Sow Basil Seeds
Sow basil seeds in well-drained soil, ensuring they receive adequate sunlight for optimal germination and growth.
In the land of 10,000 lakes and ever-changing seasons, Minnesota presents a beautiful canvas for passionate gardeners. Cultivating a garden that thrives year-round in the North Star State requires a strategic approach with a uniquely defined garden calendar.
If you’ve been following along with Poly’s Farm for your homesteading journey, by now you should have a nice and tidy space with a sustainable pantry organization that is stocked with a minimalist grocery list. Now, we can begin to build a gardening routine.
Brr! A Zone 4a Garden Calendar (2024 and beyond)
Below is Poly’s garden journal located near chilly Minneapolis, Minnesota, detailed with sowing dates, watering schedule, harvest dates, and more. Follow along day by day to fill out replacing our groceries with homegrown food with this zone 4a garden calendar. Many of these varieties can be grown in a wide geographic range around the United States and the world.
Keep track of Poly’s Minnesota garden calendar throughout the year to check the status of plants and to track the progress of your own garden.
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Calendar of Events
S Sun
M Mon
T Tue
W Wed
T Thu
F Fri
S Sat
4 events,
Break Bread!
Break bread in the new year by baking a simple bread loaf to set the intention of a new simple living diet.
Make a Smoothie
Blend a good portion of this week's fruit and greens into a smoothie for a fresh start to the week.
Grocery Shopping
Run inventory on your fridge, freezer, and pantry to ensure you are stocked with all of the essential ingredients in your minimalist grocery list.
2 events,
Declutter Pantry
It's that time of year again, to reset and start a new diet. With a freshly stocked whole foods kitchen, this week is the time to declutter your pantry to […]
Water Basil Seeds
Spray your basil seeds at least 3x per day to keep the soil moist while germination occurs.
2 events,
2 events,
2 events,
3 events,
Cook Vegetable Chili
This plant-based staple is heavy on veggies, is easy to preserve as a frozen meal, and saves money on groceries. It is easy to change up the flavor of this chili throughout the seasons as we grow different herbs and homegrown vegetables. Meal prep a vegetable chili for each month and freeze whatever you don't […]
3 events,
5 events,
Make a Smoothie
Blend a good portion of this week's fruit and greens into a smoothie for a fresh start to the week.
4 events,
Cook Rice
This rice can be served with the palak paneer today and will be used tomorrow to make vegetable fried rice for dinner.
Cook Palak Paneer
Meal prep a generous family serving size of palak paneer for dinner tonight and freeze the excess. Palak paneer is a spicy and savory Indian dish that is packed with nutrients thanks to the generous amounts of spinach and other vegetables. The paneer provides filling protein and fat, and this creamy dish can server up […]
3 events,
3 events,
Make a Smoothie
Blend a good portion of this week's fruit and greens into a smoothie for a fresh start to the week.
2 events,
Water Parsley Seeds
Water the parsley seeds we have sown, keeping the top of the soil consistently moist until germination.
1 event,
2 events,
Sprout Chia Seeds
Our first little sprout has emerged in our sunny indoor garden! Sprout the chia seeds in a jar from our minimalist grocery list to add our first leafy green to the bunch. Not all seeds can be sprouted and eaten safely, or necessarily taste good anyway. Chia seeds are a great sprout to grow for […]
2 events,
3 events,
Prime Spinach Seeds
Next week we still sow the spinach seeds and to increase your germination rate, we will prime them. Soak spinach seeds in room temperature water for 24 hours. Place the wet seeds on a paper towel, and allow them to dry at room temperature for a day or two. Wrap the seeds in a wet […]
Make a Smoothie
Blend a good portion of this week's fruit and greens into a smoothie for a fresh start to the week.
1 event,
1 event,
1 event,
1 event,
1 event,
3 events,
-
Plant Thyme Indoors
Plant Thyme Indoors
Divide the thyme plant from the outside garden bed and plant in a pot in the indoor garden.
3 events,
Make a Smoothie
Blend a good portion of this week's fruit and greens into a smoothie for a fresh start to the week.
Sow Spinach Seeds
In a tray sow spinach seeds, spacing them in rows 2 inches apart, then water. Keep the soil moist but not waterlogged. If you're using artificial lights, spinach plants need 8–10 hours of light per day. After germination, to prevent bolting when sowing spinach indoors, maintain a consistent temperature of around 60-70°F (15-21°C) and move […]
1 event,
1 event,
3 events,
Grocery Shopping
Run inventory on your fridge, freezer, and pantry to ensure you are stocked with all of the essential ingredients in your minimalist grocery list.
2 events,
Water Celery Seeds
Water the parsley seeds we have sown, keeping the top of the soil consistently moist until germination.
3 events,
Cook Vegetable Chili
This plant-based staple is heavy on veggies, is easy to preserve as a frozen meal, and saves money on groceries. It is easy to change up the flavor of this chili throughout the seasons as we grow different herbs and homegrown vegetables. Meal prep a vegetable chili for each month and freeze whatever you don't […]
The above plants and foods are an example diet based on our collection of homestead recipes to represent our survival garden calendar, otherwise known as a victory garden calendar. Depending on your climate and location, this garden calendar could be customized for you.
Do you want to customize this garden calendar to your own biome? Subscribe today to receive updates on the release of Poly’s Farm, an interactive homestead game and real-time garden journal.
Even in the smallest of spaces, cultivating your own food is remarkably accessible, requiring only minimal resources and a creative approach to make the most of limited room for a thriving home garden.
If you are a neighbor in or to Minnesota, or elsewhere in a chilly garden somewhere, we hope you grow with this zone 4a garden calendar.
How do you grow food all year in a cold climate?
Growing food year-round in a cold climate can be challenging, but it’s possible with the right strategies.
Extend the growing season and produce food throughout the year in colder climates:
- Greenhouses and High Tunnels: Using greenhouses or high tunnels helps create a controlled environment that retains heat. This allows you to grow a variety of crops even during colder months.
- Cold Frames: Cold frames are like small, bottomless greenhouses that can be placed over plants. They capture and trap heat, protecting plants from frost and extending the growing season.
- Row Covers: Floating row covers are lightweight fabrics that can be draped over plants to protect them from frost. They allow sunlight and water to reach the plants while creating a warmer microclimate.
- Winter Varieties: Choose plant varieties that are specifically bred for cold climates. These varieties are more resilient to low temperatures and may continue to produce even in winter.
- Mulching: Mulching helps to insulate the soil and regulate its temperature. This is particularly important during winter to protect the roots of plants from freezing.
- Indoor Gardening: Consider growing some crops indoors using containers. This can be done with herbs, small vegetables, and even some fruiting plants.
- Hydroponics and Indoor Growing Systems: Hydroponic systems and other indoor growing methods allow you to control temperature, light, and other factors, enabling you to grow food indoors throughout the year.
- Crop Rotation: Practice crop rotation to maintain soil health and prevent the buildup of pests and diseases that can affect winter crops.
- Cold-Weather Crops: Focus on crops that thrive in cooler temperatures, such as kale, spinach, carrots, radishes, and certain varieties of lettuce.
- Heated Propagation: Start your seeds in a warm environment before transplanting them outdoors. This can give your plants a head start and help them establish more quickly.
By combining these methods, you can create a more resilient and diverse growing system that allows you to produce food in a cold climate throughout the entire year.
