Basic gardening isn’t that complicated. However, there comes a time in any avid gardener’s life when they want to explore the limits of gardening. In this case, they may encounter the need to over-winter some types of garden vegetables. While a certain amount of preparation is necessary, it isn’t hard if you pay attention to this gardening advice and follow the correct procedures.

Not every type of vegetable can be over-wintered.

The best candidates include firm root crops, like carrots or potatoes, as well as cruciferous vegetables such as cabbage, broccoli and cauliflower.

• In addition, any plant that takes two seasons to produce viable seed will need to be over-wintered and replanted before a seed crop is possible.
• Delicate plants like lettuce, tomatoes and summer squash cannot be over-wintered. If it won’t last in your fridge longer t han a few weeks, it won’t hold up to extended storage either.

You must first prepare your vegetables for storage.

• Many smart individuals plan ahead and shop around for discount or high quality, but affordable greenhouses for sale, which can be as low as twenty dollars and as high as three thousand dollars.
• If the plant is going back into the ground in the spring, you will want to pull up the entire plant, with the root intact. Items like potatoes and carrots can be stored with only the root present, as this is the part of the plant that will be regenerated.

Once your vegetables are pulled and trimmed, if necessary, you must have a cool, dark place for them to spend the winter.

Some people pack the vegetables in straw or sand; both methods do a great job of preserving the plants until spring.

• They also help keep the plant slightly moist, while absorbing excessive wetness that can cause rotting and mold.
• These containers should be placed in a basement area, cold storage room or root cellar.
• The area should stay cool, but above freezing, for the entire winter.
• Check the plants regularly and adjust the storage method if it becomes necessary.