Due to its strong frost tolerance and several uses, kale is one of the most popular cold-weather crops. Because of the high concentration of sugar in the leaves, these greens actually flourish in the cold and become sweeter after a frost. As soon as the kale grows fully grown and robust by the time the chilly evenings arrive, you can plant kale seeds at any time during the autumn and winter months. Kale can be grown all year long and harvested constantly from the bottom leaves.
This less well-known cold-weather green, pronounced "mosh," is common in Europe. Sometimes it is referred to as "corn salad" because it grows as an edible winter weeds in corn fields, or it is referred to as "lamb's lettuce" because it grows in pastures in the early spring. The little plant has a dark green colour and tastes sweet and nutty. It has the ability to sprout again as your first yard vegetable in the early spring or overwinter down to 5°F.
Spinach, among the most popular springtime vegetables, is cold-tolerant and may be cultivated all winter. Despite appearing fragile, this nutrient-rich leafy green is very frost resistant; mature plants can endure temperatures as low as 15°F. Spinach may be cultivated virtually year-round in zones 5–9. Before the first frost in the fall, sow overwintering spinach.
Although having a long history in European, radicchio is still relatively unknown in the U.s. Until you taste this allegedly "bitter" green after a flavor-sweetening frost with a sprinkling of balsamic and a robust cheese, your nose may be wrinkled. Although it resembles red cabbage, this hardy green gives winter dishes a more nuanced flavour.
Southerners love collard greens, but northern gardeners hardly ever use them. This green brassica has the same level of cold tolerance as kale and cabbage, and it gives winter stews a more distinctive flavour and texture. To ensure that collards are at least 12" tall before the arrival of exceptionally cold nights, you should sow them at the exact same time . When fully grown, collard greens can endure temperatures as low as 10.
Winter salad and sauces taste deliciously texturally enhanced with frilly mustards. The majority of mustard green cultivars can withstand light freezing temperatures into the twenties but not harsh freezes. You will be ecstatic to learn that mustard greens grown in the winter are more mellow and have a sweeter flavour due to the cold if you don't like the fiery, sour flavour of summer mustards. Similar to spinach,.
This fast-growing, spicy relative of the brassicas is unassuming. Arugula can tolerate temperatures as low as 10°F, but it thrives best when protected from strong winds by a row cover. As provided as you leave the core growing point intact, rocket leaves can be chopped repeatedly, similar to other winter greens. Every time you harvest, leave about 2" of stem behind to achieve this.
In the United States, upland cress, sometimes known as wintertime cress, grows naturally in bogs and does well in mild winter climates. Its peppery flavour is reminiscent of those of its relatives the rocket and mustard green. When the weather warms up to approximately 20°F, the plants form a low, tender-leaved rosette and grow down to about 3 feet tall, bearing edible yellow flowers and much more bitter leaves.
Considering how easy it is to prepare, garlic is a wintertime favourite! It is simply planted in the fall, protected by a thick coating of mulch, and allowed to rest in the ground through the winter before sprouting in the spring. Unlike most garden vegetables, garlic has a distinct growth cycle; it is picked in the summer but actually needs a cold winter to grow a complete bulb.
The majority of lettuce varieties can withstand the winter, but leaf lettuces, romains, and crispheads are especially hardy. While baby lettuces may perish in frosts around 25°F, head lettuce can tolerate temperatures as low as the teens. Lettuce can withstand winter winds and snow even better if it is covered in a good coating of mulch and row cloth. The best winter producers cover lettuce with a short tunnel or window box and leave it open so they may pick leaves all winter long.