Four Seasons Gardening Manual for New Jersey ~ Northeast Organic Farming Association of New Jersey ` For more information, Please see websites below: ` Organic Edible Schoolyards & Gardening with Children = http://scribd.com/doc/239851214 ~ ` Double Food Production from your School Garden with Organic Tech = http://scribd.com/doc/239851079 ~ ` Free School Gardening Art Posters = http://scribd.com/doc/239851159 ~ ` Increase Food Production with Companion Planting in your School Garden = http://scribd.com/doc/239851159 ~ ` Healthy Foods Dramatically Improves Student Academic Success = http://scribd.com/doc/239851348 ~ ` City Chickens for your Organic School Garden = http://scribd.com/doc/239850440 ~ ` Huerto Ecológico, Tecnologías Sostenibles, Agricultura Organica http://scribd.com/doc/239850233 ` Simple Square Foot Gardening for Schools - Teacher Guide = http://scribd.com/doc/239851110

1. FOUR-SEASONS GARDENING:
OPTIONS & ALTERNATIVES
TO GROWING FOOD IN ALL
FOUR SEASONS, EVEN
IN THE c c c c c COLD…
EVE SPRINGWOOD MINSON
NOFA-NJ and JUST ONE SEED

2. HOW’D WE GET HERE?
You mean we don’t need
California after all?

3. ELIOT COLEMAN
thank you!

4. Eliot and Barbara Damrosch

6. The “Maestro”
Elliot Coleman has been busy…

7. THE FOUR-SEASONS GROWING MODEL
Yes, FOUR GROWING Seasons
even here in the NORTHEAST!
WINTER: Plan field growing; active but slower growth in hoophouses and low tunnels, start
early heated greenhouse production
LATE WINTER/EARLYSPRING: New greens seeding in hoops; heated GH production
LATE SPRING: Transplanting from heated GH; early tomatoes in hoops along with other warm
season crops like cukes, zukes, eggplant.
EARLY SUMMER: hoops for tomatoes and tenders, seed for late summer
LATE SUMMER/EARLY FALL: start transplants for fall hoops
FALL (by October): direct sow hoops for winter production that will last until Feb/March

8. THE ANNUAL GROWING SEASON STRUCTURES
UNHEATED HOOPHOUSES – Tall and Mid-size
• For season extension for warm and cold seasons – can operate 365 days
• Seed starting for cold tolerant plants
• Drying herbs
• Curing root crops, garlic, onions
HEATED GREENHOUSE:
• Seeding transplants for all seasons
• Starting microgreens
• Drying seeds, herbs, garlic
• Curing crops
COLD FRAMES and Low Hoops:
• Small-scale production
• Holding flats during transition time and season
• Overwintering roots, greens

9. LATE FALL/EARLY WINTER: PLANNING,
DESIGNING AND PREPARING…
•DREAM IT UP! Long cold nights are great for planning field production
based on rotation plan from last year, updating your website, harvesting
everything you planted earlier this fall.
•PRODUCTION SCHEDULE AND LISTS: Revisit last year, update, edit
•Catalog info: Lots of information there that you may not be aware of
•Order seed, fruit plants, perennials, supplies, etc.
•Prepare for starting seedlings indoors…clean up greenhouse

17. STRUCTURES

18. SEASON-EXTENSION TOOLS AND TERMS
COLD FRAME – a box, usually sunk into the ground a foot or so, with an angled, transparent
lid that can be opened, closed or propped partly open to vent heat. The bottom can be
open to soil , in-ground plants can be seeded or seedlings hardened off in pots.
CLOCHE – an old French market-gardener’s term for a bell-shaped glass jar placed over
young plants in spring. Wall-o-waters and hot caps are the current incarnations.
FLOATING ROW COVER – water and air permeable, these synthetic fabrics help hold in the
heat when placed close to the ground. The transparent plastic version, placed right over the
soil and held down with stakes or weights, can create a mini-microclimate for seed
germination. Outdoors, the covers can help keep out insect pests.
QUICK HOOPS, LOW HOOPS, LOW TUNNELS – slightly higher coverings, stretched across
frames outdoor crops that still provide a single layer of climate extension. They can be
added only to protect from spring and autumn frosts or employed year-round if vented.
HOOP HOUSE, HIGH TUNNEL, COLD HOUSE, COOL HOUSE – unheated or minimally heated
(to just above freezing) structures, tall enough to stand in, where crops are grown in-
ground; can be movable for seasonal changes and cover crop rotations.

