Winter Garden

Ok, so now that it's the new year, it's a little too late to start a winter garden, but winter's on my mind, so winter garden planning I will do (for next year of course).

Here's a list of winter plants in order of cold hardiness according to Eliot Coleman. I plan to update this based on my personal experience once I've tested these specific varieties. In my experience though parsely belongs at top of list; turnips, mustards, collards above lettuce, and kale earns a high place on the list.

SEQ	CROP	CULTIVAR	SUPPLIER
1	Mache	Vit	J
2	Scallion	White Spear	J
3	Spinach	Space	C,J
4	Tatsoi		J,S
5	Carrot	Napoli	I
6	Claytonia		C,J
7	Sorrel	De Belleville	C
8	Chard	Agentata	S
9	Minutinia		C,J
10	Lettuce	Samantha	J
11	Beets	Red Ace	J
12	Arugula	Selvatica	C,J,S
13	Escerole	Coral	J
14	Endive	Salad King	J
15	Raddichio	Augusto	J
16	Chicory	Bianca	J
17	Parsley	Riccia	J
18	Mizuna	Forest Green	C,J,S
19	Dandelion		C
20	Turnip	Ameliore	J
21	Mustard	Hakurei, Red Giant	C,J,S

C = Cook's Garden
J = Johnny's Selected Seeds
S = Shepherd's Garden Seeds

Crop Rotation Sample Plans

This book contains many example crop rotation plans.
Haven't had a chance to review it myself yet.

Example 1:
1) Peas & Beans-> 2) Cabbage -> 3) Corn -> 4) Potato -> 5) Squash -> 6) Roots -> 7) Beans -> 8) Tomatoes

Green manures started as undersowing for matching #
1) Clovers -> 2) White Clovers -> 3) Soybeans -> 4) Rye -> 5) Sweet Clover -> 6) White Clover -> 7) Vetch -> 8) Oats

Example 2:
Potato -> Peas & Beans -> Brassica -> Green Manure -> Onions -> Root Crops
Manure before potato. Lime before legumes. Compost before brassicas.

Reasoning:
Legumes benefit from loosened soil from potato. Brassicas benefit from nitrogen. Onions are ok to compact soil from brassicas. Root crops beenfit from loosening from onions.

Example 3:
Potato -> Squash -> Carrots -> Peas & Beans -> Corn

Reasoning:
Potatoes and squash are cleaner crops meaning they smother weeds. Carrots are poor competors to weeds so perform well proceeding cleaner crop. Root crops loosen the soil which legumes benefit from. Carrots are usually a negative preceeding crop but legumes are immune. Legumes add nitrogen to the soil which is good for the heavy nitrogen feeders such as corn.

Recipe Nutrition



Tortellini Soup From Pioneer Woman


Found a website for determining the nutritional content of home cooked meals. You plug in ingredients, then it calculates the nutritional content. I love it. Although a little time consuming, if you're health consciouse like me and like to keep all your favorite recipes written down anyway, this site is perfect.
Click below link to see an example nutritional content posting for this recipe then click "All Nutrients"
http://recipenutrition.com/MRBshowRecipe.aspx?recno=20122&bck=2&recname=Tricolor%20Tortellini%20Soup