Wintering My Garden

[Jane23]

For science! 😁 I'll be interested to hear the results.

If things start coming up in the spring, then it worked.

 

[ducks4you]

I read about both being an option. I tried to get hay but could not coordinate with the rancher, and time got short. This is only a little experiment since I am wondering if it will get too cold for the garlic, onion, and potato transplants to go. We will see. I will take the leftover and layer it later this week to help really insulate it.

If you don't have livestock you are competing with cattle and horse owners for hay. The whole country is pretty dry, so hay prices are up. If you EVER see an ad for "rained on hay" I suggest that you buy that, bring it home and open up the bales IMMEDIATELY, so that they do not heat up and cause a fire. You can use that for gardening after it dries out.
Try grass clippings.

 

[Jane23]

from Central IL. Your growing zone/state have a LOT to do with answering your question. Please put your location with your avatar bc I won't remember where you live once you start posting.

Around The Farm Table - Garlic: The Stinking Rose - Twin Cities PBS

Inga prepares a fall harvest meal for farmer friends who helped plant garlic.

www.tpt.org

She lives in Wisconsin and might be in a similar zone to you.
I live in a warmer zone, and ALL of my advice was to get it into the ground ASAP.
Inga plants in October and covers with straw.

I am unsure how to add my zone avatar, and I know it all depends on my growing zone. I live in South Eastern Montana so there are severe winters, and everything dies. The maps say I am in zone 3b.

 

[ducks4you]

Click on "Jane23"
It will pull up your Avatar,etc.
MINE looks like this, and I can edit it whenever I wish.

ducks4you​

Garden Master · 64 · From East Central IL, Was Zone 6, Now...maybe Zone 5
Joined Sep 4, 2009

 

[Jane23]

Click on "Jane23"
It will pull up your Avatar,etc.
MINE looks like this, and I can edit it whenever I wish.

ducks4you​

Garden Master · 64 · From East Central IL, Was Zone 6, Now...maybe Zone 5
Joined Sep 4, 2009

I added my location.

 

[ducks4you]

 

[ducks4you]

Your climate is a lot like @digitS'

 

[ducks4you]

Cover crops are tricky. You almost have to plant them in late summer/early Fall to establish and then you expect them to die back before they set seed.
The best advice will come from the University of Montana, Your land grant University, and they have Extension offices specifically to answer questions about your Montana property.

 

[digitS']

Miles City, which is sorta in SE Montana, is miles and miles away. BIG State and a big SE area for Jane23.

Missoula is on this, the western side of the Great Divide and has been nicknamed The Garden City. I asked a resident one time how it came by that name. She just said that it is by comparison with the other cities in the state. Ouch! Yes, Missoula is close.

Steve

 

[Jane23]

Miles City, which is sorta in SE Montana, is miles and miles away. BIG State and a big SE area for Jane23.

Missoula is on this, the western side of the Great Divide and has been nicknamed The Garden City. I asked a resident one time how it came by that name. She just said that it is by comparison with the other cities in the state. Ouch! Yes, Missoula is close.

Steve

Missoula is very different from here. Please do not reference the other side of the state, it does little good.