The document provides information on suitable crops for growing in a hoophouse across three seasons - winter, early warm weather, and high summer. It details specific crop planting times and harvest periods for winter/fall crops like lettuce mixes, brassica mixes, chard, mizuna, and onions planted from September through February. Succession planting and interplanting strategies are also described to extend harvest periods and maximize space usage in the hoophouse.
2. Page 2 of 8
Suitable Fall and Winter Hoophouse Crops
Lettuce heads may survive an occasional dip to 10°F (–12°C) with inner rowcover Particularly cold-hardy lettuce varieties:
Brune d’Hiver, Buckley, Ezrilla, Green Forest, Hampton, Lollo Rossa, Merlot, North Pole, Red Tinged Winter, Revolution,
Rouge d’Hiver, Tango, Winter Marvel. Avoid depending on new sowings at the slow-growing time of year.
Baby lettuce mix (more cold-hardy than large lettuce); Small-leaf lettuces: Johnny’s Salanovas, Osborne’s and High Mowing’s
Eazyleaf; Tango, Oscarde, Panisse.
Brassica (Mustard) Salad Mixes
Mizuna and Frilly Mustards Ruby Streaks, Golden Frills, Scarlet Frills, Red Rain.
Many cooking greens can be used as salad crops while plants are small.
Winter-hardy small greens: Arugula, parsley, Belle Isle upland cress, winter purslane, salad burnet and mâche (corn salad)
Leafy cooking greens: Spinach (Renegade, Acadia, Escalade, Reflect), Russian kales, Swiss chard and beet greens, endives and
chicories, Asian greens: senposai, komatsuna, tatsoi, Yukina Savoy, Napa and Michihili Wong Bok cabbage, Tokyo Bekana,
Muruba Santoh, pak choy, and more.
Roots: Beets Bulls Blood, Cylindra; carrots Napoli, Mokum, bulb fennel, radishes large & small, turnips: Hakurei. Red Round
Onions: scallions, bulbing onions, garlic scallions
Peas and beans; dwarf snap peas Sugar Ann (2/1-7/15), fava beans sown 11/15, harvested mid-May
Bare-root transplants: October-sown “filler” greens and lettuce to use in the hoophouse during the winter. November-sown
bulbing onions to plant outdoors 3/1. Jan 16-Jan 24 we sow kale, collards, spinach to plant outdoors in March
Seed crops: legumes, lettuce, brassicas
Suitable Crops for Warm and Hot Weather
Crops you’d like earlier, crops that grow in warmer climates, crops that grow better in drier climates,
crops that are not in the same families as your main crops in other seasons.
Upright bush beans Strike (3/15-6/15).
Tomatoes transplanted 3/15, One bed of fast varieties (less than 70 days) Glacier, Stupice, SunGold, Mountain Magic, Garden
Peach and one bed of workhorses Tropic, Jubilee and various heirlooms
Peppers, cucumbers (Spacemaster), summer squash (Gentry) transplanted 4/1. A month earlier than outdoors. Cucumbers
finish in mid-July, the squash and tomatoes at the end of July. We keep our peppers until cold weather arrives
(October/November). West Indian gherkins resist Root Knot Nematodes.
Eggplant, melons, southern peas (Mississippi Silver, Carolina Crowder), edamame (Envy), baby ginger, turmeric, galangal.
Smother crops: sweet potatoes, West Indian gherkins.
Cut flowers, other decorative non-food crops
Cover crops: buckwheat, soy, southern peas, shorter millets, sunnhemp. Brassicas?
Fast-growing salad crops like arugula, lettuce mix, Tokyo Bekana if you shade, water enough and harvest very promptly.
Unusual gourmet high value crops including edible flowers
Packing More Crops in
Fall Sowings to Transplant Inside
We make outdoor sowings of crops to transplant into the hoophouse at 2–4 weeks old. We use hoops and ProtekNet, and water
frequently. Sept 15: 10 varieties of hardy leaf lettuce and romaines; pak choy, Chinese cabbage, Yukina Savoy, Tokyo Bekana,
Maruba Santoh, chard. Sept 24: another 10 varieties of lettuce; Red and White Russian kales, Senposai, more Yukina Savoy, mizuna.
Follow-on Winter Hoophouse Crops
A sequence of different crops occupying the same space over time. Sometimes confusingly called “Succession Planting”.
