Your enjoyment of fresh vegetables should never be interrupted by seasons. Spring and fall are two notorious seasons affecting the veggies supply and the arrival of frost in the fall signals gardeners to hang their gardening gloves.
What gardeners and the general public may not know is that it’s actually possible to grow veggies in any season.
Which Specific Vegetables can you grow in winter?
The only variety known to perform well in winter is kale. However, there are also others like tatsoi, mache, celeriac, and mizuna. The pretty well-organized and informed have Brussels sprouts and winter cabbages already in their garden by the time frost starts to bite. But that shouldn’t worry you if you are just learning about the exciting possibility of having blooming veggies throughout the seasons.
The following are some of the hardy varieties you can grow outside during winter or any other seasons to ensure a good supply of fresh veggies when others are running all over after them.
- Onions: various onion varieties aren’t too hard to plant. They have an extended growing season and may not be ready until summer. Be careful when spring-planting other crops as they will still be in the ground.
- Peas: the autumn sowings of such hardy varieties as Pea Meteor or Kelvendon Wonder give you a much-needed head start the following season. Your family will have a good supply, up to four months earlier than other gardeners.
- Garlic: they make our food irresistible and healthier too. And to top it all, there is a wide variety to choose from. Garlic like their cousins, the onions has a long growing season, and so patience is critical here.
- Broad Beans: one particular variety, the Aquadulce Claudia is ideal for autumn sowings. They establish quickly and once fully grown, the broad bean varieties plant tips are quite tasty – especially with a little butter.
- Asparagus: such hardy varieties as ‘Pacific Purple‘ take a long time to mature – several years. But each of them can produce up to 25 crowns annually. They can continue cropping for more than 20 years, and in the process, ensure a steady supply for your family.
- Spring Onions: there are winter-hardy varieties you can choose from to ensure your garden is thriving with vegetables. Spring onions are quick growing to ensure you have a continuous supply of your winter salad. One famous hardy and reliable variety is White Lisbon.
- Perpetual Spinach: these are hardworking and tasty varieties, associated with massive yields. Sowing perpetual spinach in autumn ensures you have a good flow of the succulent veggies throughout winter.
The Warm Season Varieties
Most of us are familiar with summer edibles that only do well when the frost has finally called it a day. Most of these varieties prefer nighttime temperatures above 50°F. They can be planted outside between early April and late June depending on the absence of frost.
The list is extensive but it includes such popular varieties as Broccoli, beets, cauliflowers, blackberries, spinach, radishes, potatoes, lettuce and sweet potatoes among others.
Vegetables that you can grow in Greenhouses throughout Seasons
Having veggies on your plot is among the best ways to utilize idle outside spaces. However, not all vegetables are hardy enough to withstand the various moods of Mother Nature, if you know what I mean.
The following are some of the varieties you can grow all season but under the protection of a greenhouse.
- Carrots: there early varieties like Adelaide can be sown in the greenhouse during harsh weather conditions and outside when things are looking up.
- Salads: despite popular beliefs, it’s very much possible to have a variety of salads growing in winter or any other season. You can have rows of mustard, land cress. Lamb lettuce in a greenhouse to make your winters a little bit tasty – you can’t be cold and starved, obviously.
A Few Tips on Planting throughout the Seasons
- You will need to keep the soil healthy if you intend to sow successively through the seasons. Practice crop rotation and use compost throughout the seasons – green is the way to go, don’t you agree?
- Not to scare you, but you will need to be appropriately armed for frost. Cold frames and frost blankets do a decent job of ensuring the plants are well-sorted.
Don’t let the seasons stop you. It’s always possible to grow delicious vegetables all year round.
About Michelle
Michelle Whyte is the owner of Gardening Leave. Through this website she aims to help people with everyday garden topics drawing from her experience of raising her own vegetable garden.
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