5 Must-Grow Crops for Your Fall & Winter Garden
As much as I love harvesting fresh tomatoes and zucchini from my summer garden I think fall and winter may be my favorite time of year to garden. You don’t have to water, fertilize, or weed as much during the cooler months here in Oregon, and because our winters are typically so mild, there is quite a bit we are able to grow here with little to no protection. It might sound cliché, but it is truly so rewarding to be able to make a fresh romaine salad or add crisp, sweet carrots to a warm stew throughout the holidays and into the New Year. Year-round grocery shopping in my backyard? – sign me up!
There is a wide range of crops you can grow in fall and winter: broccoli, onions, Brussels sprouts, Swiss chard just to name a few! If you are new to fall and winter gardening and you’re not sure where to start or you’re just wanting to dip your toe – here are the 5 crops that are must-grows for me in my fall & winter garden.
1) Lettuce
Lettuce is a kitchen staple for me. Salads, tacos, and sandwiches are regulars in my house, and I love being able to harvest leaves as I need them right off my patio. I am planting rotations of various lettuces (romaine, loose-leaf, butterheads, etc.) in my garden from about February or March through October and I am harvesting April through December (sometimes even January with some protection).
2) Garlic
My fall garden wouldn’t be complete without garlic! While I don’t technically get to harvest the garlic until the following summer, I plant in the fall, about 6-8 weeks before the ground freezes. The flavor of home-grown garlic is unmatched – if you know, you know! It’s such a stress-free crop to grow as well, and there are several culinary ways to enjoy garlic prior to harvest. After I plant in the fall, and water when needed, there isn’t much I need to do until the following spring. A couple months of regular fertilization starting with new growth in the spring and come summer I’m harvesting large, flavorful heads of garlic. And when stored properly the garlic cloves last me until I’m harvesting next year’s crop!
3) Carrots
Crisp carrots in the winter are a great fresh treat, but they’re also my favorite ingredient to add to homemade soup. Soup is one of my favorite meals in the winter, and in my opinion, carrots taste even sweeter in the winter as well, so it just makes the soup that much better! Carrots are also the perfect fall & winter veggie because I can harvest them as needed. The cool ground serves as the ideal storage place for this cold-hardy root crop. It’s so great having months of yummy carrots to enjoy. Make sure to harvest all the carrots by the time it starts to warm up again in the spring.
Sprouting broccoli is a new favorite for me! It’s such a versatile crop to cook with and I enjoy it fresh on a veggie tray or in a salad, roasted or sautéed for a great side, and in a delicious broccoli and cheddar soup (just to name a few)! Sprouting broccoli is hardy down to 10 °F. Before the flower buds open, cut the central head at a 45 ° angle – side shoots will form from the axillary buds.
Recommendation: Plant our 3 purple sprouting varieties: Santee, Rudolph, and Purple Sprouting and you will be harvesting broccoli in fall, winter and spring!
5) Parsnips
Another root-crop staple! Similar to carrots, parsnips get sweeter in colder weather and can be harvested as I need them. If you’ve never tasted parsnips after a couple of frosts that have then been roasted with garlic – then please sow some this summer because it is perfection! Be sure the roots have plenty of room to grow by planting in deeply worked, loose soil.
Peas really thrive in cool weather, so it’s only fitting to grow them in my fall garden. I like to grow snow, shelling and snap peas so I have variety for fresh eating, soup, and stir fry.
Similar to garlic, since I plant in the fall and then enjoy the following year – growing tulip bulbs are well worth the wait! The fantastic show of color in the spring is the perfect way to kick off the new season.
Even if you start with just one of the suggested crops above, I hope you will try growing a fall & winter garden this year. Happy planting!
Author: Mel R