• 11/17: We follow our 1st
radishes with 3rd
scallions
• 12/23: 1st
baby brassica salad mix with 5th
radishes
• 12/31: Some of our 1st
spinach with our 2nd
baby lettuce mix
• 1/15: Our 1st
tatsoi with our 4th
spinach
• 1/16: Our Tokyo Bekana with spinach for planting outdoors
• 1/24: Our pak choy & Chinese cabbage with kale & collards for outdoors
• 2/1: Our 2nd
radishes with our 2nd
baby brassica salad mix
• 2/1: Our 1st
Yukina Savoy with our 3rd
mizuna/frilly mustards
• 2/1: Some of our 1st
turnips with our 3rd
baby lettuce mix
• 2/1: More of our 1st
spinach with dwarf snap peas
Filler Greens – See Hoophouse Planting September to August for more details
• In October we sow lettuce, spinach, Senposai, Yukina Savoy, Maruba Santoh, Tokyo Bekana to transplant when gaps occur.
• Brassica salad mixes use small areas and short time gaps. Peashoots can be grown as a gap-filling crop in late winter.
•
3. Page 3 of 8
Interplanting Warm Weather Crops
After 2/20, we harvest the winter crops from the center rows first, plant the new early summer crops down the center, then
harvest the outer rows bit by bit as the new crop needs the space or the light. This overlap allows the new crops to take over
gradually. Our winter and spring crops end in April
Fast growing crops like lettuce, radishes and greens can be planted between or alongside slower-growing crops to generate
more income and diversity. Interplanting lettuce and tomatoes is 39% more efficient than growing each crop individually.
Succession Planting for Continuous Harvests
As temperatures and day-length decrease in the fall, the time to maturity lengthens
As temperatures and day-length increase after the Winter Solstice, the time to maturity shortens – later sowings can almost
catch up with earlier ones.
To get harvests starting an equal number of days apart, vary the interval between one sowing date and the next
Make a Graph - 6 Steps
1. Gather sowing and harvest start dates for each planting of each crop
2. Make a graph for each crop: sowing date along the horizontal (x) axis; harvest start date along the vertical (y) axis. Mark in all
your data. . Join with a line. Smooth the line.
3. Mark the first possible sowing date and the harvest start date for that.
4. Decide the last worthwhile harvest start date, mark that.
5. Divide the harvest period into a whole number of equal segments, according to how often you want a new patch.
6. Mark in the harvest start dates and see the sowing dates that match those harvest dates
If we want new radishes every 34 days, harvest start dates will be 10/1, 11/4, 12/8, 1/11, 2/14,3/20. Planting dates will be: 9/7, 9/30,
10/28, 11/22, 12/20, 1/27. Sowing intervals are 23, 28, 25, 28, 38 days – longer in Dec-Jan.
Crop Planting Date Harvest Dates Notes
Brassica Salad Mix #1 sown 10/2 10/29 – 12/22
#2 sown 12/18 ? – 4/20 11 days to germinate.
#3 sown 1/27 4/15 – 5/15? Only 2 cuts
#4 sown 2/1 2/12 is last sow date
Chard #1 transplanted 10/16 12/11 - 4/9
#2 sown 10/26 2/6 - 5/1
Lettuce Mix #1 sown 10/24 12/14 - 3/15 Up to 8 cuts
#1.5! sown 11/16 ? New this year
#2 sown 12/31 2/21 - 3/31 (4/15?) 3 cuts if we’re lucky
#3 sown 2/1 3/18 - 4/30 3 cuts if we’re lucky
#4 sown 2/15 3/25? - 5/15 Only sow if spring outdoor lettuce is late
Lettuce heads until October 11/16 - 2/20 Harvest leaves from the mature plants
2/21 - 3/31 Cut the heads
Mizuna #1 transplanted 10/20 11/25 - 1/25 Includes other frilly mustards
#2 sown 11/9 2/26 - 3/24
#3 sown 2/1 3/24 – 5/23 Scarlet Frill, Golden Frills outlive mizuna and Ruby Streaks
Onions (bulbing) #1 sown 11/10
#2 sown 11/22
#3 back-up sown 12/6
Radish #1 sown 9/6 10/3 - 11/16
#2 sown 10/1 11/10 - 12/25
#3 sown 10/30 12/15 - 1/31
#4 sown 11/29 ? Records lacking
#5 sown 12/23 2/13 - 3/30?
