So, it snowed, and it got really cold in South Dakota this last month. While it is never ideal to have an early snow, this is something that we see often. The extended forecast shows melting weather in the future which hopefully will allow us to continue with our fall gardening. Did you have time to harvest your veggies from the garden? Don’t worry if you didn’t have time, many veggies can withstand freezing temps and are sweeter after going through frosts!
Gardeners love planting root vegetables to create hearty meals which will tide them over on those cold nights. Root vegetables like parsnips, turnips, beets and carrots can be harvested after frost until the ground is frozen. However, if the soil has been left wet, you may see rotting of the vegetable. If you are careful with soil moisture and cannot quite get your vegetables harvested in the fall, wait until spring has arrived and the ground thaws. If the spring is not too wet these veggies will still be able to be harvested before the leaves start growing again.
Brussel sprouts, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage and kale also can be harvested post freeze. The roots of these plants will send sugars up to the leaves at freezing temps to protect the foliage and creating sweet greens to eat throughout the late fall and winter.
Have fun with your extended harvest, and hopefully we won’t see any more white stuff until Christmas!
