As summer winds down, I'm curious about everyone's plans for a fall and winter vegetable garden. I'm in zone 7b, and my usual suspects include garlic, onions, lamb's lettuce, and corn salad, paired with my perennial onions and kale that stick around year-round. This year, I'm trying my hand at frost-hardy fava beans, but I've struggled with rodents getting to them when I plant in the fall. I usually wait and plant them around February or early March. What about you all? What are your winter veggie plans?
9 Answers
Happy to see this topic! I've never attempted a fall or winter garden but am eager to give it a shot this year. I’m looking for suggestions! What’s your experience with this?
Here in 7b, I'm planting broccoli, cabbage, and Brussels sprouts after the rain tomorrow. I've started them indoors to give them a jump start. I can’t wait to get my peas, some carrots, and lettuce in as well!
Just wrapped up my fall planting! I went with peas, snap peas, beets, radishes, kale, lettuce, spinach, and chard. What's on your list?
I've got some exciting plans for winter veggies! I'm nursing my tomatoes through our "winter" and planting spring tomatoes way too early, as usual. I’ve had good luck with small turnips called White Lady, and I’m giving carrots and parsnips another shot this year. Plus, leeks are a staple for me year-round, and I can't wait for parsley to make a return! But I've officially thrown in the towel on growing brassicas and cilantro.
So relatable! I have a whole herb garden but mostly end up just with cilantro. It's funny how those hit or miss veggies can be. Love that you can manage tomatoes in winter; they're gone after the first frost for me!
Haha, that's the struggle! I can manage leeks too, but brassicas are another story for me. I think it’s the heat more than anything.
I typically just grow lettuce until the first hard freeze finishes it off. I plan to get my garlic in before October this year.
I’m also in zone 7b, and I've been pretty lazy with my winter garden in the past. This year, I’ve got seeds ready and the soil tilled! I’m really looking forward to growing brassicas, lettuces, and alliums.
Same zone here! I just planted peas and bok choy for fall and have garlic and onions lined up for over winter. It's my first time with overwintering onions, so I hope I don’t mess it up!
I’m curious if winter crops like broccoli, cauliflower, and Brussels sprouts can thrive in colder weather? I can do fall crops here in Toronto, but winter is too harsh for most of my veggies.
Yes, a lot of them can survive the cold! They don’t grow much from November to January, but you can still harvest them as needed.
I’m planting lettuce now—using a mix of marigolds and zinnias for some edible flowers this year! It took some time to embrace flowers in my veggie garden, but I love it now. Any challenges with your location and sunlight?
Yeah, even if it doesn’t freeze much here, low winter light levels slow everything down, so it's a balance! But if you manage to grow enough in early fall, you'll have lots to harvest.
I'll look into zinnias! Calendula does well in the cold, so I'm guessing zinnias can handle a little frost too?
Gardening in winter can actually be easier! Fewer pests and less drought, which is a plus. Just make sure to sow in summer or early fall and protect from frost when necessary. Fresh greens during winter are unbeatable!