Scallions #1 sown 9/6 12/8 - 2/1
#2 sown 11/18 3/19 - 5/15 Following radish #1
Spinach #1 sown 9/6 10/30 - 2/15 or later Sprouted seeds sown
#2 sown 10/24 11/25 - 5/7
#3 sown 11/9
#4 sown 1/16
#5 sown 1/17 Until mid-May To transplant outdoors in February
Tatsoi #1 sown 9/7 10/30 - 12/31 9 weeks of harvest
#2 sown 11/15 2/12 - 3/12 4 weeks of harvest
Turnips #1 sown 10/14 12/5 - 2/20 Thinnings 11/29
#2 sown 10/25 2/1 - 3/13 Thinnings 1/11
#3 sown 12/10 3/5 - 3/20 Only worthwhile if thinned promptly and eaten small
Yukina Savoy #1 transplanted 10/6 12/5 - 1/25
#2 transplanted 10/24 1/8 - 2/1 or so Only one week extra
These later sowings are
harvested until 5/7
We keep planting to fill gaps and pulling up finished
plants
Hoophouse Succession Planting
Transplanted outdoors as early as possible in March
4. Page 4 of 8
Radish Succession Crops Graph with Smoothed Line
Crop Rotations
We look at the sequence of crops, rather than the number of years since the same crop was grown.
Cool weather crops mostly fall into 3 crop families: Lettuce and chicories/Brassicas/Spinach, chard and beets. 2 other families
are grown in smaller amounts: Legumes and Alliums. Rotate the main families each cool season, and use the less common
families to fill out the space, ad hoc.
Warm Weather Crops: Nightshades 3 beds; Cucurbits 2 beds; Legumes 2 beds. Edge beds are too low for tomatoes, too
narrow for cucumbers. Edge beds are colder in the early spring.
Planning and Scheduling
Clarify your goals, then decide
1. How much money do you need to earn, and which markets will you sell at?
2. Which crops to grow – make a list
3. Make harvest schedule: when, what, how much, to fit your markets?
4. How much to plant to achieve your harvest goals?
5. Make maps and planting schedule: see below
Deciding Which Crops to Grow
1. Which crops suit the conditions? Check the cold-hardiness table
2. Which Crops are Most Profitable? Can you earn a living growing it? Use Crop Enterprise Budgets
3. Which Crops Sell for High Prices? Is there a market for it?
4. Which Crops are Easy to Grow?
5. Would you have to reduce space for another crop?
6. Would you lose efficiency by growing many different crops?
– Consolidate and simplify (Asian greens)
– Grow crops needing similar conditions or timing
– Specialize in one Signature Crop, grow many kinds
7. How to Decide Which Crops to Grow
– Quick Crops and Steady Crops
8. Crop Value Rating
– Shorter days to maturity (fast crops = chance to plant more; give a point for 60 days or less)
– High yield per linear foot (best value from the space; a point for1/2 pound/linear foot or more)
– Higher price per pound (other factors being equal, higher price = more income; a point for $4 or more per pound)
– Long harvest period (= more sales; a point for 4 months or longer)
– Popularity (high demand, low market saturation)
5. Page 5 of 8
Hoophouse Harvest Schedule (Sorted by Harvest Start Date)
Winter Hoophouse Harvest Dates
• October: beet greens, radishes, spinach, tatsoi.
• From November onwards: As October plus arugula, brassica salad mix, chard, lettuce leaves, mizuna and scallions.
• From December: As November plus kale, senposai, turnips, and Yukina Savoy.
• During December: whole plants of Tokyo Bekana, Maruba Santoh.
• During January: heads of Chinese cabbage, pak choy.
• Having the big heading crops in December and January gets us through the slow-growth period.
• Most loose-leaf crops last until mid-March or later.
Hoophouse Planting September to August
Early September : We clear and add compost to one of the beds and sow sprouted spinach seed, radishes, scallions, Bulls
Blood beet greens and tatsoi.
At the end of September we clear summer crops from one more bed, add compost. We transplant Tokyo Bekana and Maruba
Santoh at 2 weeks old, Chinese cabbage, pak choy and Yukina Savoy at 3 weeks.
Early October, we sow more radishes and some filler greens, (spinach, lettuce, senposai, Tokyo bekana) to fill gaps later.
By mid-October we clear and prepare another bed and transplant lettuce at 10" (25 cm) apart, and chard, which we sowed
outside under insect netting. We sow our first turnips.
