What vegetables grow well in coastal winter gardens?
Written by
Nguyen Minh
Reviewed by
Prof. Charles Hartman, Ph.D.Winter gardens by the coast contend with accelerating issues from salt spray and corrosive winds. Salt spray is relatively harsh on most vegetable crops. However, there are specialty vegetables, such as sea kale, that naturally flourish in saline soils. Some protective strategies work by leveraging microclimatic conditions, effectively deflecting property damage from salt spray exposure. All of these strategies aim to expand the boundaries of potential coastal winter gardens, providing seasonal food sources within limited space.
Windbreak Construction
- Build stone walls 3 feet high perpendicular to winds
- Plant dense evergreen hedges as secondary barriers
- Angle structures to deflect spray away from plants
Microclimate Creation
- Install glass cloches during storm events
- Use burlap screens on windy days
- Apply seaweed mulch for mineral enrichment
- Create sunken beds to reduce wind exposure
Stone barriers become an important feature to deflect destructive elevated ocean winds additionally. In particular, erect walls in the direction that will block the prevailing wind direction using locally gathered beach stones. These walls will prevent up to 80% of the salt from recurring on the upper soil and create safe zones for planting. Use elevated planting systems with soil amended with sand.
Vegetables that tolerate salt have a unique set of adaptations. For instance, sea kale produces leaves with waxy surfaces that easily shed and do not accumulate salt. Samphire is another vegetable that has salt-filtering abilities through the mechanisms of its succulent stems. These systems enable the cultivation of pickling crops in conditions where conventional vegetables would not thrive. They each have flavor profiles that pair well with seafood.
Soil management involves carefully balancing mineral content. Rinse the soil monthly with fresh water, even if there appears to be no sodium salt crust, to help prevent the buildup of sodium salts. Once every year, amend the soil beds with kelp meal and compost. Maintain a pH of near 7.0 to optimize nutrient availability in saline conditions. Remember to test the soil monthly for salt buildup.
Protective and supportive structures like glass cloches are used for storm events. Place the cloches away from direct ocean spray. For temporary wind protection, burlap screens can provide a barrier. Sunken garden beds can help by lowering the plant exposure and capturing rainwater. These strategies help create microclimates, and food crops will fare much better in these types of conditions.
Start with sea kale and saltwort, which are tolerant to direct exposure. Check for salt buildup weekly, then branch out to other vegetables when you have a reliable protection system in place. Your coastal garden will become an interesting source of flavorful, fresh winter produce.
Read the full article: Top 10 Cold Hardy Vegetables to Grow
