Rather than pull the plant, I followed the suggestion of my gardening friends and decided to try to overwinter it in hopes that it might produce an early spring crop (I had nothing to lose, right?). I had chicken wire and mulch ready in the garden to wrap it all up as soon as it looked like the weather was going to turn for the worse, but it should come as no surprise that my to-do list for that last weekend before the winter weather hit was extensive and the chicken wire and mulch are still sitting in the garden along side the plant, instead of wrapped up in a nice little warm package.
And yet, despite being initially buried in 15" of snow, subsequent thawing and re-freezing, a few overnight temperatures well below zero, and even a "warm" January rain, it appears that the plant is somehow still alive!?! Frostbitten around the edges for sure, but the inner parts of the leaves and stems are still colorful and firm. It's hard to say if it's going to make it all the way to spring (we could have a whole lot of winter ahead of us yet), let alone if it will produce anything if it does, but this little plant is giving me a lot of hope that I actually might be able to overwinter a few cold hardy veggies in Minnesota! And that is a very enjoyable thought, especially at this time of year. I guess it's time to pull those cold frame plans out again, huh?
Brussels sprouts are known for their hardiness so I am not surprised that this little fellow survived the tundra's of your snowy climate. There are lots of frost and indeed snow hardy vegetables, mainly the brassicas, that should overwinter alright in Minnesota. I hope you do get some Brussels Sprouts from your plant after all of the care and attention and faith you have put into it...if you do...they should taste AMAZING after all that plant has been through ;)
ReplyDeleteI have long believed it has to be possible as well! I think the key will be finding the right avenue to provide insulation from our really cold snaps (our forecasted high (yes, high) for Monday is -7). I will look forward to reporting on future endeavors to grow food in Minnesota in the winter!
DeleteBrussels sprouts--not to mention broccoli and cauliflower--are my holy grails. The timing is just so tough. My BS seed sat un-planted for years, so I tried purchasing seedlings, but by the time I found them at a garden center, around Labor Day, it was really too late for my zone 7 garden. I tried anyway, and I'm hoping if they make it until close to March, the tiny sprouts they've been sporting will grow large enough to eat. They seem to shrug off cold temps, but we've barely gotten below freezing this year, so far. Good luck!
ReplyDeleteI'm glad I'm not the only one struggling with brussels sprouts! The timing is tricky, but I am determined to figure it out. I've had good luck with broccoli, so maybe that means there's hope for me yet! Thanks for stopping by!
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