Best Winter-Friendly Vegetables To Grow In Your Garden
Updated: Sep 4
Ever Wondered What Can Grow In Your Garden In The Winter?
I'm a gardener in Zone 5b, which means I'm always on the lookout for winter-friendly veggies to grow. Our growing season is pretty short, averaging about 155 days, but typically much less due to late or early frosts.
As part of a 2-part best veggie series, this week I'm sharing veggies that can grow in winter. I'll cover how & what to grow as well as explain the tolerance levels of plants. By the end of this post, you should be able to choose what plants you'd like to grow in the winter.
What Does Winter Friendly Mean For Gardeners?
Winter gardening is risky in any climate. Temperatures can vary so much year to year that it's hard to want to risk the effort to winter garden. If you are ready to try winter gardening, this article is for you.
Winter-friendly means that a plant won't die in cold weather; rather, it will go dormant. This is great for late-sowing summer crops - you can use your garden as storage! That way, in the spring, and possibly over winter, you will have fresh veggies.
Benefits Of Winter Gardening
In case you are interested in winter gardening, I thought it would be nice to include a quick list of the benefits of winter gardening.
Snow is an insulator and will provide warm soil for veggies
Use high or low tunnels to provide additional warmth and protection
Harvest late-sown beets & carrots through winter
Use your garden as a storage area for root veggies - just leave them in the ground!
In the spring, you'll have a jump on the season
Best Vegetables For A Winter Garden
In the hope that by now you are convinced to winter garden, I've put together my favorite winter veggies. While not a fully comprehensive list, this will be a great guide for a beginner winter gardener.
To get the most out of my garden space in the winter, I like to sow a late crop of some semi-cold-tolerant veggies. When sowing in late summer/early fall, I know my veggies will have a chance to grow before the cold weather arrives. Meaning that if I choose not to harvest, I'll have fresh veggies in the winter. That is, as long as I can work the ground and venture out!
Before I end this week's post, I wanted to mention that cold also helps sweeten some veggies. That's right, carrots, beets, and even brussels sprouts all become a little sweeter after a frost. With this in mind, consider leaving those plants out a little longer this season and taste for yourself.
Common Winter-Garden Mistakes
A common winter garden mistake is planting too late in the summer/fall; the plants don't have enough time to mature before winter.
Not protecting plants when needed is another common mistake I see. When temperatures get very cold, as in 25F or less, I like to cover my plants with frost cloth. This ensures my plants will continue to thrive. In addition, I deep water once a week on a warmer winter day so the soil will better insulate the plants on colder days,
While you wait for part 2 of this series, check out all of my garden posts on my blog.
Comments