19. ELIOT COLEMAN PRODUCTION FIELDS
HEATED GREENHOUSE
MOVEABLE HOOP
LOW HOOPS

20. BASIC UNHEATED HOOP HOUSE OR HIGH TUNNEL STRUCTURAL DESIGN

21. From MOTHER EARTH NEWS

23. HOOPHOUSE PRODUCTION FOR
FOUR SEASONS GARDENING

26. WINTER- there is green
life under the row cover!

27. ELIOT COLEMAN’S
OPERATION IN MAINE…

28. TRANSITION SEASON CHANGING OVER IN TINICUM, PA
Rebecca at JUST ONE SEED

29. SMALLER STRUCTURES

30. A QUICK HOOP IS a low tunnel
that gives plants extra
protection in cold weather.
Acting as a mini-greenhouse,
the inexpensive structure
allows you to grow vegetables
year-round – metal or PVC.

32. HOOPS CAN BE HELD DOWN WITH
PLASTIC ROCK BAGS, OR
LANDSCAPE STAPLES WORK

37. Various berries, basil for early harvest ,
ginger, and culinary herbs…

38. OR BETTER YET, PARTIES…!

39. HOOPHOUSE PRODUCTION

40. GENERAL BENEFITS OF SOLAR-HEATED COVER IN A HOOPHOUSE:
• Low Cost extended cold season of growth and pushing summer crops
earlier with natural ventilation and no electric costs or infrastructure
• Can be a quick PAYBACK time due to high value of crop and extra season
or earlier high-value crops like tomatoes, strawberries, basil
• Some insect protection and deer protection if sides are rolled down.
• Controlling precipitation
• Intensive cropping environment
• Lots of control
• Can have higher yields and nicer-looking crops (no wind or hail, etc)
• Versatile: livestock cover, run the chickens through end of year, store a
tractor, throw a party, grow hot and cold season
• Not hard to put up or take down and move; no building permits needed
• No electric needed, no extra ventilation need with big openings and roll-
up sides so cheap operation

41. THE CHALLENGES OF HOOPHOOUSES:
• EQUIPMENT. Not easy to use large equipment in unless they are very
large – mostly walk-behind rototiller and handtools after first plowing and
tilling. This can be done before hoops go up.
• MAKE IT RAIN! Salt buildup will take place over time…make sure you
have some extended overhead watering to leach out salts.
• LET IS SNOW, let it snow…NOT!! Snow removal is a must! Especially in
anything above 2-4 inches. Be creative with your solutions.
• KEEP IT COOL! Temperatures can become VERY hot in high summer
without shade cloth, roll-up sides and proper ventilation. Use both to
your benefit.
• FALLOW AND ROTATE LIKE YOUR FIELDS. Temptation to keep cropping
over and over without a fallow period and cover crop

42. SITING:
• LEVEL site with soils that have good drainage.
• Good sunlight a must! Away from trees and shade.
• Line up with prevailing winds so wind goes through and not dead
on so it will topple the HH. (I always strengthen with rebar and
ropes)
• Think of drainage on sides if mucky and fill with vegetation but not
weeds. Keep maintained with mower. Watch out for weedwhackers
– can slice a hoop fast!!!
• Think of permanent raised beds to enhance warming up of soils
• Water must be easy to access.
• Generally easy to get to…usually mixed into a complex of
greenhouses and hoophouses easy to access with a tractor for
transplanting, harvesting, etc.

43. SHADE CLOTH:
Reduces Temps

44. ROW COVER WEIGHTS
ARE LIGHT TO WINTER
HEAVY DUTY

45. ROLL-UP SIDES!! The best
ventilation possible…but
remember when nights get cool.

46. DIFFERENT END WALL
DESIGNS: the more light and
ventilation the better!

47. VENTILATION: Through roll up sides, end walls, and open doors….

48. PLANNING THE SEASON…

49. SEEDING SCHEDULES
HOOPHOUSE: Direct Seed, seasonal
change-out, rotation, fallow – cover crop
GREENHOUSE: Flats to transplant into
larger pots, Jan to Sept
FIELD: Direct Seed, March to October
FIELD: Transplants, April to October
(remember to rotate and cover crop!)
MICRO-GREENS: Seasonal, direct sow

50. LATE AUGUST THROUGH OCTOBER
DIRECT SOW FRESH for HARVEST ALL WINTER:
• Arugula
• Cut and come again lettuce and mesclun mix
• Spinach
• Asian greens: mizuna, tatsoi, bok choy, mustards, Napa, etc.
• Peas: snap, shelling and snow peas
• Cilantro, parsley, water cress, Chinese celery
• Beets, carrots, turnips
• Kale, chard, collards
• Radishes, French Breakfast and Daikon
• Broccoli grows beautifully in HH but often isn’t worth the space, but try
Brocooli Raab or Sprouting Broccoli
• TRANSPLANTS: Leeks, scallions, cress, garlic for early scapes, Head
lettuce can be started in the greenhouse, or coldframes or the hoop in
trays or soil blocks for transplanting into the HH later

