This post is all about cool weather crops that you can grow for your winter harvest.
The air is crisp most of your garden is done and your are bundling up for winter. But wait, don’t forget your cool weather crops! Perfect for when you are living off the larder and want something fresh in the dead of winter, these crops are for you!
When I talk about these crops I am coming from the perspective of my environment, which is USDA zone 5.
Staples of COol Weather Crops
These are the workhorses of cool weather cropping. They are reliable, do well in the cold and don’t require too much babysitting.
Turnips
I was an intern on a farm in Nevada and in the late fall I would walk out to the turnips and they would be frozen, stiff in their beds. But the sun would come out and the frost would melt and the turnips would perk up and be looking as happy as could be by the afternoon. These plants can take a frost! Though if you live in a place that has sustained cold, I might consider putting a floating row cover on them, or maybe growing them as a summer crop and storing them for the winter.
Not only can you eat the root, but the greens are edible too!
A good variety to start with is Purple Top White Globe.
How do you eat turnips? Here is an awesome article with great ideas for what to do with these cool weather beauties.
Beets
My husband’s personal favorite, beets are an amazing cool weather crop and the most reliable on our homestead. They are no fuss to grow and pretty much make it year round in just a green house, no row cover necessary. Though If I want the greens to stay nice longer I do put a cover on.
A few good varieties of beets to start with are Cylidnra, Bulls Blood and Chioggia.
Carrots
Winter Carrots are delicious! When it gets cold the starches in the carrots turns into sugar. We plant these in July and when it starts getting cold we put a straw mulch over them and then a tarp over that with bricks weighing it down. The only problem we have is that we grow our carrots in a planter box and when it gets really cold the carrots on the very edge can freeze.
Cabbage
One of the more filling crops on this list, cabbage is tasty and good for the winter with minimal protection from the cold.
Radishes
Another great cool weather crop, radishes are perfect for adding a little spice and bite to your winter salads. A downside to radishes is that they do tend to split and their texture degrades fairly quickly, so you do have to eat them fairly quickly once they are ready.
Some fun varieties to experiment with are French Breakfast and Watermelon Radishes.
Leeks
Make way for leek and potato soup! Delicious and yummy when you want something a little different from your winter garden, leeks with their oniony taste can be just the ticket. You can get seeds from your seed supplier, or Dixondale Farm is a reliable supplier of high quality starts.
Greens, Greens and more Greens
Greens are the favorite child of the winter garden. They almost all do really well and are easy to grow. Here are some ideas of creative and tasty greens for the cool weather.
kale
Kale is a trooper in my winter garden. It just keeps on going. It is tasty and nutritious and perfect in a morning smoothie or a warm bowl of stew.
CHard
Chard is beet greens, without the beet! They are tasty and delicious in a salad or sautéed in olive oil with a little salt and pepper flakes.
Spinach
Many cool weather crops have pungent, strong flavors. Spinach is a nice contrast with its sweet mild flavor. Spinach helps tone down those flavor packed winter salads.
Mustard Greens
These are absolutely beautiful. They can be an acquired taste but are very nutritious and good for you.
Cilantro
I’m trying overwintering cilantro this year. I LOVE cilantro and I miss is in the winter. I hear somewhere that you can grow it in the fall and then as long as you cover it it will make it for most of the winter. I’ll let you know how it goes.
lettuce
Delicious and easy to grow lettuce is perfect when you are looking for fresh in the cool weather.
Dandelion
Never consider dandelions a weed again! These greens are bitter, but you can get used to the flavor and they are SO good for you. If the bite of these greens is too much try making a dandelion pesto, like this one from Grow Forage Cook Ferment it’s delicious.
Want to cultivate dandelion? We really like this Italiko Rosso Dandelion from Baker Creek.
Pepper Cress
A recent addition to our cool weather greenhouse, I love cress. It is abundant and tasty and produces a lot of seeds at the end of the season to save.
Risky Crops
To spice up your cool weather garden you can cover and try to keep your summer garden alive as long as possible. I worked on a farm that had bell peppers still growing, slowly, under a green house and a floating row cover. It wasn’t lower than 20 degrees outside, so I don’t know how well that will translate to colder climates, but it could be worth a shot.
Cool weather crops are awesome and such a treat in the off season. May you be able to find some ideas here that have helped your cool weather garden.
Check out our Homesteading Resource Page for our recommended books for gardeners!