Veggies That Prefer Cool Weather (2024)

FAQs

What vegetables grow best in cool weather? ›

Hardy Vegetables: Broccoli, Brussels Sprouts, Cabbage, Collards, English Peas, Kale, Kohlrabi, Leeks, Mustard Greens, Parsley, Radishes, Spinach, Turnips. Semi-hardy Vegetables: Beets, Carrots, Cauliflower, Celery, Chinese Cabbage, Endive, Irish Potatoes, Lettuces, Radicchio, Rutabaga, Salsify, Swiss Chard.

Cool-season crops can be planted when the soil and air temperatures are at least 40 degrees Fahrenheit. These crops are often further divided into hardy and semi-hardy categories, depending upon their ability to withstand cold temperatures.

A light freeze is considered 28°-32°F, and a hard freeze below 28°F. However, any temperature below 25°F is dangerous territory for most vegetable plants.

Some of the really cold tolerant vegetable crops include onions, carrots, garlic, collards, etc. To begin garlic can handle temperatures below zero degrees Fahrenheit. As far as leeks, collards, Brussel sprouts, and parsnips they can all take down to zero degrees Fahrenheit.

Many varieties of carrot do well for cold-weather growing; with the proper planning, these can thrive when temperatures drop. Carrots offer so many nutrients that having a crop ready for harvest year-round will give you a wealth of health benefits. Read on to discover the perfect carrot choices for planting in winter.

In regions with mild winters, potatoes can be grown outdoors and planted at the end of summer or the beginning of fall. However, hard freezes or heavy snow can damage or kill potatoes. In regions with harsher winters, you should avoid growing potatoes outdoors during winter.

And any time the nighttime temps fall below 33°F, you can expect damage to the leaves and the plants may die. Should the freeze grow colder still, with temperature plummeting below 28°F, it's unlikely you can save the plant even using a row cover or plastic to protect them.

These cold-weather champs are kale, spinach and collards. Other hardy vegetables include broccoli, Brussels sprouts, English peas, kohlrabi and leeks. Hardy root crops are radishes and turnip, which also yields some greens from the tops. Other hardy greens include kale, mustard greens and collards.

How cold is too cold for lettuce? ›

Lettuce may cope with light freezing and even one or two hard freezes, but once the thermometer reads 25°F or below, the plants are in danger. That level of cold causes ice to form in the plant tissue, regardless of the amount of moisture in the air. As the water expands, it causes cell walls to burst.

Radishes - One of the fastest vegetables for cold weather gardens, radishes can reach a harvestable size in three to five weeks.

Spinach is an excellent choice for over winter production as it is extremely cold hardy. As the temperature decreases the plant increases the sugar content in its vasculature. This essentially acts as an “anti-freeze” to protect the plant. Growth is greatly slowed by temperature and lack of sunlight.

The carrot tops are cold-hardy down to at least 18°F but the roots can take even colder temps, especially if you pile on a thick layer of straw mulch to insulate them.

Timeline for planting and harvesting carrots. Timeline: Carrots can be planted as soon as the soil reaches 40°F, around mid-April, though they will germinate more quickly in warm soil (Figure 2). Days to Harvest: 55-80 days, depending on variety. Sowing: Sow carrot seed directly into the soil.

A temperature of 40 degrees Fahrenheit (4.4 degrees Celsius) will cause damage to your tomato plants. However, it will not kill them directly. Instead, prolonged exposure to this temperature will cause chilling injury, reducing the vigor of the plant.

Broccoli – Broccoli thrives in cooler weather and is frost tolerant, making it a wonderful winter garden option. It does require full sun and fertile, rich and moist soil. In general, broccoli can survive temperatures as low as 40°F, and some established plants may even be able to go as low as 25°F.

Growing lettuce in winter is easier than you think! The key is to select frost-tolerant varieties and pair them with a season extender like a cold frame, mini hoop tunnel, or polytunnel.

Kale thrives in mild winters, but can also produce sweet, tender leaves long into a cold winter if the plants are protected with row cover or are planted in an unheated greenhouse.

Are there any vegetables you Cannot freeze? ›

You can freeze just about any vegetable except celery, watercress, endive, lettuce, cabbage, cucumber and radishes. These foods have a high water content and become soggy and water-logged when thawed.

Root crops like carrots, turnips, beets, rutabagas and parsnips can remain in the garden after a frost and still be removed in good condition later, but get them dug and stored before the ground freezes.

Field peas are the most frost susceptible pulse crop followed by faba beans and lupins. Canola is susceptible to frost, with the most sensitive time from late flowering (90%) to the clear watery stage (about 60% moisture).

Before we look at what varieties to grow and how to grow them it's useful to know what makes a winter seed potato. The simple answer is that they have been placed in cold storage to delay their growth and taken out from late June so that they are ready to start their 12 week plant-to-harvest cycle.

Garlic is in the Allium genus, which also includes onions, shallots, leeks, scallions, chives and ornamental Alliums. Because garlic grows throughout the winter, it is a great crop for keeping your garden in production year-round.

