Are you planning on buying your greens in winter, and you have a back garden? Why should you eat imported veggies when you can grow your own? You don’t need a tropical climate to bring healthy and fresh food to your table during the cold season. There are plants that grow well even under the snow, actually, some get tastier and some need frosty weather to mature! But you need to plant these vegetables in fall, so you can harvest them by and in spring!
There are actually quite a few vegetables that you can plant in fall, but there are really a few that you would be foolish not to grow in your garden and you can harvest as early as winter. And here they are!
1: Radicchio (Cichorium intybus subsp. intybus var. foliosum)
Have you seen how much radicchio costs in stores? And if you think it comes from warm countries to the shelves, think again – it needs cold weather to form its dense leafy heads, so, take advantage of low temperatures and grow it yourself. You will save a fortune!
But radicchio is not only colorful, expensive and delicious both raw and cooked, it is also a wonder for your health! Rich in vitamin K and antioxidants, this chicory variety can lower the risk of serious health conditions such as cancer, diabetes, osteoporosis, and heart disease. And if you don’t like its bitter taste, cook it and it becomes super sweet!
Plant it 8 to 10 weeks before the first frost, and you will get your first radicchio heads ready a few weeks later, just as winter comes!
- Hardiness: USDA zones 4/6 to 10, depending on the variety.
- Light Requirements: full Sun.
- Spacing: 8 to 12 inches apart (20 to 30 cm).
2: Leek (Allium ampeloprasum, or Allium porrum)
Sweet and savory, with that oniony touch, leek is a classic in winter dishes. You can cook it in so many ways, in soups, but also pies and quiches, scrambled with eggs or if you slice it thinly, also raw (just use the core, it’s softer). A great substitute for onions and garlic, it is a cold hardy and easy to grow, it is a cold hardy and hearty vegetable.
Leeks are also great for your diet, as they are super low in calories (only 54 per cup, or 250 grams raw). But their health benefits are no less attractive; in fact these vegetables are an excellent source of antioxidants like vitamins C, K and beta-carotene that have anti-inflammatory and anti-aging benefits.
Plant the seedlings 8 to 10 weeks before the first frost, and it will be ready in 4 months, but don’t forget to pick some baby leeks through winter – they are delicious!
- Hardiness: USDA zones 4 to 9.
- Light Requirements: full Sun.
- Spacing: 4 to 6 inches apart (10 to 15 cm).
3: Spinach (Spinaciaoleracea)
Ok, you can grow your spinach in spring as well, but you will get better crops, starting in early winter, if you plant it in fall. And why? Two reasons, when the weather warms up, it tends to bolt, you get a smaller harvest. And the second reason is that if you grow it in the cold season, this leafy vegetable is sweeter and more tender!
Ok, we all know from Popeye that spinach is rich in iron, but did you know that it’s also packed with magnesium, potassium and also vitamins C and E? For this reason, it doesn’t only make you strong, it also improves immune function, it aids the digestive system, and it may even have anticancer properties!
And you have a good window in fall to harvest spinach in winter, plant the seedlings 6 to 8 weeks before frost, and this fast crop will be ready in 45 to 50 days! Cut it, and it will grow back, so it can feed you for months on end (though the roots are delicious too).
- Hardiness: USDA zones 3 to 9.
- Light Requirements: full Sun to partial shade.
- Spacing: 4 to 6 inches apart (10 to 15 cm), or sow it directly in your beds and then thin it out.
4: Beet (Beta vulgaris subsp. vulgaris ‘Conditiva Group’)
It’s hard to believe it, but beets are a very fast-growing crop! It will only take them 50 to 70 days to be ready for harvesting, and if you plant them in fall, you will have them on your table in winter. Actually, these root vegetables take on a richer flavor in cold weather. And they will add texture, depth and color to your meals, but not just purplish red, there are golden yellow and orange varieties too!
On top of that, beets are full of antioxidants such as betalains, which fight cell damage and inflammation, and they are useful to prevent cancer and heart diseases. But they are also good against strokes, high blood pressure and they give you more stamina.
Sow beets directly in your vegetable beds, they don’t like transplanting, about 6 weeks before the first frost.
- Hardiness: USDA zones 2 to 8.
- Light Requirements: full Sun.
- Spacing: sow beets directly in your beds, keeping rows 12 inches apart (30 cm), then thin them out as necessary.
5: Kale (Brassica oleracea var. sabellica)
Kale is a leafy and cold hardy brassica, and it too is a fast-growing crop; it will take it 45 to 60 days to be ready, and as it is a winter classic, you should plant it in fall to have it ready for the cold and snowy season. I suggest you stagger it, so you can keep harvesting it from December (even late November) till February…
Kale is yet another winter vegetable that will help you get through this harsh season in good shape. In fact, it is rich in potassium, fiber, folate, and calcium, and it boosts your heart’s health while it reduces cholesterol levels.
You can plant kale seedlings up to 6 weeks before the first day of frost, but start earlier so you get a long-lasting harvest period. It will take it 45 to 60 days till it is ready for your table (but you can always harvest baby kale leaves before that).
- Hardiness: USDA zones 6 to 9.
- Light Requirements: full Sun.
- Spacing: 18 to 24 inches apart (45 to 60 cm).
6: Radishes (Raphanus sativus)
Radishes are one of the fastest growing cold hardy crops, in fact, you can start harvesting them after 20 to 30 days from sowing! And these root vegetables (the leaves are edible too) get much spicier in fall and winter, thanks to low temperatures. Great in salads or dipped in sauces, colorful and invigorating, these “cheeky” veggies really add some peppery heat to your diet on freezing days, and if you stagger their sowing, you can have them on your kitchen table from fall to spring! As they are small, they also take up little space, sure you can make room for them in your backyard (or in containers).
