Perpetual Fresh Veg?

[OH, let me try that!]

I know this isn't completely Emergency topical, but hear me out.

Can't there be some way of combining a root cellar with a greenhouse to be in good, fresh veg for the whole of a year? Would it be too difficult for a layman or typical farmer in the know to do? I've been researching a bit on both subjects and it seems a greenhouse has been used effectively in farming in places like the Netherlands, England, and various other places in Europe to have what they want when they want it. Surely, we can learn from this, and use the root cellar as a weigh station in the mean to keep us fully stocked with anything we desire rather perpetually? Would that be too hard to accomplish individually, given the automated nature of their technology? Seems regulation of temperature is pretty key, as well as air circulation and that wouldn't be easy to monitor without some sort of tech beyond a thermometer and being on hand to open and close the venting just right...

I dunno, I'm just tossing this out as a curiosity my brain has been gnawing on for a couple days. I'd like to think it's accomplishable, but perhaps some of you good folks can set me arights as to the whys and why nots, eh?

[bakergirl99]

There are a couple of books available on four season gardening.

You could definitely do the greenhouse... actually attaching it to a chicken coop is one of the better ideas I've heard of. The chickens would eat a lot of weeds; extra plants, etc, and give you great compost. The chicken coop would also provide good CO2 for the plants, and a wee bit of warmth. Chickens also eat bugs, so you might let a few of them into the greenhouse every so often.

For a micro-version of what you want to do, you could just sprout seeds all winter. Sprouts have superb nutrition, and even good protein. And all you would need is a few saucers to sprout them in.

[paulawylma]

If you have a window that is sunny year round then you can grow salad and herbs in a window box. If you have space or a skylight then you can have a greenhouse or hydropondics garden. Root cellars are mainly for root vegetables and fall fruits like apples. My grandmother used to keep her canned goods in the root cellar as well. There are books on succession gardening where you start out in the spring with lettuces and quick growing cool weather crops then as it gets too hot for the cool plants you use the same space for hot weather crops like peppers and tomatoes while planting the fall crops that mature slower so that the hot weather crops are harvested in time to give the space to the fall squashes and cabbages etc. Then in some areas you can plant another cool weather crop for late fall.

I'm thinking of getting one of those pods to grow salad indoors this winter. They are small hydrpondics units that fit on a tabletop.

[Chef #2024671]

hi jone