In late October we clear and prepare more beds and transplant kale, Senposai, mizuna, arugula and Yukina Savoy at 4 weeks
old and the 2nd
lettuce, all from the outdoor nursery bed. We sow more filler greens, our first baby lettuce mix, our second
spinach, turnips and chard, and more radishes. In very cold areas, add a low tunnel for winter.
Nov 10 we sow more turnips, mizuna and arugula, more filler lettuce and spinach, and our first bulb onions for field
transplanting as early as possible in March. We then have a fully planted hoophouse.
From Nov 10 on as each crop harvest winds down, we immediately replace that crop with another.
Nov 11-20 we sow scallions, tatsoi, radishes, more bulb onion starts.
During December we use the Filler plants to replace casualties and harvested heads of lettuce, spinach, Tokyo bekana,
Maruba Santoh, Chinese cabbage, Pak choy, Yukina Savoy daily. “Solstice Slime” Sclerotinia lettuce rot is prevalent. We sow
our fifth radishes and our second baby lettuce mix.
Until Jan 25 we fill gaps with Asian greens, spinach or lettuces as appropriate. Lettuces and Asian greens don't make good
growth before bolting if transplanted after January 25.
From Jan 25 to Feb 20 we fill all gaps everywhere with spinach transplants.
From Feb 20, we only fill gaps on the outer thirds of the beds, leaving centers free for tomatoes, etc.
March 15 we transplant tomatoes – see Packing More In. We plant frost tender crops in the hoophouse 4 weeks earlier than we
can plant them outdoors. We have hoops in place and rowcover at the ready for freezing nights.
April 1 we transplant sweet and hot peppers, squash, cucumbers, Our winter and spring crops end in April
We have no planned plantings in May.
In June we sow southern peas or edamame following beans.
In July we sow southern peas or edamame following cucumbers, squash.
In early August we sow cover crops following tomatoes
Hoophouse Harvest Schedule
Crop Variety
Catalog
days to
harvest
stage.
Baby -
Full-
size Sown
Trans-
planted
Last
planting
date
Harvest
Start
Harvest
End Notes
Lettuce Filler
#1
Good varieties: Red Tinged Winter, Salad
Bowl, Hyper Red Wave, Winter
Wonderland, Osborne Multileafs 28 23-Oct 1-Jan 1-Jan 25-Jan
Leaf varieties to fill gaps in lettuce
beds from 1/1
Spinach #3
(filler) Tyee 23-40 9-Nov 1-Jan 1-Jan 7-May
Transplant to fill gaps in spinach beds
from 1/1. Thinnings 2/3. 86d to
harvest
Lettuce Filler
#2
Good varieties: Red Tinged Winter, Salad
Bowl, Hyper Red Wave, Winter
Wonderland, Osborne Multileafs 28 9-Nov 7-Jan 25-Jan
Leaf varieties to fill gaps in lettuce
beds
Yukina Savoy #2 21-45 24-Sep 24-Oct 8-Jan 2-Mar May stand 2 weeks later
Radish #4 Easter Egg, White Icicle 24-35 27-Nov 13-Jan 25-Feb Harvest start date variable 1/13-2/18
Spinach #4
(filler) Tyee 23-40 27-Dec 15-Jan 7-May
Transplant to fill gaps in spinach beds
from 1/15
Mizuna #2
Mizuna, Ruby Streaks, Golden
Frill, Scarlet Frills 21-40 9-Nov 20-Jan 3-Apr Green Mizuna plus frilly mustards
Spinach #5
(filler) Tyee 23-40 15-Jan 31-Mar 25-Jan 7-May
Transplant to fill gaps in all beds from
1/25
Turnips #2 &
turnip greens
Red Round, Hakurei, Oasis,
White Egg 38-55 26-Oct 1-Feb 8-Mar
Emerge in 4 days. If we have space,
we sow #2-5 earlier, for higher yields
Turnips #3 &
turnip greens
Red Round, Hakurei, Oasis,
White Egg 38-55 30-Oct
Oct 30
for good
yields 1-Feb 11-Mar
Important to thin promptly (1/13) or
yield will be much reduced. Hakurei
until 2/24
Tatsoi #2 21-45 15-Nov 12-Feb 2-Mar Thinnings 12/27-1/21
Lettuce Mix #2 28 31-Dec 21-Feb 31-Mar 52 d to harvest. 3 cuts. Round 2 3/24
Radish #5 Easter Egg, White Icicle 24-35 30-Dec 21-Feb 30-Mar Emerge in 5 days
Spinach #6
(starts for
outdoors) Tyee 23-40 16-Jan 21-Feb 8-Apr To transplant outdoors
Turnips #4 &
turnip greens