Despite being small, radishes are big friends to your health. High in potassium, which lowers your blood pressure, they also help you generate collagen, thus keeping blood vessels healthy. These root vegetables are great for your circulation because they reduce damage to red blood cells and they also help oxygenate your blood! They must be red for a reason.
Radishes are very cold hardy, and you should stagger them to get a long-lasting harvest till spring, when you can start over again… Sow them directly into your vegetable garden and thin them out as they grow – they don’t like being transplanted.
- Hardiness: USDA zones 2 to 11.
- Light Requirements: full Sun.
- Spacing: sow radishes in your garden and thin them out.
7: LeafLettuce (Lactuca sativa spp.)
Why should you buy lettuce in winter? You can grow it all year round, and leaf varieties, such as ‘Black Seeded Simpson,’ ‘Salad Bowl,’ and ‘Red Sails’ are very fast growing, so you can have a fresh salad even when it is snowing outside in 30 to 40 days! Of course, you also have other cold weather types, like Lollo rossa, iceberg, oakleaf, romaine etc., and they all get their best flavor in this season. On top of this, lower temperatures prevent them from bolting (which spoils so many crops in summer)!
If you are pregnant, you should be eating lots of lettuce, because all varieties are rich in folate, which helps the growth of babies. But these fresh leafy vegetables also have lots of vitamin A (beta carotene), which is good for your eyes, skin and bones.
Plant the saplings at least 4 to 8 weeks before frost, but start early because you want to stagger your harvest.
- Hardiness: USDA zones 4 or 5 to 9 (depending on the varieties).
- Light Requirements: full Sun or partial shade.
- Spacing: 4 inches apart for leaf lettuce (10 cm); other varieties range between 12 and 18 inches (30 to 45 cm).
8: Collard Greens (Brassica oleracea var. viridis)
Collard greens are another leafy brassica that grow well in winter, and they get sweeter in colder temperatures. And you can harvest in 40 to 60 days from planting them in fall, so you are still in time to have them on your kitchen table in winter. With a dark green color but heartwarming flavor, they really work wonderfully in many dishes of this season, as a side dish, in soups, pasta or chopped into mash potatoes. Do stagger them as much as you can so you will be picking them for longer (or you can freeze them).
On top of being great for your bones, liver, digestion, hair and skin, collard also help you sleep (not bad on cold winter mornings!) and they can even help prevent cancer!
Plant collard greens 4 to 8 weeks before frost comes, but if you start early, you will get a longer harvest season.
- Hardiness: USDA zones 5 to 9.
- Light Requirements: full Sun or, in warmer climates, also partial shade.
- Spacing: 18 to 24 inches apart (45 to 60 cm), but you can space them less (down to 10 inches, or 25 cm), then harvest some of them as baby leaves…
9: Bok Choy (Brassica rapa subsp. chinensis)
Bok choy is an ideal winter vegetable to plant in fall for many reasons… If you like Chinese food, you already know one (and remember that all Asian leafy greens are great for this season)… But there are others, it is actually a brassica, but without the typically strong flavor of these veggies, and it will be mature 45 to 50 days from planting, but you can literally harvest it at any stage, even before that! It is super cold hardy, and you can use it in so many Western dishes as well.
Like all brassicas and many leafy greens, Bok choy also gives you a healthy diet. Rich in calcium, phosphorus, iron, magnesium, and vitamin K, it is great for your heart, bones and thyroid, but it also has anticancer properties!
You can sow Bok choy directly in your vegetable garden and then thin it out (so you get an easy and long harvest), about 7 weeks before frost comes. Otherwise you can transplant the seedlings up to 4 weeks before frost.
- Hardiness: USDA zones 2 to 11.
- Light Requirements: full Sun to partial shade (better, especially in warmer climates).
- Spacing: 6 to 10 inches apart (15 to 25 cm).
10: Turnip (Brassica rapa subsp. rapa)
How can you do without the earthy flavor of turnips in winter? Stews reach heights of rustic sweetness and you can also bake its roots, or puree them, if you wish. It is a brassica as well, which means one thing: don’t throw away the leaves! They are tasty and healthy as well. What’s more, it is a fast crop as well, and it will be ready to feed you 30 to 60 days after planting it, so you can even start harvesting it in mid to late fall if you start early. Finally, they preserve so well that you hardly need to stagger them (but you can).
But turnips are not just hearty in flavor and good for your mood; these humble vegetables also lower blood sugar levels (great against diabetes); they have anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties and, like so many brassicas, they help prevent cancer.
Sow turnips directly in your veggie garden, and thin them out while they grow – transplanting can damage them. But give them at least 8 weeks before frost comes, because they are not very cold hardy.
- Hardiness: USDA zones 6 to 11.
- Light Requirements: full Sun.
- Spacing: sow directly in your beds and thin out as they grow.
Fill Your Winter Fridge with Vegetables You Plant in Fall
There are many other veggies you can plant in fall, but these 10 are by far the best, and they will be ready in winter, when prices go up, local produce is hard to find, and we import so many greens from abroad. Ride against the tide, grow these varieties and you will save yourself lots of trips, money, headaches – and help your health as well!
Written By
Amber Noyes
Amber Noyes was born and raised in a suburban California town, San Mateo. She holds a master’s degree in horticulture from the University of California as well as a BS in Biology from the University of San Francisco. With experience working on an organic farm, water conservation research, farmers’ markets, and plant nursery, she understands what makes plants thrive and how we can better understand the connection between microclimate and plant health. When she’s not on the land, Amber loves informing people of new ideas/things related to gardening, especially organic gardening, houseplants, and growing plants in a small space.