Enjoying winter vegetable gardening

Every fall as days get shorter, afternoon heat wanes and cool mornings become the norm here in East Texas, my vegetable gardening excitement rises. We love fall vegetable crops for three reasons: success with fall vegetables is really very easy, they are incredibly nutritious and they just taste great. The list of vegetables and herbs that thrive during the cool weather season is longer than you might expect. Many winter crops continue to give produce all season long, and many require little intervention during freezing weather.

 

 Start with lettuces and greens for your first success with winter gardening. Mix a pot with your favorite leafy treats. Oakleaf, bibb, butter crunch, and red sails are but a few of the lettuces that work nicely, along with spinach. Lesser known greens like arugula, tatsoi, mizuna or pak choi combine nicely with lettuces in a planting and in the salad bowl. Simply pick the outer leaves from your plants and they will keep growing. When freezing temps are expected, just bring your mixed pot indoors overnight or until warmer temps have returned.

 

 

Swiss chard and kale varieties are even easier because they can take temps well below freezing (and offer great ornamental value as well). In-ground crops such as Broccoli, cauliflower, kohlrabi, and carrots are also easy to grow during the winter.

When it comes to herbs there are a plethora of evergreen and cool weather performers. All of the holiday turkey seasonings such as sage, rosemary, thyme, parsley and oregano are among the winter herb stars. Don't forget cilantro, sorrel, salad burnet, dill and lavender love the cool months too.

 

 

Gardening in the winter is easy and enjoyable. The weather is more forgiving to both plants and people, water demands lessen significantly, there are fewer pests and winter plants thrive with just minimal care.