Let’s discuss how to be successful with a winter garden. The end of summer is not the end of the gardening season. Plenty of food can be planted and harvested in the winter. All you need to do is follow these five easy tips to enjoy gardening in the cooler months. Summer’s long days and hot temperatures can be too hot for some veggies. Let’s cover what we need to do during the cold weather.
What is winter gardening?
Winter gardening is the time of year to think of ideas to grow edibles suited for the winter months. This is the time of year that you plant produce that grows pretty quickly. It’s also the time to grow ground cover if you want to protect your garden soil so it’s ready to go the following spring and summer.
When should I start a winter garden?
Think ahead and start planting for your winter garden between August and September. It takes about 50-70 days for winter plants to grow. Winter gardening requires you to know your first frost date.
You can start with seeds indoors in August to ensure the best garden during this time of year. Make sure you plan on what variety of vegetables you want to plant. Let’s cover what vegetables have varieties that can be grown in the winter.
You may also be interested in hydroponics over the winter months.
What can you garden in the winter?
Before you get started with your garden design, you need to know what you can grow in the winter.
Garlic will continue to grow during the winter months. If you can find garlic at your local nursery, buy the bulbs for your winter garden. You’ll want to let them shoot up before you start to water them.
Lettuce grows well in winter too. Have you’ve seen pretty lettuce rosettes? They grow great in the winter. They make perfect little side dishes for dinner. Varieties like Winter Marvel come is green, red, and purple.
When you are eating a nice bowl of soup in the cold winter months, imagine having fresh lettuce to make a salad with to have on the side!
Asian greens like mustard is a great idea to plant in the winter. Harvest the mustard leaves when they are young for the best flavor.
Kale grows better in the cooler weather. A nice stir-fry with fresh kale will keep you feeling great. It might be tough to find seeds of kale. You need to find the Winterbor or Redbor varieties for winter.
Spinach isn’t a big fan of heat or sunlight. You can grow spinach in a container during the winter. It should not take much to be successful with spinach during the winter. Look for the Giant Winter variety.
How do you make a winter garden?
Get your winter garden ready just like your summer garden. Make a plan on where you want to grow your plants in the cold weather. A garden in the winter does not need to be outdoors this time of year. A great winter harvest can be done with indoor gardening or in-ground gardening.
What are the benefits of a winter garden?
Your plants will grow quickly in a winter garden. And your garden will grow some of the best vegetables that are nutrient-dense like spinach. Winter gardening takes less effort than summer gardening.
After you have harvested all the winter vegetables you planted outdoors, prepare your soil for spring. It’s okay if the soil freezes because that helps kill bugs for the following season. After your first freeze, add some mulch to your outdoor garden but not too much.
Enjoy your winter garden till you see that first frost. Then it’s time to order your seeds for spring.