Red Round, Hakurei, Oasis,
White Egg 38-55 10-Nov 25-Feb 15-Mar
Important to thin promptly, or yield
will be much reduced. Hakurei until
3/11
Onions #1 Starts of bulbing varieties 80-100 10-Nov 1-Mar 20-Mar To transplant outdoors 3/1
Onions #2 Starts of bulbing varieties 80-100 22-Nov 1-Mar 20-Mar
Onions #3 Starts of bulbing varieties 80-100 3-Dec 1-Mar 20-Mar Back-up date for filler onions
Brassica Salad
Mix #2 21 9-Dec 4-Mar 29-Mar 11 days to emerge
Turnips #5 &
turnip greens
Red Round, Hakurei, Oasis,
White Egg 38-55 10-Dec 10-Dec 5-Mar 15-Mar
Important to thin promptly, or yield
will be much reduced
Brassica Salad
Mix #3 21 1-Feb 8-Mar 15-Apr Only 2 cuts. Can follow Radishes #2
Collards starts Morris Heading 35-70 24-Jan 15-Mar 25-Mar
Emerge in 15 days at 50F. To
transplant outdoors
Kale starts Vates 28-56 24-Jan 15-Mar 8-Apr
Emerge in 15 d at 50F. To transplant
outdoors 3/15-4/8
Lettuce Mix #3 28 1-Feb 15-Mar 28-Apr
12 days to emerge at 50F. 42 days to
harvest. 3 cuts.
(Sorted by Harvest Start Date)
6. Page 6 of 8
Addressing hot weather challenges
Choose appropriate heat-tolerant crops and varieties. Store seeds in a very cool dry and dark place
Use tricks to germinate the seeds: soak, sprout. Check germination temperature and Growing Degree Days
Use younger and smaller transplants than in spring; Transplant in the evening; Use closer spacing; Water a lot.
Use netting against bugs; Use shadecloth
Mitigate salt build-up by washing down the salts.
Monitor for nematodes and act as needed.
Consider solarization
Addressing Cold Weather Challenges
o Choose fast-maturing cold-hardy varieties and crops
o From late fall to early spring, use transplants
o Use thick rowcover – Dupont Xavan 5131 (aka Typar). 1.25 oz/sq yd spunbonded polypropylene; hoops in spring.
o In spring, warm the soil with black plastic mulch
o In fall, use light-colored mulches to conserve soil warmth by reducing radiation losses
o Remove snow to save your hoophouse from collapse – scrape gently off the outside, bounce off from inside
Nitrate Accumulation in Winter
Grow varieties best suited for winter;
Avoid animal fertilizers; use organic compost.
Ensure soil has sufficient P, K, Mg and Mo
Water enough but not excessively;
Provide fresh air as soon as temperatures reach 68°F (20°C), so that carbon dioxide levels are high enough;
Harvest after at least four (preferably six) hours of bright sunlight in winter;
Avoid harvesting on very overcast days;
Avoid over-mature crops and discard the outer leaves. Harvest crops a little under-mature, rather than over-mature;
Refrigerate immediately after harvest, store harvested greens at temperatures close to freezing;
Use crops soon after harvest;
Mix your salads; don’t just eat spinach.
Nitrate Levels of Various Crops
HOOPHOUSE PLANTING SCHEDULE Sept 2017-2018
Updated 9 August 2017,
by Wren & Brittany
Sowing for Transplants: Divide # of plants wanted by 10 to give minimum length of row to sow, in feet 1m=3.28'. 1cm=0.39"
Sowing Onions: Divide # of plants wanted by 20, to give minimum length of row to sow, in feet http://www.metric-conversions.org/
Row Spacing: 3" = every 2 pegs = 12 rows in 48", 6 rows in 24" (but maybe too close to edge)
4.5" = every 3 pegs = 10 rows in 48", 5 rows in 24"
6" = every 4 pegs = 8 rows in 48", 4 rows in 24"
7.5" = every 5 pegs = 6 rows in 48", 3 rows in 24"
10.5" = every 7 pegs = 4 rows in 48", 2 rows in 24"
Bed prep Bed E
overview: By 9/30 1/2 bed Tokyo Bekana, Chinese Cabbage, Pak Choy Bed F West
By 10/13 1/4 bed for Chard #1; 1/2 bed for turnips #1; 1/2 bed for lett #1 Beds B East, A, F east
By 10/20 the Nema bed, D, 1/2 bed for kale with Yukina Savoys, Mizunas, radishes Bed D
Bed B West, C, G, B East
M ake 3 copies: Hoophouse, greenhouse, manual. Original to garden Notebook.