51. WINTER IN HOOPS: Light changes, things warm up, get going!
KEEP HARVESTING from fall: carrots, beets, turnips, greens, alliums
through mid Spring, replenish nutrients with compost, mineral blend and
chicken manure and then prep HH for Spring Warm Season Early
Plantings
Start HEAD LETTUCE TRANSPLANTS IN GREENHOUSE FOR
transplanting outside in late March/early April or HH in late Feb.
APRIL PLANTINGS: early tomatoes, peppers, eggplants - these will last
until November and be followed by transplants of select greens for the
winter
MID APRIL: Basil, cucumbers, zukes

52. END OF TYPICAL GROWING SEASON…
LATE SUMMER: Plant last round of zukes, beans, broccoli, short season
cabbage (place under row cover to keep alive during earlyfrosts)
THEN,TREAT FALL LIKE SPRING:
short days, longer nights, cool evenings and then eventually cool days
-Varieties: Spinach, scallions, beets, lettuce, turnips, beets, Asian greens:
Napa cabbage, Tatsoi, Bok Choy, Mustard Greens, leeks, cilantro, dill,
parsley, peas, arugula, kale, chard, broccoli, broccoli raab, short season
cabbage

54. ADDITIONAL CROPS:
• Cilantro: best in cool temps
• Sweet Peas : Snaps and Podded, Snow Peas
• Cold Tolerant – not FROST-tolerant EARLY Tomatoes: Sweet 100s,
Siberian, Stupice, Moskvich, Oregon Spring, Earliana, Northern Lights,
Early Girl, Early Wonder, Siberian Red,
• EARLY Eggplant: Orient express

55. Hoophouse Cultivar and Scheduling Examples From the Michigan State University Student Organic Farm
Crop Cultivar* Direct Seed (DS) or
Transplant (TP)
Seed Date** Calender Week Scheduled Transplant
Date**
Week of the Year
SPRING
Asian Greens*** Various TP 14-Jan 3 11-Feb 7
Baby Salad**** Various-Fast and Slow DS 1-Feb 5 - -
Beets Golden, Ace DS 1-Feb 5 - -
Carrots Sugarsnax, Napoli DS 1-Feb 5 - -
Chard Bright Lights TP 14-Jan 2 11-Feb 6
Cilantro Santo DS 1-Feb 5 - -
Collards Flash TP 14-Jan 2 11-Feb 6
Cucumber Diva TP 27-Mar 12 1-May 17
Eggplant Orient Express, Nadia TP 1-Mar 9 1-May 17
Kale Red Russian, Toscano,
Winterbor
TP 14-Jan 2 11-Feb 6
Lettuces Aruba, Ermosa,
Various
TP 14-Jan 2 11-Feb 6
Pepper Ace, Carmen TP 21-Feb 7 15-Apr 15

57. • HIGH TUNNEL MANUAL , Produced by Regional Farm and Food
Project and Cornell University
http://www.uvm.edu/sustainableagriculture/Documents/HighTunnels.pdf
• RUTGERS UNIVERSITY
• CORNELL UNIVERSITY
• PENN STATE
Books:
1. The Hoophouse Handbook, by Lynn Byczinski
2. The Winter Harvest Manual, by Eliot Coleman
3. Walking to Spring, by Paul & Alison Weidiger
4. The Northlands Winter Greenhouse Manual,
by Carol Ford & Chuck Waibel

58. PENN STATE Publications
 High Tunnel Manual
 "Production of Vegetables, Strawberries, and Cut Flowers Using Plasticulture NRAES-133"
 "Implementation of a BioControl Program for Insect Control in High Tunnels" Cost is $10.00 (includes tax).
Presentations
 Green Production in High Tunnels [pdf]
 High Tunnel Cut Flowers [pdf]
 High Tunnel Construction [pdf]
 High Tunnel Technology [pdf]
Crop Specific Articles
 Production System for Horticultural Crops Grown in the Penn State High Tunnel [ pdf]
 High Tunnel Production of Cucumber on Raised Beds
 High Tunnel Garlic Variety Study
 High Tunnel Production of Lettuce using Paper Mulch, Bare Ground and Earth Boxes
 High Tunnel Tomato Variety Trial

60. THANKS FOR COMING!
HAVE A GREAT SEASON IN YOUR HOOPHOUSE!!