As fall weather starts to hit, you may be thinking it’s time to put away your gardening tools and let your yard hibernate over the winter. But if you’re feeling a little extra this year, there are some perfect winter vegetables you can plant in your garden to extend your growing season beyond the first frost.
“Harvesting vegetables in winter is easier than you think,” says Niki Jabbour, author of The Year-Round Vegetable Gardener. “It takes a little planning, but there are many cold hardy crops that are planted in late summer or fall and enjoyed all winter long.”
If you’re looking to keep growing even as the leaves fall and the seasons change, start here with the best tips (and a pick of the best veggies!) to grow a winter vegetable garden.
Be mindful of the local weather
“Gardeners who live in milder regions have a wider variety of crops available to grow in winter than their northern counterparts,” Jabbour says. If you live in an area where it’s regularly below freezing, you’ll want to double-check the cold hardiness of any varieties of vegetables you decide to grow, to ensure that they can handle the cold and snow.
Know your plant’s maturity date
You can plant your garden based on when you want to harvest. So if you’re looking to harvest a late-fall vegetable around the first frost, research how long a plant will take to reach harvest size, and subtract that from your typical first frost date to get a “plants in ground” date for your winter crop.
Pay attention to your sunlight
As the days get shorter, your plants notice it too—and when there’s fewer than 10 hours of sunlight, it can drastically slow your plants’ growth. But that doesn’t mean that you won’t have a good harvest. Jabbour says that many plants can “hold” that way in the garden until you’re ready to harvest.
Start some seeds indoors
Seed starting is regularly used to begin the growth of spring and summer vegetables and plants, but even for plants started in the summertime, indoor seed starting can be helpful, Jabbour says. “Some of the crops are direct seeded in midsummer, late summer, or early autumn, while others are given a head start indoors under my grow lights. This allows me to ‘plug in’ healthy seedlings to bypass summer garden challenges like hot weather, dry soil, and pests.”
Make sure your soil is rich
After you clear out your summer plants, your soil may need a little enriching. You can add compost, manure, or organic fertilizer before you plant your winter crops to get the soil ready for your new plants.
Add plenty of mulch
Consider mulch like a cozy blanket around your winter plants, helping to keep the roots warm, even if the temperatures go below freezing. You can use straw or leaves to mulch your winter crops. Jabbour recommends placing a 10- to 12-inch-deep layer before the ground freezes.
Protect your winter vegetables from the weather
If you want to extend the season well into winter, you can use season extenders like cold frames or greenhouses to protect your plants. You’ll want to consider both the types of crops you’re growing and your local climate when you choose. “In colder regions, using a structure like a cold frame offers better insulation than a plastic-covered mini hoop tunnel,” Jabbour says.
Be ready for a low-maintenance garden
While you may find yourself battling pests, weeds, and of course, drought or excessive heat with your summer garden, your winter garden may not require a lot of love to thrive. “I love my winter garden because it offers a wide selection of delicious vegetables, but also because it is very low-maintenance,” Jabbour says. “I rarely water in winter, nor do weeds grow or pests damage my crops.”
Top winter vegetables for your garden
If you’re in colder climates, sturdy winter vegetables like root vegetables, greens, and cruciferous vegetables are the name of the game. Consider adding a few of these to your garden.
Brussels Sprouts
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Brussels sprouts take at least 80 days to grow to harvest, so you’ll want to start them indoors (or direct sow) during the summer. Plant them in full sun and well-drained soil.
- Sun: Full
- Maturity date: At least 80 days
- Soil: Well-drained
- Zones: 2 to 10
Cabbage
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This cousin of Brussels sprouts (another member of the brassica family) is another popular cold-weather crop. Many varieties thrive best in temperatures over 50 degrees, so look for cold-resistant types (like Huron or January King) if you’re in a colder climate.
- Sun: Full
- Maturity date: About 70 days
- Soil: Well-drained
- Zones: 2 to 11
Carrots
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Carrots are a sweet and easy-to-grow option for winter gardens. You’ll want to make sure that they reach maturity before first frost, as their growth will slow—but you can still leave them in the ground until you’re ready to enjoy. (Just use a cold frame, mulch, or other protection if you’re in an area where the temperatures hit bitter cold.) You may want to start these tender plants indoors if your weather is scorching, as the seeds need to be kept moist to germinate properly.
- Sun: Full
- Maturity date: 50 to 80 days
- Soil: Well-drained
- Zones: 3 to 11
Cauliflower
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Cruciferous vegetables tend to be hardier, and make a great addition to a late fall or winter garden. If you’re in cooler areas, aim for a late fall harvest, before the frost begins, while warmer-weather winter gardeners can plant and harvest all winter long.
- Sun: Full
- Maturity date: 60 to 90 days
- Soil: Well-drained
- Zones: 2 to 11
Kale
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Add this superfood to your winter garden! You can sow the seeds directly into the garden about two months before the first frost. You’ll need a cold frame or other protection to make it work in a cooler growing zone.
- Sun: Full
- Maturity date: About 90 days
- Soil: Well-drained
- Zones: 7 to 9
Lettuce
While lettuce is generally considered a spring or summer plant, you can also sow more seeds in the fall for a later harvest. You should plan to sow the seeds about seven weeks before the first frost.
- Sun: Full to partial
- Maturity date: About 30 to 60 days
- Soil: Well-drained
- Zones: 2 to 11
Spinach
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Another cool-weather crop, spinach can be sown in spring for an early summer harvest, then again in early fall—as long as you plant it at least six weeks before the soil temperature dips below 40 degrees. You can keep it growing all winter long by using cold frames or other structures to keep them warm.
- Sun: Full to partial
- Maturity date: About 30 to 45 days
- Soil: Well-drained
- Zones: 2 to 11
Turnips
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Turnips are a “two-fer” kind of crop, as you can cook and enjoy both the roots and the greens. Avoid planting it near where cabbages, Brussels sprouts, and other brassica plants have been planted recently to avoid the potential of spreading disease.
- Sun: Full to partial
- Maturity date: About 60 days
- Soil: Loamy
- Zones: 2 to 11
Swiss Chard
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Like many of the other greens on this list, Swiss chard can easily grow and provide food over the winter, as long as you provide a little protection from the elements if you’re in a colder climate. And you can easily direct sow Swiss chard seeds any time from March to September.
- Sun: Full to partial
- Maturity date: About 30 to 50 days
- Soil: Well-drained
- Zones: 3 to 11
Beets
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Beets are easily grown in cool weather gardens—and provide both the roots and greens to enjoy. You can sow the seeds throughout the summer and into early fall.
- Sun: Full
- Maturity date: 55 to 70 days
- Soil: Well-drained
- Zones: 3 to 11
Onions, Garlic, and Other Alliums
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Be ready with some aromatics for your cooking. The allium family takes well to cool weather gardens, whether you’re looking for scallions, onions, garlic, or leeks. Onions planted in the fall overwinter in the garden and generally are harvested in spring and summer, while onions planted in the spring can be harvested in the fall and winter. (You’ll want to put a nice layer of mulch over fall-planted onions to help them survive the cold.)
- Sun: Full
- Maturity date: Dependent on the variety
- Soil: Well-drained
- Zones: 4 to 9
Radishes
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Radishes are a perfect addition to a late fall garden, as they grow very fast—with some varieties ready to harvest in just a month. You can sow the plants at least a month before the first frost.
- Sun: Full
- Maturity date: 30 to 60 days
- Soil: Well-drained
- Zones: 2 to 11
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