Best Winter Crops

Popeye's favorite vegetable that can grow in cooler climes. It can withstand light frosts and freezes. If you sow it in Fall, and mulch it over well in the winter, spinach will start growing early in the Spring.

Onions are one of the hardiest plants around. They can grow just about anywhere. A cool season crop, they are hardy to frost and light freezes. Walla Wallas are considered summer onions. While most onions will keep well into the winter, walla wallas will keep for a couple of months.

Fall planting recommended for this vampire repellent. Cold weather makes garlic bigger and more flavorful. Get them in the dirt about 6 to 8 weeks before the first frost.

For winter leeks, it's best to delay sowing until early spring. Leeks like the Musselburgh are considered exceptionally hardy and will stand strong over the winter months. Leeks are used in a lot of Scottish Dishes so you can be sure they are a good add to your winter vegetable garden.

Rhubarb can be planted late Fall or early spring. If you decide to plant in the fall, make sure you plant it before the plants go dormant. This will get you that spring cropping. Once the ground is frozen, be sure to cover the rhubarb with at least 2" to 4" of mulch.

Rutabagas! Always love saying that old loud. These bad boys ripen best in cold weather. Therefore, they need to be planted in time to mature in cooler weather. In cooler regions, rutabagas are going to be a fall crop, and in warmer conditions, they are a winter crop.

Another Sweet New Earth favorite (although we didn't always eat it as a kid). Broccoli does well in colder temperatures, hardy to frost and light freezing. For a late fall crop, sow your seedlings in mid August. Broccoli will withstand a few frosts and keep on going.

Another cole crop considered one of the hardiest vegetables. It, like broccoli, can survive a modest freeze. Kohlrabis grow particularly fast unlike most winter crops.

Another delightful and super hardy vegetable. That being said, in exceptionally cold locations, cabbage may need some sort of winter protection for safe growth. Growing in a greenhouse or cold frame might be necessary.

Winter chicory (not all chicory is winter chicory) can withstand some extreme cold. In areas with deep freezes, chicory can withstand temperatures down to -35F! These crops act like a hibernating bear over the winter - the leaves of the plant will drop and growth slows significantly. But they will survive with the right care.

Brussel sprouts are another cold tolerant vegetable. That being said, they wont survive extreme weather outside of a greenhouse. They can take short freezes but long winters and freezing temperatures will not do them well.

Depending on the variety, you can harvest corn salad all winter long. But as soon as the cold hits and the temperatures are freezing, you need to protect your seedling or young plants with a small greenhouse or anything that will provide them with as much light as possible.

Another cold weather veggie. It prefers cold weather, is frost hardy, and it will make it clean through winter in a cold frame or unheated greenhouse. It's never a bad time to plant Arugala. It's never a bad time to put Arugala on your salads either!

Colder climates call for a late Fall planting to overwinter your fava beans. Fava beans have legendary hardiness characteristics and the seeds can germinate at temperatures that dance on the freezing. That being said, if the temperatures are going to dip much lower than that for long periods, you may want to consider pushing these out into spring.

Plant your radishes in mid June to early September if you want winter radish taste (mild). First fronts wont hurt these lovely crops but harvest them before the soil really freezes.

A cool season annual that can tolerate light frosts, mustard, a leafy vegetable, should be sown in late summer for an early Fall crop. That being said, sowing in September will see the mustard last through winter into early spring.

As implied by its name, the Austrian Winter Pea is a cold hardy plant that can be grown just about anywhere in the continental US. These peas should be planted in late August to early September if you live in colder parts.

Turnips! Turnips withstand frost super well and they actually don't need to be dug until the ground itself freezes. So, if you aren't in jeopardy of a freezing, you can hold off on planting turnips for a late fall/early winter harvest. Must have for a winter vegetable garden.

You can definitely plant and harvest beets over the winter in milder winter regions.

Cold temperatures force the beets to create more sugar giving winter beets their delicious taste.

If you are growing full-sized carrots in the winter then plan to plant these before the end of July.

But if you want you can sow your seeds a little bit closer to Fall, and harvest baby carrorts throughout the colder months.

These semi-hardy delights grow best in temperatures ranging from 40 to 50 degrees.

If you decide on planting parsnips, your best bet is to target a harvest late Fall.

Growing lettuce in the winter is pretty easy with a cold frame. Be sure to select a frost tolerant variety.

If you plant in a cold frame, you can swo these 6 to 7 weeks before your first average fall date.

Chard grows well in hot temperatures but it can tolerate frost.

That being said, if it gets much colder than 15F, the plant is going to die.

You can overwinter them but they need protection from the cold.

Rated Zone 7, winter peas can tolerate heavy frost but colder temperatures will prevail. So will the mice.

Make sure you protect them well or mice will eat every last pea.

If you live in a mild winter region, plant your Chinese Cabbage closere to Fall for a late Fall harvest.

Chinese cabbage can survive below-freezing temperatures later in their maturity but if it gts below 30F overnight,

you should plan on protecting the plant.

Sow your endive directly into the ground from August to October.

But as soon as the cold rears its ugly head, you want to protect the seedlings with a small greenhouse.

Give them as much light as possible.

Another plant that grows best in full sun but cooler weather.

Established raddichio can withstand frosts.

Cauliflower can survice as low as 26F and maybe a bit lower if they are acclimated.

It can grow in Hardiness of 2 to 11 but it likes 60 to 65F.

Parsely is hardy to about 10F but if you mulch them right, they can withstand a little more.

If you live where winters are mild, parsely can be sown in Fall and grown through Winter.

Celery prefers colder weather as the hotter temperatures will cause it to bolt.

Anything below 30F and even the maturist of celery will perish.