Date
Done
Plan
Date Bed
Sow
/Tpl
Row
length
in feet
Row
space in
inches
#Pegs
#Rows Plant
space
in
inches Crop Notes
Harvest
Start
Harvest
Finish Success?
31-Aug Jar
Spr
-out Spinach Avon, Reflect 1.25 cups (5oz) for 56' x 8 rows
1-5
Sept E
6-Sep E Sow 56.0 6.0 4 8 Spinach #1 (sprouted) Avon, Reflect
West side. 4 rows Avon, 4 rows
Reflect 10/30 2/15
6-Sep E Sow 7.0 3.0 2 5
Radish #1 Easter Egg, Cherry Belle,
White Icicle
North side of the space. Make 12 row s
altogether in 7ft for radish and scallions 10/3 11/16
6-Sep E Sow 7.0 3.0 2 7
Scallions #1, Evergreen (not old
onion seed)
South side of the space. Make 12 row s
altogether in 7ft for radish and scallions 12/8 2/1
7-Sep E Sow 9.0 4.5 3 10 Bulls Blood Beets 11/12 4/25
7-Sep E Sow 16.0 6.0 4 8 6 Tatsoi #1 10/30 12/31
15-Sep 15W Sow 23 10.5 7 Lettuce #1 (230 plants)
Sow 10 winter varieties (no Bibbs),
2.5' of each. For seed bed
sowings, length is row length, not
bed length x 4 rows. Ask if you are
unsure. Include Osborne multileaf
types. Best slime res: Green
Forest, Hyper Red Wave, Merlot,
Oscarde, Panisse, Red Tinged
Winter, Revolution, Tango. Next
best: Red Salad Bowl,
15-Sep 15W Sow 5 10.5 7 Pak Choy (52 plants)
15-Sep 15W Sow 5 10.5 7 Chinese Cabb, Blues (52 plants)
15-Sep 15W Sow 6 10.5 7 Yukina Savoy #1 (58 plants)
15-Sep 15W Sow 5 10.5 7 Tokyo Bekana (52 plants)
15-Sep 15W Sow 6.5 10.5 7 Chard Brite Lites #1 (62 plants) Total feet 50.5 9/15
24-Sep 15W Re-sow 10.5 7
Re-sow 9/15 failed sowings as
needed
Sep-17
Dig in peas and B+S, spread compost, rake or scuffle in.
Areas/Garden/Planning/Hoophous
e/Hoophouse Planting
Schedule.xls
By 9/6 1 bed for bbb, scallions #1, radish #1, spin #1, tatsoi #1
By 10/24 1/2 bed for lett #2; 1/2 bed for sps; 1/4 bed for spin #2; 1/4 bed for lett mix #1;
1/4 bed for turnips #2a and 2b; 1/4 bed for tatsoi #2, 1/4 bed for lett mix #2.5, chard #2;
September/October2017
7. Page 7 of 8
Very Low: Artichoke, asparagus, Brussels sprouts, fava beans, garlic, mushrooms, onions, peas. Low: Broccoli, carrot, cauliflower.
Medium: Broccoli raab, cabbage, dill, radicchio, turnips. High: Chinese cabbage, endive, escarole, kohlrabi, chicory, leeks, parsley.
Very High: Arugula, celery, chervil, cress, corn salad, lettuce. Higher Still: (twice as much as lettuce) Mustard greens, spinach, Swiss
chard. Even Higher (2 ½ times lettuce): Beet greens, kale, radishes. Worse (3 times lettuce levels): Turnip greens
Resources (Updated 12/30/19) – General
ATTRA https://attra.ncat.org/ Market Farming: A Start-up Guide; Scheduling Vegetable Plantings for a Continuous Harvest;
Intercropping Principles and Production Practices; Season Extension Techniques for Market Farmers, etc.
