Growing vegetables in winter is so much easier than you may think. Nothing Tastes better than fresh greens and vegetables from the garden during those cold winter months. Whether you are in the mood for a fresh salad or a warm soup, the winter garden is the best place to find fresh, organic greens and vegetables for you and your family.
I started vegetable gardening about five years ago. Not long after beginning my gardening journey, I stumbled across a gardening book called The Year-Round Vegetable Gardener. I remember reading in awe as the author wrote about growing vegetables in winter.
I decided that I was going to do the same thing. It couldn’t be that hard.
So the next year I tried to extend the growing season by using hoop tunnels.
This only worked for a few weeks because I tried extending the season for summer vegetables.
After awhile, I figured that winter gardening just wasn’t for me.
Then I decided this year was going to be different. In a good way. I had the knowledge I needed to successfully grow food in winter. All I had to do was put it into action.
So, I asked my husband to make a few cold frames. Then, in August and September I planted seeds for cold hardy crops. After it got really cold, I covered the plants in cold frames and with hoop tunnels. As a result, we have been eating fresh salad greens, kale, and other cold hardy vegetables for months.
Although it is not officially winter here for another week, it is definitely cold here in northeast Ohio. Which makes it even more thrilling to be able to grow so much healthy, organic, fresh food during this time of year.
One of the best things about growing vegetables in winter is how easy it is. It requires very minimal watering and weeding.
If you love fresh, healthy, vegetables grown with minimal work, try winter gardening.
What Vegetables Grow In Winter?
When planting a winter garden, it is important to stick with cold hardy crops.
There is a long list of delicious cold hardy crops that you can include in your winter garden. Some of them include:
- Kale
- Swiss Chard
- Lettuce
- Kohlrabi
- Spinach
- Broccoli
- Cabbage
- Mache
- Tatsoi
- Bok Choy
- Mustard Greens
- Cauliflower
- Brussel Sprouts
- Parsley
- Beets
- Radishes
Some of my favorites include kale, chard, and lettuce. Just growing these three things can provide my family with a ton of greens for salads, smoothies, and soups.
When To Plant A Winter Garden
Most seeds and seedlings for a winter garden need to be planted in late summer, or early fall. Time varies based on the plant.
You can figure out when to plant your vegetables in just a few simple steps.
- Create a list of cold hardy crops you want to plant in your winter garden.
- Google the first frost date in your area.
- Determine how many days are needed for each vegetable to reach maturity. You can usually find this on the seed packets or from a quick Google search.
- Count backwards from the first frost date to determine your planting date for each vegetable.
Let’s say I plan on growing lacinato kale. I can harvest baby leaves at around 32 days and it should reach full maturity around 60 days. The average first frost date in my area is October 14th. If I want to start harvesting baby kale leaves I would count back 32 days and plant my seeds on September 12th.
It is also important to know that your vegetables will continue to grow after the first frost, just not as quickly as they might when the days are longer. I tried to time it so that many of my plants were within a few weeks of full maturity by the first frost.
Protecting The Winter Garden
There are a few easy ways to protect your vegetables from the cold without a greenhouse. Below are two of my favorite ways to protect plants in the winter garden. They both create an unheated mini greenhouse for your plants to help protect them from the elements.
Grow Vegetables In Winter With A Hoop House
A hoop house or low tunnel is a simple basic frame made out of metal or plastic with a durable, clear plastic covering it.
See how to make the structure for a basic hoop house HERE.
Grow Vegetables In Winter With A Cold Frame
A cold frame is a simple frame with a clear lid on it to allow solar light in. It is placed directly over the soil.
There are a few variations on how to make a cold frame. The most common is made out of wood. Usually the sides are cut at an angle to create a sloped lid. The cold frame should be placed so that it has southern exposure in order to get the most light and heat from the sun throughout the day.
See how to make a cold frame HERE.
Have You Tried Winter Gardening?
Let me know in the comments below if you have tried winter gardening. If so, what are some of your favorite things to grow?
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