Buzz
While winter is usually not seen as a prime gardening season, it's entirely possible to grow a few vegetables during this time with the right care and adjustments. Of course, the success of your garden depends on how cold and snowy your winter is, but with climate change, predicting the 'normal' winter has become increasingly difficult.
If you're new to winter gardening, you might be wondering which plants are best suited for the colder months. Fortunately, expert gardener Teo Spengler shares some suggestions in an article for Hunker, outlining some ideal vegetables to plant and why they work well in winter conditions.
Kale
It turns out there's a type of leafy vegetable known as Brassica oleracea, or winter cabbage. As expected, this variety is an ideal choice for a winter garden, according to Spengler. However, even though it's frost-tolerant, winter cabbage needs protection to survive extreme freezes, he explains.
Leafy Vegetables
While we typically associate leafy greens with summer salads, it might seem unusual to grow them in the winter. Yet, Spengler says that these greens can tolerate frost and light freezes, and recommends planting arugula, mustard greens, Swiss chard, collard greens, and spinach.
Winter Field Peas
Winter field peas, also called Austrian peas, can thrive in temperatures as low as 10°F. This hardiness is why they're often used as cover crops in certain areas. He writes that these peas prefer well-drained soil and require a sunny location to grow best.
Rutabagas
Rutabagas are often overlooked but are actually a hybrid of turnips and cabbage. Not only are they tasty, but Spengler says that they develop their best flavor when grown in cool, frosty conditions.
Kale
Like rutabagas, kale also tastes better when grown in winter. Even better, Spengler notes, it doesn't require any special protection during the cold season.
