A Review of Backyard Winter Gardening by Caleb Warnock, written by Williams County Master Gardener, Carma Yoder

As an avid gardener in Northwest Ohio, I am always looking for ways to extend my growing season. This past summer, I came across a book by Caleb Warnock at my local library. His approach to growing vegetables throughout the winter without artificial heat and electricity was intriguing and simple.

First, the winter gardener must choose a way to trap the heat during the winter. He suggested several different options, including cloches (or glass bells), all-natural hotbeds (utilizing green manure or green leafy material for heating), or cold frames (can be bought or built using simple materials). I decided to use a simple cold frame because it was the most cost-efficient for me since I had an old window frame and access to free wood.

After selecting the spot in my backyard where there was plenty of sunshine throughout the day, I dug up the sod that fit the size of my cold frame. I added some compost, covered the area with straw, and watered it thoroughly.

Warnock suggested several different winter varieties of carrots, lettuce, and spinach. I ordered some seeds from Baker Creek Seed Company. Warnock's advice was to plant in late summer to give the seeds plenty of time to germinate before the cooler fall months.

I had some success germinating lettuce, but I had to reseed the carrots and spinach again a few weeks later. I believe this was due to the warmer weather we had throughout the fall this year and the drier weather, which put Williams County in a state of drought.

I opened the cold frame on occasion to check the moisture level, but it required little maintenance. I did very little tending to my winter garden. I did notice the lettuce would brown on the edges from periods of extreme cold, but it grew well otherwise. The spinach germinated well and grew even through the cold burst of subzero windchills. Concerning my carrots, I have had a very low germination rate. I am unsure at this point what has contributed to this.

Overall, I found the book Backyard Winter Gardening interesting as it encouraged me to try some winter varieties of plants during a season that I often do not get any fresh produce from my garden. My dream would be to have a greenhouse to extend my growing season. Winter gardening with a simple cold frame proved a cost-efficient way to attempt it on a smaller scale. Warnock encourages his readers to lengthen their growing season by starting small, experimenting with what works, and being willing to consider new varieties. I will continue to use the information from Warnock to improve my garden and encourage others to do the same.