Last winter was so mild. Frost tolerant veggies grew all winter as there were few lengths of days in a row below freezing. Not this November/December however.....weeks of sub zero temperatures with little to no snow caused the ground to freeze quite deep. My 100 ft row of exceptionally sweet chard had many very small leaves i harvested from the plant centres. The straw compost was doing its job for keeping the soil and roots warm, but the big leaves just couldn't handle the extended cold. Winter farming means being prepared for cold.......a low cold frame to protect this farm row project would have prolly worked. The straw made it weed free and it will be interesting to see how well it kept the plants warm come winters end.
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