptable levels. Then, in a blink, shorter days and cooler temps will return to signal the end of your outdoor growing season. Is it possible to extend your vegetable growing season?

Of course! While it is rather difficult to fight Mother Nature, if you learn to work within the boundaries she sets, you can find successful ways to extend your growing season and produce more veggies.

Here are Three Easy Ways to Extend Your Vegetable Growing Season

Unfortunately, you can’t prevent late spring frosts or early blasts of winter, but you can mitigate much of the damage caused by these natural events. With a little preparation, you can provide adequate protection for your tender plants.

Mulch

Adding a thick layer of mulch is the easiest way to protect your plants. Mulching your beds provides a layer of insulation, helping the soil maintain warmth when temperatures dip too low. It will also help hold in moisture as temperatures rise, so you won’t have to water as much.

Many mulch types are available, including shredded leaves, wood chips, grass clippings, straw, and compost. Check the type of mulch you choose for your food-growing area to ensure it is free of chemical pesticides and herbicides.

Pro Tip: if you use a lawn service to mow your yard and keep it free of weeds, you don’t want to use your lawn clippings on your vegetable garden. Most lawn services spray the grass with chemicals — not a good mix for your vegetables!

Cold Frames

Cold frames are another great way to extend your vegetable-growing season. A cold frame is a four-sided structure with a glass or plastic lid. They trap heat from the sun to keep plants warm when temperatures drop.

Cold frames are relatively easy to build. Start by creating a rectangular or square structure out of wood and securing an old glass window or door on top with hinges on one side. This will keep the top from blowing off in the wind and make it easy to open and shut as you add and remove plants. Potted plants and seedlings can be placed inside to help them survive unexpected dips in temperature.

You can create a makeshift cold frame with several bales of straw and an old glass window or door panel in a pinch. Arrange the bales in a rectangle while leaving the interior empty to house your plants. Top with a window or glass-paneled door and securely weigh it down on both ends, so it doesn’t fly off in high winds.

If you need more than these options, you can always buy a ready-made version at your local garden center or online. You’ll likely pay more for this option, but you won’t have to worry about finding materials or investing the time to build it yourself.

Greenhouse

For many gardeners, a greenhouse is the ultimate gardening dream. How great would having a year-round space to nurture and grow your veggies be? As an added bonus, a well-designed greenhouse can also serve as a beautiful focal point for your property.

Hiring a contractor to build a permanent greenhouse or purchasing a DIY kit can be expensive. Plus, you may need to heat the structure for part of the year in harsher climates. If you rent or have limited outdoor space, a permanent greenhouse may not be viable.

However, you can still enjoy many benefits a greenhouse offers without the high price tag or long-term commitment. Several affordable options are available in a vertical format, and you can find lightweight structures that have a small footprint. These options take advantage of vertical space by providing four or five substantial shelves to house your plants.

Extend Your Vegetable Growing Season this Year!

With a bit of planning, these three tips can extend your growing season. Once you start, you’ll be pleasantly surprised by how much more productive your gardening efforts will become.