SARE https://www.sare.org/ A searchable database of research findings. See Season Extension Topic Room
https://articles.extension.org/organic_production and https://eorganic.info/ The organic agriculture community with eXtension.
Publications, webinars, videos, trainings and support. An expanding source of reliable information.
Growing Small Farms: https://growingsmallfarms.ces.ncsu.edu/ click Farmer Resources.
Jean-Paul Courtens, Roxbury Farm https://www.roxburyfarm.com/roxbury-agriculture-institute-at-philia-farm. Whole farm
Approach; Biodynamic Practices; Harvest Manual; Crop Manual; More Info for Farmers: Soil Fertility Practices; 100 Member CSA
plans: CSA Share List, Greenhouse Plan, Field Plan.
WeatherSpark https://weatherspark.com/ Weather records for your area. Fun!
Soil temperatures at your location http://www.greencastonline.com/tools/soil-temperature
Resources – Hoophouses
HighTunnels.org: http://hightunnels.org/category/for-growers/growing-in-high-tunnels/ or http://hightunnels.org/for-growers/
Penn State High Tunnel Production Manual, William Lamont, $25 https://extension.psu.edu/high-tunnel-manual
The Hoophouse Handbook Revised, Growing for Market: https://www.growingformarket.com/store/products/165
Greenhouse and Hoophouse Grower's Handbook – Organic Vegetable Production Using Protected Culture, Andrew Mefferd,
Chelsea Green https://www.growingformarket.com/store/products/182
U of MN High Tunnel Production Manual http://www.extension.umn.edu/garden/fruit-vegetable/#high-tunnel
U of MN Deep Winter Greenhouse https://extension.umn.edu/growing-systems/deep-winter-greenhouses
U of MN Cold-Climate Greenhouse Resource http://www.cura.umn.edu/publications/catalog/cap-186
The Northlands Winter Greenhouse Manual, Carol Ford & Chuck Waibel https://mosesorganic.net/?product=northlands-winter-
greenhouse-manual-the
High Tunnels: Using Low Cost Technology to Increase Yields, Improve Quality, and Extend the Growing Season by Ted Blomgren,
Tracy Frisch and Steve Moore. University of Vermont Center for Sustainable Agriculture. $15 or on the web:
http://www.uvm.edu/sustainableagriculture/hightunnels.html
Kerr Center for Sustainable Agriculture Hoop House How-To. Low cost DIY small hoophouse. http://kerrcenter.com/organic-
farm/hoop-house/
Resources - Season Extension
Extending the Season: Six Strategies for Improving Cash Flow Year-Round on the Market Farm a free e-book for online subscribers
to Growing for Market magazine
Janet Bachmann, Season Extension Techniques for Market Gardeners, ATTRA, 2005. attra.ncat.org/attra-
pub/summaries/summary.php?pub=366
Fall and Winter Gardening Quick Reference, Southern Exposure Seed Exchange, www.southernexposure.com/growing-
guides/fall-winter-quick-guide.pdf
www.johnnyseeds.com. Growers’ Library, Winter growing guide
www.motherofahubbard.com Winter Vegetable Gardening
Resources – books
The Market Gardener, Jean-Martin Fortier, New Society Publishers
The Complete Know and Grow Vegetables, J K A Bleasdale, P J Salter et al. Out of print, buy used.
Knott’s Handbook for Vegetable Growers, Maynard and Hochmuth
http://extension.missouri.edu/sare/documents/KnottsHandbook2012.pdf
The New Seed Starter’s Handbook, Nancy Bubel, Rodale Books
The Organic Farmer’s Business Handbook, Richard Wiswall, Chelsea Green
Sustainable Vegetable Production from Start-up to Market, Vern Grubinger,
http://host31.spidergraphics.com/nra/doc/fair%20use%20web%20pdfs/nraes-104_web.pdf NRAES
The New Organic Grower and The Winter Harvest Manual, Eliot Coleman, Chelsea Green
Crop Planning for Organic Vegetable Growers, Daniel Brisebois and Frédéric Thériault (www.cog.ca)
The Lean Farm and The Lean Farm Guide, Ben Hartman
The Bio-Integrated Farm, Shawn Jadrnicek.
