VOA健康报道2022--How to Plan for Cold-season Crops

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How to Plan for Cold-season Crops

If you live in areas of temperate¹ climate and enjoy homegrown vegetables, it is time to start planting now.

A temperate climate area is a part of Earth that lies between 40 to 60 degrees north or south of the Equator.

Gardening expert Jessica Damiano writes for the Associated Press. She says if you live in a temperate area, start planting cool weather crops now and you will enjoy the fruits of your labor² by November.

The process for starting seeds and planting starter plants is the same year-round. But when planting crops for autumn in areas that experience frosts and freezes, timing³ needs to be exact. If you plant cool weather crops too early, they might not grow well under the summer sun. If you are too late, the cold weather could kill them before they are fully⁴ grown.

To get it right, you will need to know the average date of the first frost in your area. That is the time when the ground will harden and ice will form overnight.

Next, count backward from your first frost date by the number of days the individual crops will be fully grown. And use that target date as a starting point.

There are some exceptions. In the southernmost temperate areas, for example, you can still plant summer vegetables like tomatoes, eggplants, peppers, squash and beans in August and September. But cool-weather crops should wait until October or November.

Crops for cool weather

Greens like arugula, Asian greens, collards, kale, lettuces⁶, mustard greens, spinach⁷ and Swiss chard – and root crops like beets⁸, radishes and parsnips – grow well in the cool temperatures and limited daylight of the autumn season.

Their seeds can be put directly into the garden or outdoor containers in most areas. But it is better to start these seeds indoors with cooler temperatures over hot summer weather.

Work with the soil before seeding or transplanting. Add generous amounts of organic matter like compost or aged⁹ manure¹⁰ to garden soil. Mix in a slow-release fertilizer also. If you are planting root crops, loosen the soil 25 to 30 centimeters deep to ease their growth downward.

Plant the seeds at the depth of about twice their width. Space them out to avoid overcrowding. Keep the soil wet but be careful to avoid washing away seeds. And, firmly but gently pack the soil into place. If seeds are tiny, you can spread them over the soil and then remove extra growths to avoid crowding out the plants.

After the seeds develop, apply mulch to retain water in the soil to keep the temperature even. This can also block undesirable¹¹ plants called weeds from taking over the area. Pull up any weeds that you find as they take water and nutrients¹² that your crop needs. Keep plants well-watered during the remaining summer months to protect them from heat damage.

Crops that can survive a frost

As cold weather arrives, do not worry that your crops will die under a frost.

Crops like Brussels sprouts¹³, cabbage, broccoli¹⁴, cauliflower, collards, kale and kohlrabi are improved by a light frost. A light frost is an overnight temperature of 0 degrees Celsius¹⁵.

Artichokes, arugula, beets, carrots, cauliflower, celery, endive, escarole, lettuce⁵, parsnips, radicchio, Swiss chard and many Asian greens can survive a hard frost -- at minus 2 degrees Celsius -- for a limited time.

And you can always protect crops from overnight frost by covering them with cloth material and plastics. But remember to remove all coverings in the morning. Your plants need the day's sunlight to grow into delicious and healthful food!

Words in This Story

generous - adj. providing more than the amount that is needed

compost - n. a decayed mixture of leaves and grass that is used to improve the soil

manure - n. solid waste from animal that is used to make the soil better for growing plants

mulch - n. material such as leaves or small pieces of wood that is spread over ground to protect plants and help them grow

1 temperate   

adj.温和的，温带的，自我克制的，不过分的

参考例句：

• Asia extends across the frigid,temperate and tropical zones.亚洲地跨寒、温、热三带。
• Great Britain has a temperate climate.英国气候温和。

2 labor   

n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦

参考例句：

• We are never late in satisfying him for his labor.我们从不延误付给他劳动报酬。
• He was completely spent after two weeks of hard labor.艰苦劳动两周后，他已经疲惫不堪了。

3 timing   

n.时间安排，时间选择

参考例句：

• The timing of the meeting is not convenient.会议的时间安排不合适。
• The timing of our statement is very opportune.我们发表声明选择的时机很恰当。

4 fully   

adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地

参考例句：

• The doctor asked me to breathe in,then to breathe out fully.医生让我先吸气，然后全部呼出。
• They soon became fully integrated into the local community.他们很快就完全融入了当地人的圈子。

5 lettuce   

n.莴苣；生菜

参考例句：

• Get some lettuce and tomatoes so I can make a salad.买些莴苣和西红柿，我好做色拉。
• The lettuce is crisp and cold.莴苣松脆爽口。

6 lettuces   

n.莴苣，生菜（ lettuce的名词复数 ）；生菜叶

参考例句：

• My lettuces have gone to seed. 我种的莴苣已结子。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• Are these lettuces home-grown or did you buy them in the market? 这些生菜是自家种的呢，还是你在市场上买的？ 来自辞典例句

7 spinach   

n.菠菜

参考例句：

• Eating spinach is supposed to make you strong.据说吃菠菜能使人强壮。
• You should eat such vegetables as carrot,celery and spinach.你应该吃胡萝卜、芹菜和菠菜这类的蔬菜。

8 beets   

甜菜( beet的名词复数 )； 甜菜根； （因愤怒、难堪或觉得热而）脸红

参考例句：

• Beets are Hank's favorite vegetable. 甜菜根是汉克最爱吃的蔬菜。
• In this enlargement, barley, alfalfa, and sugar beets can be differentiated. 在这张放大的照片上，大麦，苜蓿和甜菜都能被区分开。

9 aged   

adj.年老的，陈年的

参考例句：

• He had put on weight and aged a little.他胖了，也老点了。
• He is aged,but his memory is still good.他已年老，然而记忆力还好。

10 manure   

n.粪，肥，肥粒；vt.施肥

参考例句：

• The farmers were distributing manure over the field.农民们正在田间施肥。
• The farmers used manure to keep up the fertility of their land.农夫们用粪保持其土质的肥沃。

11 undesirable   

adj.不受欢迎的，不良的，不合意的，讨厌的；n.不受欢迎的人，不良分子

参考例句：

• They are the undesirable elements among the employees.他们是雇员中的不良分子。
• Certain chemicals can induce undesirable changes in the nervous system.有些化学物质能在神经系统中引起不良变化。

12 nutrients   

n.（食品或化学品）营养物，营养品( nutrient的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• a lack of essential nutrients 基本营养的缺乏
• Nutrients are absorbed into the bloodstream. 营养素被吸收进血液。 来自《简明英汉词典》

13 sprouts   

n.新芽，嫩枝( sprout的名词复数 )v.发芽( sprout的第三人称单数 )；抽芽；出现；（使）涌现出

参考例句：

• The wheat sprouts grew perceptibly after the rain. 下了一场雨，麦苗立刻见长。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• The sprouts have pushed up the earth. 嫩芽把土顶起来了。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

14 broccoli   

n.绿菜花，花椰菜

参考例句：

• She grew all the broccoli plants from seed.这些花椰菜都是她用种子培育出来的。
• They think broccoli is only green and cauliflower is only white.他们认为西兰花只有绿色的，而菜花都是白色的。

15 Celsius   

adj.摄氏温度计的，摄氏的

参考例句：

• The temperature tonight will fall to seven degrees Celsius.今晚气温将下降到七摄氏度。
• The maximum temperature in July may be 36 degrees Celsius.七月份最高温度可能达到36摄氏度。