Best Winter Vegetables to Grow In Your Garden

Few things are as annoying as the sight of a barren garden. Yet, this is what many homeowners choose to live with every winter and fall when there are perfectly suitable winter vegetables to grow.

It's a bothersome sight, especially if you have a beloved vegetable garden that fills your kitchen with fresh produce all spring and summer.

You might think that as sad as it is, this is just how things are going to be because you live in a snowy area with extremely low and freezing temperatures. But even in such cold weather, it's not at all impossible to enjoy a lovely winter garden and plentiful winter harvest.

All you need to know is how to help your garden navigate this winter and even use the particular characteristics of a winter garden to your advantage. And also to know what hardy vegetables to grow that can tolerate the winter months and even flourish in the cooler weather, be it mild winters or otherwise.

Here are our recommended winter vegetables to grow.

Winter Vegetables to Grow

Winter vegetables fall into several categories. Not all of them actually grow during the winter, but all of them will give you a winter vegetable garden in one way or the other.

The best thing is those categories give you many different vegetables to grow so you won't feel limited in your choices, as you can plant different vegetables from those different categories. The true meaning of a year-round vegetable garden!

Late-sown Crops to Harvest in the Winter

Technically speaking, the vegetables in this category don't actually do much growing during the winter months. But they have a long withstanding span without welting which means you can harvest them throughout the winter, long after your other vegetables have welted or been harvested.

Their condition will remain fresh even when temperatures drop. Those vegetables you plant in late summer or even late autumn. They are great winter vegetables to grow, but still, make sure they have enough time to grow past infancy before the cold sets in and harms them while they are still young and more vulnerable.

Winter vegetables to grow from this category include:

Root Vegetables

Root vegetables get their name from being edible plants that grow underground. And are usually some of the most popular vegetables to grow in this category, as they can stay fresh underground for two to five months. They can survive frost and withstand freezing temperatures.

That means that aside from making up an essential part of most meals, they can be harvested throughout those entire months of fall and winter.

Examples of root vegetables are:

Onions

What household can do without onions? They are easily among the most stable vegetables of most cuisines in the whole world.

And their best winter quality isn't just that they can be harvested all winter long, but also that they are great winter veg for their health benefits!

Onions are packed with anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial properties, meaning that including them more often in your winter meals can shield you against seasonal infections like the common cold, fever, seasonal flu, and cough.

Potatoes and Sweet Potatoes

Potatoes are a year-round vegetable that makes one of the most important vegetables in winter harvests. Simply because how can one do without them?

But another one to also strongly consider is sweet potato. Sweeter than normal potatoes, many creative dishes include them. And in the chilly weather, they can make a healthy dessert whether grilled or mashed.

Garlic

Twin brother to onions, garlic is great for winter harvests for the same reasons.

They can make most meals extremely delicious by just being added to them, while still armoring those great health benefits that include boosting the immune system against seasonal infections.

Other than root vegs, there are more winter vegetables that fall in this category which will make your winter garden varied.

Lamb's Lettuce

Lamb's lettuce is one of the leafy greens that are semi-cold hardy. They can tolerate a mild winter and light frosts.

They are also delicious and a great addition to salads.

Asian Greens

Asian greens generally add a great variety to your kitchen and green food choices. They are tasty and can be cooked in many different ways. You can make stir fries with them or cook them in delicious winter soups.

Those leafy greens are cold-tolerant and can be harvested at any time during those colder months, making them a great choice for winter gardening.

There are many varieties, but here is a couple of them to start with!

Bok Choy

Also known as pak choi or Pok Choi, bok choy is a type of Chinese cabbage with white stems and dark green leaves.

It has a mild taste compared to others in this category, but if you're a fan of Chinese cuisine, then this is a great vegetable to have in your garden as it's usually used in many Chinese meals.

Gai Choy

Also known as Chinese mustard greens, Gai Choy is a large vegetable with a yellowish-green color and a strong flavor that bears on the spicy side of the spectrum.

And it's great for pickling!

Other top winter vegetables from this category are kale, parsley, and spinach. But moving on to the next category, you can find even more vegetables to your taste!

In-between Quick Growing Crops

Those vegetables take only around 3-6 weeks to fully come into fruition. That makes them perfect to plant in late summer after harvesting your spring harvest summer vegetables.