The Urban Farmer, Curtis Stone, New Society Publishers
High-Yield Vegetable Gardening, Colin McCrate and Brad Halm, Storey Pub
8. Page 8 of 8
Market Farming Success: The Business of Growing and Selling Local Food, Lynn Byczynski
John Jeavons How to Grow More Vegetables 8th edition 2012, Ten Speed Press, has charts: Pounds Consumed per Year by the
Average Person in the US & Average US Yield in Pounds per 100 Square Feet
Gardening When it Counts, Steve Solomon, New Society Publishers
Wholesale Success, Atina Diffley, Jim Slama
static1.squarespace.com/static/59370f34a5790a9ef264ae76/t/59a71ff7e3df28f2da21badc/1504124924473/Farmer%E
2%80%99s+Guide+to+Food+Safety%2C+Selling%2C+Postharvest+Handling%2C+Packing+Produce.pdf /
Nature and Properties of Soils, fourteenth edition, Nyle Brady and Ray Weil
Garden Insects of North America, Whitney Cranshaw
Web Resources
The Association of Specialty Cut Flower Growers http://ascfg.org/
Soil Solarization Homepage: http://agri3.huji.ac.il/~katan
Soil Solarization University of California: http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn74145.html
Southern Exposure Seed Exchange www.southernexposure.com Seed Saving Resources:
http://homepage.tinet.ie/~merlyn/seedsaving.html
Saving Our Seeds website has information on isolation distances, seed processing techniques, where to get manuals on growing
specific seeds, and links to more information: www.savingourseeds.org
AgSquared online planning software: http://www.agsquared.com/
COG-Pro record-keeping software for Certified Organic Farms: https://cog-pro.com/
Elsa Sanchez, Dealing with High Soluble Salt Levels in High Tunnels, PennState Extension, 2017. www.extension.psu.edu/dealing-
with-high-soluble-salt-levels-in-high-tunnels
Growing Degree Days https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Growing_degree-day
farmprogress.com/mobile-apps free GDD mobile phone app
Using GDDs to schedule sweet corn plantings extension.udel.edu/weeklycropupdate/?p=6618
Using Heat Units to Schedule Vegetable Plantings, Predict Harvest Dates and Manage Crops
smallfarms.oregonstate.edu/sfn/f11degreedays
Ayanava Majumdar and Will Mastin, High Tunnel Pest Exclusion System: A Novel Strategy for Organic Crop Production in the
South, Alabama Cooperative Extension, 2015: Using shadecloth to exclude pests. http://hightunnels.org/wp-
content/uploads/Net_House_Technology.pdf
Virginia State University Ginger and Turmeric Field Days https://www.ext.vsu.edu
Resources – My Slideshows. www.slideshare.net/ Search for Pam Dawling. You’ll find:
Cold-hardy Winter Vegetables
Cover Crops for Vegetable Growers
Crop Planning for Sustainable Vegetable Production
Crop Rotations for Vegetables and Cover Crops
Diversify your Vegetable Crops
Fall and Winter Hoophouse
Fall Vegetable Production
Feeding the Soil
Growing Great Garlic
Growing Sweet Potatoes from Start to Finish
Hoophouse Production of Cool Season Crops
Lettuce Year Round
Many Crops, Many Plantings, to Maximize High Tunnel
Efficiency
Producing Asian Greens
Production of Late Fall, Winter and Early Spring Vegetable
Crops
Season Extension
Sequential Planting of Cool Season Crops in a High Tunnel
Spring and Summer Hoophouses
Storage Vegetables
Succession Planting for Continuous Vegetable Harvests
Sustainable Farming Practices.
The Seed Garden
Year Round Vegetable Production
Year Round Hoophouse Vegetables
Resources – Slideshows
Brad Bergefurd, Cultural Practices And Cultivar Selections for Commercial Vegetable Growers.
https://www.slideshare.net/guest6e1a8d60/vegetable-cultural-practices-and-variety-selection
Daniel Parson Planning the Planting of Cover Crops and Cash Crops, SSAWG 2012
https://www.slideshare.net/parsonproduce/southern-sawg
Joel Gruver Finding the best fit: cover crops in organic farming systems. Some overlap with previous slideshow.
https://www.slideshare.net/jbgruver/cover-crops-decatur
Alison and Paul Wiediger https://www.slideshare.net/aunaturelfarm/high-tunnel-1-why-grow-in-high-tunnels and more.
Virginia State University Ginger and Turmeric Production
https://static1.squarespace.com/static/56bb6533c2ea51c6431244f6/t/5a218a7c8165f5ede67e422d/1512147584201/Ginger+and
+Turmeric+Presentation+2017-B.pdf
