Winter Herb, Fruit & Vegies Planting Guide By Regional Zones - About The Garden Magazine (2024)

FAQs

What herbs and vegetables can you grow in the winter? ›

Hardy root crops are radishes and turnip, which also yields some greens from the tops. Other hardy greens include kale, mustard greens and collards. Parsley belongs on this list, too, along with winter herbs such as sage, thyme and rosemary.

To get a jump-start on your garden and grow some fast-growing, cold-tolerant plants you're going to want to try out some radishes, turnips, sugar snap peas, kale and spinach.

Fall and winter vegetables can be started by seed from late August to mid-September, then transplanted into the garden later. Seeds should be started indoors where temperatures are cooler, then the seedlings slowly transitioned outside once temperatures cool down in early October.

Popular winter plants include leafy greens that can survive the harshest conditions—even snow, rain, and ice—or carrots, turnips, onions, and other stew-ready vegetables. If you want to give your winter vegetables some help through the coldest parts of the year, add a protective covering to your garden.

In general, a frost (31-33 degrees F.) will kill beans, cantaloupe, corn, cucumbers, eggplant, okra, peas, pepper, potatoes, sweet potatoes, squash, tomatoes, and watermelon.

Winter fruit and vegetable varieties include apples, pears, citrus fruits, kiwi, grapes, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, and potatoes. These produce items are grown during the colder months of fall and winter.

If you live in a warmer zone, you may be able to grow tomatoes all year long. Yes, you read that right. There are those tomato plants that set extremely well with the cool weather and short days. Of course, the best zones to plant them in are the ones that either get very little in the way of freezes or none at all.

Asparagus. The best known of the perennial vegetables, asparagus is usually planted by purchased roots in sunny, well drained beds.

Potatoes are a great winter-early spring crop and at this time of the year you will find seed potatoes available in local garden centers and on-line. And there's a potato planting solution for any sized garden! They can be planted in the ground in rows or in mounds, in containers, in potato bags, or in potato towers.

Most members of the onion tribe (known botanically as Allium) are hardy perennials and biennials that tolerate winters in most areas of the U.S. Garlic (as discussed elsewhere on this site) is one well-known and often-grown example – but winter onions and shallots are also ideal winter-growing crops for USDA Hardiness ...

What is the best vegetable to plant in winter? ›

Winter varieties

Root crops (carrots, beetroot, radishes, turnips) thrive and are particularly sweet-tasting in winter, as are leeks and onions. Brassicas (broccoli, kale, cabbage, cauliflower) also do best in the milder months. Leaf crops, such as lettuce, chard, spinach and Asian greens, do relatively well, too.

Winter crops for cold frames or hoop gardens tend to consist of cold-tolerant greens, herbs, and root crops. Nitrogen is the best fertilizer for growing leafy crops, while phosphorus and potassium support strong root growth.

For winter, try a late persimmon like Suruga, satsumas, bloomsweet or golden grapefruits, Meyer lemons, marmeladequats, and kumquats. Stay away from peaches and other stone fruit: they are hard to care for and are best grown by experienced orchardists.

Choosing ones that are tolerant of cold conditions is a good start. “Tough perennial herbs such as rosemary, chives, sage, oregano and thyme can be overwintered in the garden,” says Dana. Coriander, parsley, dill and winter savoury will also grow well in cool conditions - but don't over pick.

According to Myers, the hardiest vegetables that can withstand heavy frost of air temperatures below 28 include spinach, onions, garlic, leeks, rhubarb, rutabaga, broccoli, kohlrabi, kale, cabbage, collards, Brussels sprouts, corn salad, arugula, fava beans, radish, mustard greens, Austrian winter pea and turnip.

To grow herbs in winter, choose a truly sunny window (southern exposure) that gets at least six hours of sun per day. Because that can be a hard requirement to fulfill, many gardeners prefer to use grow lights instead or in addition to window light.

If treated properly, many herb plants will survive in the garden for a number of years. Others are sensitive to frost or severe cold weather and must be brought indoors, protected, or replanted each year. Annual herbs will be killed with the first hard frost in the fall.