Again, they are not exactly winter vegetables, but they grow well during the transition as the hot weather cools, and can be harvested before the major temperatures drop and the true cold setting in.

Some of those vegetables overlap with vegetables from the previous category. For example, kale and pak choy are quick-growing winter vegetables too. But other best crops here are:

Green Beans

Green beans are great to grow in this period. You only need to make sure you have enough weeks before the first frost, as they don't withstand frost.

However, they are very quick-growing and often ready to harvest by the sixth week.

Radishes

Radishes are one of the fastest-growing crops out there. If you plant them, you'll enjoy your mature radishes only after 4 weeks since sowing.

They are beautiful and add color to your garden beds. They add strong flavors to your meals as well.

Swiss Chard

Swiss chard can be ready in a month and can tolerate both the heat and the cool weather.

As well as being extremely colorful and an addition to your garden's aesthetic qualities, swiss chard is also very useful in the kitchen. It can be eaten raw, added to salads, or made into tasty meals like stir-fries.

Slow-Growing Winter Vegetables for a Late Winter Harvest

Most winter vegetables fall in this category. Those vegetables don't exactly grow during the winter either. But like those quick-growing crops, you plant them in after the late spring harvest, then they go on growing, up until winter sets in.

Once this happens they will go dormant, only to continue growing once spring starts again. Adding to their fall growth, they will be ready to harvest at most by early spring.

Overwintered crops like those won't need particular protection during the winter and will be ready before you start planting next year's crops.

Also overlapping with previous categories with some items like garlic and onion, there are other great overwintered vegetables to grow, like:

Broad Beans

Broad beans are one of the top hardy vegetables out there. They can survive plunges and bear the cold weather so well that they are often planted over other crops to protect them from the winter temperatures.

But other than their strength qualities, broad beans can also be delicious and an addition to your kitchen cabinets.

Brussels sprouts

Brussel sprouts are another hardy vegetable that withstands cold climates well. They make for some of the best winter vegetables to grow.

There are many recipes out there that will be elevated with this food. But more, it also has tons of benefits for health!

Types of Broccoli - Purple Sprouting Broccoli

There are hardy varieties of broccoli to consider for overwintering as well. The best crops of those include purple sprouting broccoli.

Very hardy and cold tolerant, this type of broccoli doesn't just withstand the winter weather , it's also one of the tastiest and most beautiful for winter vegetable gardening. If you sow them in early spring, they will be ready to harvest by early winter.

Use Season-Extention Methods

Some vegetables will not make it to your winter garden no matter what, like tomatoes and peppers. Their growing season ends with spring/summer and that's it, but many vegetables can with some planning and winter protection.

Even the hardy vegetables mentioned above, while needing little to no protection, will flourish even better with some protection. Some vegetables just need a head start too.

With those methods and season extenders, you can grow food all year long and protect it throughout any giant winter.

Get a Greenhouse

Building/getting a greenhouse is a bigger step than many other season extenders, but it's one of the most obvious and most useful ones.

A heated greenhouse is especially a great way for easy winter gardening and winter growing vegetables. And can be your way to get a bumper crop!

Row Covers

Floating row covers are great materials to use to protect the crop. A floating row cover is made of plosyter and allows air and rain to penetrate while trapping heat in. In extremely cold weather, you can use more than one layer of a row cover.

Cold Frames

Cold frames are like small greenhouses. They are very useful in hardening young plants enough to prepare them for the harsher weather outside. Once prepared and strong enough, you can take them out and enjoy your kitchen garden.

Raised Garden Beds

Raised beds are naturally warmer for growing food generally, but especially in the cold weather.

A raised bed is another way you can get more warmth and protection for your vegetables to grow in winter with enough protection. Not to mention that raised garden beds add a touch of symmetry and elegance to your garden too.

Give Them a Head Start

To better prepare your crops, you can start early in early fall and even start indoors. You can start them off inside under grow lights for a month or two, and then take them out.

With those armors, you won't run out of great and healthy winter vegetables to grow.

There is no reason to give up on a beautiful kitchen garden during the fall and winter months. The list of choices available to you is presented in this article so that you can make your garden come alive again in those cold months.

And if you need any more consultancy planning your landscape, don't hesitate to contact shrubhub.com

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