10 Vegetables to Grow in Winter

There are many vegetables you can grow outdoors in winter in a cold climate. Find out which crops do best when it’s cold and snowy outside.

Ready to get started? See How to Grow Vegetables Outdoors in Winter.

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The Best Vegetables To Grow In Winter

If you live in a cold climate where temperatures go below freezing in winter, there are lots of options for growing vegetables—even when it’s cold or snowy outside. Growing food from November to March is a whole new gardening adventure.

There are three main things to know to make it work.

First, you need to choose vegetables that tolerate cool or cold growing conditions, often listed as semi-hardy or hardy in seed catalogs.

Next, the seeds need to be started in mid or late summer or early fall to ensure the plants can mature before winter sets in.

And finally, while some of these selections are cold-tolerant, to prevent the plant tissues from freezing, you will need some sort of protective covers over your winter beds.

This article on growing vegetables in winter lists all the steps for getting started as well as suggestions for season extenders (protective covers) like frost covers and polytunnels.

What works in your region depends on your climate and growing conditions.

I’ve provided a beginner list of vegetables to try below. You can see a longer list with my winter vegetable seed sowing plan here.

Shop For Seeds

1Beets

Winter Growing Tips

• Direct sow outdoors in late summer.
• Soak seeds prior to sowing to speed up germination.
• Everything is edible including the tops and roots.

2Broccoli

Winter Growing Tips

• Other vegetables in the brassica family are also excellent winter crops including Brussels sprouts, cabbage, and cauliflower.
• Start seeds midsummer.
• Everything is edible including the leaves, tops, and florets.

3Carrots

Winter Growing Tips

• Direct sow outdoors in late summer.
• Turnips are another option for winter tolerant root vegetables.
• Everything is edible including the tops and roots.

4Collards

Winter Growing Tips

• Start seeds mid-summer.

5Endive | Chicory | Radicchio

Winter Growing Tips

• Start seeds mid-summer.
• Try a few varieties to find your favorites.

6Kale

Winter Growing Tips

• Start seeds mid-summer.
• There are lots of cold-resistant varieties including winterbor, redbor, and winter red.

7Leafy Greens

This is a general term for a whole bunch of delicious greens perfect for salads, soups, and stir-fries.

Winter Growing Tips

• Sow directly outdoors in late summer. You can continue sowing every few weeks if harvesting some in fall.

8Parsley

Winter Growing Tips

• Plant transplants in late summer.
• Some parsley survives the winter without any covers at all. Check your seed packet for notes on cold tolerance.

9Scallions

Winter Growing Tips

• Start seeds mid-summer.
• If you want another onion, also consider growing leeks.

10Swiss Chard

Winter Growing Tips

• Direct sow outdoors in late summer.
• Many types of Swiss chard are considered moderately winter hardy. But with the right covers, they will last all winter long.

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Shop For Seeds

Botanical Interests (US Shipping) has a selection of frost-tolerant seeds here:

Use their search box to refine the search to include Frost Tolerant options.

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I hope this gives you some ideas for your winter garden. Pour over those seed catalogs and stock up on hardy options. And get your seeds soon so you have time to sow and grow before the cold weather arrives.

The steps for growing a winter vegetable garden are here.

~Melissa the Empress of Dirt ♛