Whether you are a seasoned farmer or a home gardener, maximizing your growing season can lead to increased yields, more efficient use of space, and the ability to grow a wider variety of crops and flowers. With the desire for plant growth year-round, there are many ways to extend your growing season and take full advantage of the time your plants have to grow. By implementing a mix of strategies, from simple garden adjustments to more advanced farming techniques, you can keep your plants growing longer and protect them from weather extremes, ensuring they have the best chance to reach their full yield.
Below are some practical strategies to help you make the most of your growing season. All of these strategies can be supported by the use of Carbon Chicken, our signature pelletized product.
Start Seeds Indoors (Early Spring)
Begin seeding your crops indoors as early as possible. Starting seeds in late winter or early spring, even before the last frost, gives your plants time to germinate and later ensures your plants are ready to transplant once the weather warms up.
Plant Cold-Tolerant Crops in Early Spring (April-May)
Some crops can be planted as soon as the soil can be worked in spring, often in April or early May. These cold-hardy crops can tolerate frost and cooler temperatures, which in turn, can give you an early start to your growing season. Six weeks before transplanting is the ideal time to incorporate Carbon Chicken pellets into your soil, only using it around the base of the plants.
Use Raised Beds for Faster Soil Warmth
Raised beds are excellent for warming up the soil quickly in early spring. This method can help you plant earlier, especially if your region has a cool spring. Incorporate 4 lbs of Carbon Chicken (in a 3’x8’ bed) into the soil in early spring and fall every year to boost plant yield. The improved drainage and soil structure also allow crops to grow more vigorously, resulting in higher yields later in the season.
Use Biologically Active Soil Amendments to Cultivate Plant Growth
Biological soil amendments can help support plant growth and soil health, creating a super-charged microbial environment for plants to thrive in. Carbon Chicken is a Northwest Arkansas native biological soil amendment that helps mitigate negative environmental impacts from commercial broiler operations while supporting sustainable farming. Carbon Chicken is a powerful soil conditioner that provides short and long term benefits to your soil:
- Composted Poultry Litter: The Nutrient Powerhouse. The base of Carbon Chicken is composted poultry litter, upcycled by the Carbon Chicken Project (CCP). This isn't just raw manure; it's a carefully composted source of essential nutrients like Nitrogen, Phosphorus, and Potassium (NPK 3-2-2) that plants need to flourish, minus the weed seeds that can come in raw chicken litter. The composting process transforms the litter into a more stable and readily available nutrient source for your organic garden, acting as a slow-release fertilizer that feeds your plants over time. Think of it as a naturally engineered fertilizer packed with the building blocks for healthy growth, with added humates to encourage nutrient cycling in your soil.
- Biochar: The Soil Architect. Incorporated into the composted litter is biochar, a charcoal-like material produced from organic waste. This is where advanced engineering truly shines. Biochar acts as a soil architect, creating a porous structure that enhances water retention, a crucial benefit for any gardener, especially during dry spells. This porous structure acts like a “hotel” for beneficial microbes, creating a thriving environment for them to survive extreme weather conditions. Its vast surface area also improves nutrient uptake efficiency, ensuring your plants can access the nourishment they need by holding on to these nutrients until needed by the plant. Furthermore, biochar plays a vital role in long-term carbon storage in your soil, contributing to climate-smart gardening. This carbon-rich matrix can also increase the stability of existing soil carbon. For the organic gardener, biochar is like adding a high-tech infrastructure to your soil, optimizing its physical and chemical properties for superior plant performance. It can even interact with nitrogen to act as a slow-release nutrient source and increase cation exchange capacity, making more nutrients available to plants.
- Beneficial Microbes: The Underground Allies. Carbon Chicken takes soil health a step further by being inoculated with a diverse array of beneficial microbes. These microbes are carefully extracted from sources like biodynamic compost, poultry litter compost, worm castings, and leaf mold, with over two hundred different bacteria and fungi added to the inoculant. These microscopic allies create a super-charged microbial environment that supports plant growth and overall soil health. They enhance soil biological activity and diversity, which is essential for nutrient cycling and a thriving ecosystem beneath the surface. By introducing this carefully selected consortium of microorganisms, Carbon Chicken provides organic gardeners with a living, breathing soil enhancement that actively works to improve soil fertility and plant resilience.
Utilize Heat-Tolerant Varieties for Summer (June-August)
Once the temperatures rise, switch to heat-tolerant crops. These plants thrive during the warmer months, ensuring your garden remains productive from June through August.
Extend the Season with High Tunnels or Hoop Houses
For gardeners or farmers looking to extend their harvest, high tunnels or hoop houses can protect crops from early fall frosts and help them ripen more quickly as the weather cools. These structures trap heat, creating a warmer microclimate that allows summer crops to continue growing later into the season.
Incorporate Carbon Chicken and Mulch for Water Retention and Temperature Regulation
Mulching is an incredibly helpful technique during the hot summer months. Use straw, leaves, or wood chips around your plants to keep the soil cool, retain moisture, and suppress weeds. This helps plants stay hydrated and productive, especially during periods of heat stress, while reducing the need for frequent watering. In Arkansas specifically, this can greatly help your plants and protect them from the extreme heat we often face!
Take Advantage of the Last Warm Days for Late Harvest (September-October)
As October approaches, be prepared to harvest your late-season crops before frost sets in. Use row covers or hoop houses to protect plants that need a little more time to mature.
By carefully applying one or more of these strategies to your April to October growing season, you can enjoy a longer harvest window and better crop yields. Whether you're extending your season into early spring or ensuring that your crops grow later into the fall, these techniques will help you best utilize the full growing season.
If you need further guidance or have any questions, reach out to your local county extension office for more support.
