![]() ![]() ![]() I’m not trying to grow tomatoes, peppers, and basil in unheated structures in winter. There are many cold hardy vegetables that can be enjoyed during the cold winter months. Eight of the best vegetables to grow in winter: So I stick to the most cold-tolerant varieties for our winter vegetable garden. For example, I love dinosaur kale and we enjoy it in spring, summer, and autumn, but it’s not as cold tolerant as ‘Winterbor’ or ‘Redbor’ kale. Read the crop descriptions carefully opting for varieties with increased cold tolerance. Smart winter gardening begins with the arrival of the seed catalogs. Learn more about timing winter crops in my book, The Year-Round Vegetable Gardener. Wondering when to seed or plant winter crops? Most vegetables to grow in winter are direct seeded or transplanted from mid-summer to early autumn, depending on the crop. When to plant vegetables to grow in winter My online course “How to Build and Use Mini Hoop Tunnels in the Vegetable Garden” teaches you all the ins and outs of this growing technique. Mini hoop tunnels are one of the best tools for growing food in winter. At that point, my cold-tolerant vegetables stay tucked in their season extenders waiting for me to harvest. ![]() For me, that happens in early November so I need to make sure my winter vegetables have reached a harvestable size by that time. It’s also important to understand that the growth of most vegetables slows once the day-length shrinks to less than ten hours a day. I need more protection in my region so I add a layer of polyethylene film on top of my fabric tunnels to shelter kale, collards, leeks, and hardy salad greens in winter. In colder zones, gardeners should use insulating structures like cold frames and stick to the hardiest vegetables (kale, scallions, mache, and tatsoi for example) to ensure success. You can make your own fleece tunnels or buy a tunnel kit for mini hoop houses for quick assembly. Climates milder than my zone 5 Nova Scotia garden, may find success with a simple length of fabric row cover floated over crops on PVC or metal hoops. If you’re new to winter vegetable gardening, start with just a few crops and a cold frame or mini hoop tunnel, experimenting with what works best in your region. I’ve got plenty of details in my book Growing Under Cover: Techniques for a More Productive, Weather-Resistant, Pest-Free Vegetable Garden. Learning the best vegetables to grow in winter, from November through March, starts with a little background in winter harvesting. Learn how to pick the best vegetables to grow in winter: The key is to pair cold tolerant crops with simple season extenders. Growing vegetables in winter is easier than you think. That means growing cold tolerant crops in structures like cold frames, mini hoop tunnels, greenhouses, or polytunnels. The key to a successful winter harvest is to know the right vegetables to grow in winter and pair them with the right season extenders. But, I still enjoy a homegrown harvest from my vegetable garden year-round. I live in a region where winters can be long, cold, and very snowy. ![]()
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