Which Vegetables Can I Grow in Winter?

Winter is a difficult season to grow crops. The calendar marks these months as unfriendly for many vegetables in the garden. When the season arrives, one feels he has no choice but to see that beautiful tasty garden wither. But what about those greens that like the cold?

Some people believe that they cannot have a garden once summer or spring passes. That is simply not true. It is possible to have a variety of tasty vegetables in your garden during that wintry season. If you only want warm-loving species of vegetables like tomatoes or peppers, it is best to use a greenhouse or cold frame. However, even if you have neither, it is still possible to enjoy a variety of vegetables in your winter garden.

Some vegetables thrive in winter and may even grow in cold regions. Unless you have arctic weather, gardens can be grown in the northern hemisphere. Following is a list of my favorite and most successful plants to grow in the cold months.

Onions grow the best with plenty of water. Winter also provides rain for crops.
Onions grow the best with plenty of water. Winter also provides rain for crops.

1. Onions
Green onions do particularly well in a lot of rain and cold weather. You may plant them from seed or grow them from cuttings. Just plant them and you will have them year-round. All species of onions can be grown during the winter, including leeks and chives.

2. Parsley
Parsley is a green favorite in gourmet dishes. This herb is great in salads and pasta. Both the curly and leafy varieties thrive in winter and will grow year-round.

Parsley is a hardy plant. Rain or shine it will grow.

3. Lettuce
This leafy green actually does best planted in the shade and will grow a large harvest in winter. It can be planted in a pot or the ground. Buttercrunch lettuce or the leafy varieties make for a great tasting salad.

The leafy varieties of vegetables thrive and produce robust leaves in winter. species of leafy greens in the vegetable family include spinach, kale, lettuce, and arugula. Other leafy relatives flourish in winter as well.
The leafy varieties of vegetables thrive and produce robust leaves in winter. species of leafy greens in the vegetable family include spinach, kale, lettuce, and arugula. Other leafy relatives flourish in winter as well.

4. Spinach
Spinach can be a delicate crop, as it attracts pest. The beauty of the cold is that most pests do not come out in the winter season. One could even grow mammoth spinach successfully in the cold. All varieties of spinach grow plentifully in winter.

Baby spinach is a treat in the garden. It is easy to harvest spinach once it's reached full maturity in winter. Pests do not like the cold.

5. Garlic
Garlic has the best flavor in winter. It is best to plant the garlic bulbs in the fall, and then the bulbs will grow and expand in winter. You may conveniently plant garlic, using the bulbs you buy from the grocery store. There is elephant garlic, as well as the smaller variety available in the vegetable section, whichever kind is preferred. Garlic is a favorite in the kitchen and you may have it year-round in your garden.

It is best to plant garlic bulbs in the Fall. The bulbs expand in winter. The flavor is best tasting when full matured bulbs are harvested.
It is best to plant garlic bulbs in the Fall. The bulbs expand in winter. The flavor is best tasting when full matured bulbs are harvested.
Winter Edibles
Other vegetables with a bit of care can be grown in winter as well, including more bulky kind of vegetables. The leafy greens on this list do well in the cold months of the year.

Squash: best planted in the fall
Land cress
Carrots
Pak choi
Broad beans
Cabbage
Broccoli
Kale
Brussels sprouts
Radish
Mustard greens
Arugula
Chard