There are a variety of cool-season crops you can overwinter in the vegetable garden. Depending on when and what you plant, overwintering can provide extra-early spring harvests or even harvests throughout the winter. For example, we harvest salad greens planted in cold frames in autumn through the winter. We also sow bulb onions in cold frames starting in November. We wait to harvest these until summer, but the extra time allows them to bulb up faster before it gets too hot.

Leafy Greens

Leafy greens are the winter moneymakers for small farms. They overwinter reliably, especially in the southeast. Many, like spinach and kale, are sweeter in the winter than in other seasons.

Sow seeds in late summer or fall, depending on your region. Smaller, younger leafy greens overwinter much better than mature greens. At the baby greens size, crops like kale and spinach are less susceptible to hard frosts and freezes. Just keep in mind that they will mature more slowly in the fall as the temperature cools and the daylight dwindles.

Don’t forget to vent cold frames, high tunnels, and other coverings on sunny days.

Lettuce

While not quite as cold hardy as spinach or kale, there are still many lettuce varieties that will grow through winter with a bit of protection. Here are a few of our favorites.

Onions

In addition to growing perennial onions like walking onions through the winter, you can also overwinter bunching and bulb onions for early harvests.

Root Vegetables

Root vegetables are another great option for overwintering. Low tunnels and a heavy layer of mulch can allow you to harvest beets, carrots, radishes, turnips, rutabagas, and parsnips all season.

These are just a few of our favorites! Many cool season crops may be overwintered with proper protection and timing. What do you grow in winter?