Winter Gardening: 8 Best Tips & Ideas
Winter gardening how-to guide on when to plant, best vegetables & herbs for cool season, DIY greenhouse tutorials & edible garden ideas!
Growing winter vegetables is a delightful way to extend your gardening season, and transform your cold months into a thriving oasis of vibrant goodies. Imagine stepping outside to harvest crisp kale, sweet carrots, and juicy radishes, all while the world around you is blanketed in snow.
To make your winter gardening experience even more rewarding, we’ve compiled some favorite tips and tricks from DIY greenhouses to creating cozy microclimates, from utilizing grow lights to choosing the best varieties, and more!
Also I have to mention one of the best books on winter gardening Four-Season Harvest: Organic Vegetables from Your Home Garden All Year Long, written by Eliot Coleman, one of the most inspiring gardeners I have learned so much from!
*Some resources in article are affiliate links. Full disclosure here.
What vegetables can you plant in the winter?
There are many cool season vegetables you can plant.
Here are 24 Best Varieties for Winter Vegetable Gardens. Tip: early maturing varieties have a better chance of reaching harvest before the most severe cold sets in.
Plants in the brassica family, such as Brussels sprouts, broccoli, kale, collard and cabbage, are particularly cold-hardy and can withstand winter temperatures, often improving in flavor as the cold enhances their sweetness. Leafy greens like spinach, Swiss chard, lettuce, and root vegetables such as carrots, parsnips, radishes, and beets are all excellent for winter gardening and improve in flavor after a cold snap.
When is the best time to plant a winter vegetable garden?
It may sound counter intuitive, but the summer months are actually the best time to start a winter garden. It’s usually May through July in colder climate zones, and July through September in warmer areas. Here‘s a great winter vegetable planting calendar. Use it as a guide and fine tune it to best suit your growing climate.
Extend the growing season with greenhouses
When it comes to extending the growing season and protecting your plants from harsh weather, various DIY greenhouse options offer unique benefits suited to different gardening needs. Here are 45 inspiring DIY greenhouse ideas , from simple hoop tunnels and cold frames to attractive sheds made from reclaimed windows.
Row covers, on the other hand, provide a lightweight, protective layer over entire rows of plants and garden beds. They allow sunlight and moisture to penetrate while shielding crops from frost, wind, and pests. They are easy to install and can be draped over hoops or frames for added stability.
Cloches are a fantastic choice for individual plants or small groupings. These bell-shaped covers create a mini-greenhouse effect, providing warmth and humidity while protecting young seedlings from frost and pests. You can even made cloches from gallon water or milk jugs. Via Hobby Farms
Easy low tech methods to heat a greenhouse
On really cold winter days, a heated greenhouse makes a big difference. Here are some creative and easy DIY ways to heat your greenhouse:
Thermal Mass Heat Storage: Fill gallon jugs with water and place them in the greenhouse. During the day, they absorb heat from the sun and release it at night. Via Forks in the Dirt
Compost Heating: Create a compost pile inside or adjacent to the greenhouse. The decomposition process generates heat that can help warm the greenhouse. Here’s a detail guide on how to compost.
Terra Cotta Pot Heater: Place a lit candle inside a terra cotta pot and cover it with another pot. The pots absorb and radiate heat. Check out the DIY clay pot heater video tutorial above for more details.
Use Grow Lights for Winter Gardening
Winter gardening poses a unique challenge due to shorter days and reduced sunlight, which can hinder plant growth and productivity. Grow lights provide a reliable solution by supplementing natural light, ensuring plants receive the necessary spectrum and intensity of light for vegetative growth and flowering, and prevent issues like leggy seedlings or stunted growth due to insufficient light.
In her indoor seed starting setup, Rhonda at Sprouts and Stuff blog used LED shop lights , and simple mylar blankets to reflect the light. For optimal results, use full-spectrum LED lights, as they mimic natural sunlight and are energy-efficient. Position the lights 6-12 inches above seedlings to promote strong, healthy growth, and adjust the height as plants mature.
For leafy greens like lettuce and spinach, maintain a light schedule of 14-16 hours per day. During the flowering stage of fruiting plants like tomatoes or peppers, switch to a 12-hour light cycle to encourage blooming.
Watering Tricks for Winter Gardening
Water your plants early in the day to give the soil and plants time to absorb the moisture before temperatures drop in the evening. Morning watering helps reduce the risk of water freezing around the roots, which can damage plants.
Excess moisture in the cells and tissues of the plants can freeze during a frost, leading to damaged or blackened foliage. Watering plants less before a frost can help reduce the risk of frost damage.
Winter gardening is a wonderful opportunity to embrace nature’s abundance and discover the delicious flavors of cold-hardy varieties. With the right techniques and a little creativity, you can cultivate a flourishing garden that defies the winter chill and keeps your kitchen stocked with delicious fresh vegetables all season long!
Happy growing! See you soon!
