Gardening Edible Gardening Vegetable Gardening 10 Best Vegetables to Plant and Grow in Winter Extend the growing season and harvest fresh vegetables in winter with these cold-hardy crops. By Lauren Landers Lauren Landers Lauren Landers is a freelance writer who focuses on gardening, homesteading, and DIY. Learning from both hands-on experience and a Master Gardener training course, Lauren loves sharing her knowledge about gardening, conscious living, homesteading, backyard food growing, and much more. Learn about BHG's Editorial Process Updated on September 11, 2023 Tomatoes, melons, and cucumbers are the stars of summer veggie gardens, but they die back as soon as the temperature starts to drop. However, there are several vegetables to plant in winter to keep your harvests going during the colder months. And with the help of season extension products, like cold frames, floating row covers, and cloches, you might be able to grow vegetables all year round. Marty Baldwin These 10 vegetables to grow in winter all can take cold temperatures, and some even improve their flavor with a little frost. Here’s How to Plant Fall Garden Vegetables in Summer 01 of 10 Carrots Better Homes and Gardens Carrots tend to struggle in summer gardens, but they’re absolute champions in fall and winter. These tough plants aren’t damaged by frost; carrot roots become even sweeter in cold weather. Gather your carrot crop in before temperatures drop below 20°F, as roots can suffer damage when the weather becomes frigid. 02 of 10 Beets Bob Stefko Like carrots, beets produce extra sugar in cold weather to prevent their roots from freezing, which has the added benefit of making them even more delicious. Adding a bit of straw mulch over beets in fall can shield them from the worst of winter weather. Then, pull up young beets as needed for your dinner table and leave the rest to overwinter so you can harvest fresh beet greens first thing in spring. 10 Best Companion Plants for Beets 03 of 10 Brassicas Ed Gohlich Cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, cabbage, and other brassica vegetables don’t grow well in hot weather; they can become stunted or bolt in heat. However, if you grow these crops late in the season, you can get more homegrown produce out of your garden and harvest fresh vegetables well into winter. Fall and winter growing is particularly beneficial for brassica crops since cabbage loopers and other pests aren’t as active at this time of the year. 04 of 10 Green Onions Bob Stefko Bulbing onions are cold-hardy crops that can grow in cool weather, but green onions are even easier to keep going in winter gardens. Fast-growing and compact, green onions can be planted in small garden spaces and harvested in about 60 days. Frost-tolerant and resilient, green onions often survive subfreezing temperatures, but established plants are much hardier than seedlings. 05 of 10 Leafy Greens Brie Williams Spinach, kale, and Swiss chard may look fragile, but they’re some of the toughest plants you can grow in your winter garden. These plants can all handle temperatures below freezing, and if you shield their leaves from heavy snow with cloches or a cold frame, you can harvest greens when there’s snow on the ground. An added benefit of growing greens late in the season is that garden pests are much less troublesome. 06 of 10 Leeks Bob Stefko Savory leeks are often added to autumn and winter meals, but they are also some of the hardiest crops you can grow. Leek seeds even germinate in cool weather, and some leek varieties tolerate temperatures as low as 20°F. Adding natural mulches around leek plants shields their roots from the cold. Crops are sweeter and tastier after a light frost or two. 07 of 10 Leaf Lettuce Marty Baldwin Many types of lettuce grow in cold weather, including head lettuce varieties like romaine. However, leaf lettuce tends to be easier to grow in cold weather because it can be harvested a little at a time and often grows faster than head lettuce. Keeping lettuce plants under grow tunnels or in a cold frame protects the tender leaves from extreme cold and crushing snows. 08 of 10 Parsnips Marty Baldwin Parsnips are slow growers that are usually planted in spring and harvested in fall, about 120 to 180 days later. However, parsnips can remain in the ground through the winter months in areas where the ground doesn’t freeze solid. Overwintering parsnips yields a sweeter crop of this vegetable, and it is necessary if you want to harvest seeds from these biennial plants. 09 of 10 Turnips Marty Baldwin Turnips are often harvested in autumn and stored in root cellars for the winter, but you can keep turnips in the ground during the winter months as well. Turnips can survive temperatures as low as 25°F, and cold weather encourages turnip plants to develop larger and sweeter roots instead of greens. In mild climates, you can succession sow turnip seeds throughout winter and into spring for a nearly continuous crop of fresh vegetables. 10 of 10 Radishes Cameron Sadeghpour No list of cool weather crops would be complete without fast-growing radishes. A staple plant in spring and autumn gardens, radishes can grow in tiny spaces and be ready to harvest in just three weeks. Radishes are also ultra cold-hardy; they can survive even in winter gardens as long as temperatures remain above 25°F. 10 Best Radish Companion Plants to Grow Together Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit