I wouldn't expect it to work here - our nighttime temps get well below zero for most of the winter. I've only ever seen that suggested for zones 8 and up.

Oh :( it sounded like it was almost OK, as in some freezing was OK.

So I guess garlic is about all we can plant now? It is time for that :)

Garlic for sure, and I'd better get mine soon if I want scapes in the spring, LOL! Maybe onions - though I don't bother with onions in my space-limited garden.

I think everything else is pretty much too late. Mid august was time to plant second crops of lettuce and spinach, July for a 2nd crop of peas.

The problem with trying to overwinter peas here is that daytime temps are generally much warmer than night time temps. I surmise that you may be able to plant peas and have some germination in the spring where the ground freezes and stays that way, but here you'll get a lot of freeze-thaw cycles.

Are you on the plateau or down south where the flood plains are? There are a TON of microclimates in Reno. Down south they have clay-based soils but where I'm at its sandy and gritty. Elevation matters as well, and can change drastically in just a hop skip and a jump.

EDIT: Shallots! Shallots could be planted about now. Maybe. Fall-planted shallots may winter heave here. I'm not sure if night time temps get too cold for shallots - they are planted fairly shallowly. I'll have to look into that. Soon. Or it'll be too late to order any.

Here is a link that might be useful: UNR extension planting dates

This post was edited by zensojourner on Sun, Sep 28, 14 at 3:24

I'm up in the North hills of Reno... Golden, Panther, Stead.. and for 20 yrs. have not had peas over-winter once... but I', 5500 elevation in a microclimate zone 5... all my hardy bulbs survive my hard clay and rock native soil... while my sun planted Holland bulbs come up in April - the part shade ones don't see the light of day till early June... Just remember the Pea-vine planting guide: no snow on the peak for 2 wks and then plant... and never plant anything at all after August 1st because 1st frost/snow is late Sept./Oct respectfully. Good luck

I'm at 4500'. Roughly. At lower elevations you can plant things through Sept. We just got our first dusting of snow a couple of days ago. I've been seeing snow up in the mountains for months now.

Last year the last frost date was in mid-June, late even given the area. I didn't get anything in the ground until mid-July to early Aug. We were still picking tomatoes in October, and if I had gone ahead and covered the plants the second time temps were predicted to be dropping to near freezing, we'd have been harvesting for a couple weeks longer.

As it is, I'm still noshing on the last of the tomatoes and eggplant. The hot peppers went in to the freezer. I may not even plant any hot peppers next year because I've got a ****-ton of them in the freezer already.

Just goes to show how much variation there is here. My gazania was still blooming into November, and I still have fall saffron crocus coming up.