Store in a cool, dry area, away from light. Temperatures warmer than 45°F encourage sprouting after just a couple of months; colder than 40°F encourages transformation of starch to sugar, which changes the taste and cooking properties.

According to Myers, the hardiest vegetables that can withstand heavy frost of air temperatures below 28 include spinach, Walla Walla sweet onion, garlic, leeks, rhubarb, rutabaga, broccoli, kohlrabi, kale, cabbage, chicory, Brussels sprouts, corn salad, arugula, fava beans, radish, mustard, Austrian winter pea and ...

This herb loves warm, sunny days. While temperatures close to 50°F won't kill your basil, the cold can cause the leaves to blacken. Anything below 45°F is a danger zone.

Beets can withstand temperatures around 30 degrees F for sustained periods. If beets are left in the ground throughout the winter, they will begin producing spring greens very early.

How cold can cucumber plants get? ›

A temperature of 32 degrees Fahrenheit (0 degrees Celsius) or below will result in frost, which will kill cucumber plants. Any temperature below 50 degrees Fahrenheit (10 degrees Celsius) will result in slower growth of cucumber plants, and will eventually damage them.

In general, a frost (31-33 degrees F.) will kill beans, cantaloupe, corn, cucumbers, eggplant, okra, peas, pepper, potatoes, sweet potatoes, squash, tomatoes, and watermelon. Colder temperatures (26-31 degrees F.)

It's also extremely hardy with the most cold tolerant varieties surviving down to -10 F (-23 C)! Kale, along with beets, carrots, and leeks, also tastes better in winter, or at least after a couple of hard frosts.

How to Grow: Lettuce is a cool-weather crop that thrives in the temperature range 60-65 degrees F, and if thoroughly hardened, most varieties survive temperatures as low as 20 degrees F. Cold-adapted varieties survive much lower temperatures. Seed germinates best at about 75 degrees F.

In early spring and late fall: Spinach can tolerate the cold; it can survive a frost and temps down to 15ºF (-9°C). (See local frost dates) Young spinach is more tender; cover if cold temps are in the forecast.

Beans, cucumbers, eggplant, musk melon, okra, peppers, pumpkins, squash, sweet corn, sweet potato, and tomatoes will all be damaged by even a light frost, but many other crops will survive.

This is an extremely winter-hardy butterhead with pleasant, mild, velvety leaves. It is excellent for salads anytime, but especially exciting to have something green and crunchy while snow is still on the ground.

Do any fruits grow in winter? ›

Some of the best winter fruits are persimmons, pomegranates, crabapples, apples, cherries, raspberries, citrus, and strawberries. HGTV encourages us to think of winter fruits as more than just what we can eat and consider a range of fruits that last through the season and provide food for our animal friends.

Celery is generally a cold-hardy plant, and it suffers in too much heat. But don't transplant too early. You want the soil to warm up to about 50°F with outdoor temperatures remaining above 40°F throughout the night.

Green beans are some of the best plants to grow in the winter. They're well suited to indoor growing, because they're incredibly happy being cultivated in pots, and they only need vertical growing space.

Brussels sprouts are cold-hardy to 0°F (-18°C) and their flavor is enhanced by frost. Do not top plants to be overwintered. Storage: May be stored about a month in the root cellar if the plants are pulled out by the roots and most of the leaves removed. Note: Days to maturity are from transplanting.

Cucumber is a warm-season crop and susceptible to cold and frost damage. Planting should wait until soil temperatures are 60 F or higher (75 F to 90 F preferred). Extremely high temperatures may cause light green fruit color and bitterness in many cucumber varieties. Cucumbers will grow on almost any well-drained soil.

“Fifty degrees is a good benchmark for cool-season crops,” Weston said. “And the soil should be 60 degrees or more for warm-weather plants like tomatoes, peppers and basil. In fact, for tomatoes it should ideally be 65 to 70.”

Common cool-season vegetables: asparagus, beets, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, chives, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, Swiss chard, kale, leek, lettuce, onion, parsnips, peas, radishes, spinach, and turnips.

A temperature of 32 degrees Fahrenheit or below will result in a frost or freeze that will kill unprotected tomato plants. A temperature below 40 degrees Fahrenheit will cause stunted growth, wilted leaves, and pitting of fruit on tomato plants. Any temperature below 50 degrees Fahrenheit will lower pollen production.

Can cucumbers survive 40 degree nights? ›

Protecting Cucumbers from Cold

Even prolonged exposure to temperatures below 55 degrees F. (13 C.) can cause decay, pitting, and water-soaked areas on fruit. Sudden cold snaps can cause cucumber plant damage on leaves, stems, and fruit or even kill the plants.

Eggplant is a heat-loving vegetable that does best in temperatures between 70 and 85 degrees Fahrenheit. Lower temperatures inhibit pollination and fruit-set; at 50 degrees, the flowers will drop.

Potatoes are a great winter-early spring crop and at this time of the year you will find seed potatoes available in local garden centers and on-line. And there's a potato planting solution for any sized garden! They can be planted in the ground in rows or in mounds, in containers, in potato bags, or in potato towers.