Skip to main content

The perfect fall and winter vegetable garden

 The perfect fall and winter vegetable garden


These vegetables do best with low temperatures and low maintenance


Compared to growing a summer vegetable garden (watering, weeding, combating summer pests and heat-related fungal problems), growing a fall and winter garden in Northern California is positively easy!


As temperatures cool and days get shorter, pests and diseases almost disappear. Fall and winter rains take care of watering for you, and the soil is often wet after heavy rains. Most winter vegetables don't need fertilizing and tomato, pepper or squash plants should provide the abundance that most hopeful gardeners expect, although they are often much higher in nutritional value than their summer counterparts.


So in late summer and early fall, when your squash plants are still going strong and your tomato plants haven't stopped producing yet, find or make room for cool-season vegetables like garlic, fava beans, peas, cauliflower, and broccoli in your vegetable garden. , cabbage and carrots. Spinach, beets, leeks and onions deserve a place in winter and make very tasty additions to midwinter salads, soups and stews. With proper planning and succession planting, these cold-tolerant plants will last into early spring and produce delicious, nutritious, homegrown vegetables that will keep you nourished for months!


Compared to growing a summer vegetable garden (watering, weeding, combating summer pests and heat-related fungal problems), growing a fall and winter garden in Northern California is positively easy!


As the temperatures cool and the days get shorter, pests and diseases almost disappear. Fall and winter rains take care of watering for you, and the soil is often wet after heavy rains. Most winter vegetables don't need fertilizing and tomato, pepper or squash plants should provide the abundance that most hopeful gardeners expect, although they are often much higher in nutritional value than their summer counterparts.


So in late summer and early fall, when your squash plants are still going strong and your tomato plants haven't stopped producing yet, find or make room for cool-season vegetables like garlic, fava beans, peas, cauliflower, and broccoli in your vegetable garden. , cabbage and carrots. Spinach, beets, leeks and onions deserve a place in winter and make very tasty additions to midwinter salads, soups and stews. With proper planning and succession planting, these cold-tolerant plants will last into early spring and produce delicious, nutritious, homegrown vegetables that will keep you nourished for months!


1. 'Purple of Sicily' Cauliflower,



My favorite vegetables to grow in my own winter garden? I love red and purple vegetables—they're as pretty as they are on a garden plate, and they're high in antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals that can help fight colds and flu. Winter temperature. I always start by making room for 'Purple of Sicily' cauliflower, a stunning magenta-purple heirloom cauliflower (from, you guessed it, Sicily) that comes in 2- to 3-lb. Heads full of those beneficial minerals and antioxidants. Sweet, savory, and everything you love about cauliflower, it's naturally disease-resistant, making it a great choice for the beginner gardener.


2. 'Colibri' kohlrabi



Purple-skinned 'Colibri' kohlrabi is an easy-to-grow, non-bomb purple vegetable. Sweet, round, savory and with a hint of broccoli with a flavor combination of jicama, radish and potato, 'Colibri' is loved by kids for its "difference". It holds up well when sitting on top of the soil in your garden. Harvest this crisp and delicious oddball when you're ready to snack on it in the garden or add it to a favorite winter meal.


3. ‘Santee’ broccoli



High-yielding, long-growing, sprouting 'Sandee' broccoli is my favorite winter pro for its deep purple color (though turns green when cooked) and generous, sweet, and generous production. coli is Nutritious little flowers. This gourmet, purple-colored broccolini cools well in most of Northern California, producing its most impressive yields after weeks of cool temperatures.


4. ‘Kalibos’ cabbage



'Kalibos' cabbage is a decorative highlight in my winter veggie patch. I like to grow this delicious beauty for its unique shape and color, excellent storage capabilities, and sweet, delicious taste. Fine cone, 2-lb. The deep purple heads are covered with swirling green outer leaves that look more like a giant rose than a nutrient-dense cabbage. It's great served fresh in a kosla or lightly sauteed in olive oil with a little sea salt and garlic.


5. Crimson-flowered favas



Finally, I won't let October pass without planting crimson-flowered favas. An elusive heirloom dating back to 1778, the stocky (and highly ornamental) small broad bean plants not only produce deliciously flavorful beans, but the flowers and young leaves are edible and can be added to your favorite winter salads. The immature, tender pods are delicious steamed or roasted, and the small, almost square fava beans can be enjoyed as a fresh bean when young and tender, or dried for later use after maturity.

Labels:
Location: United States

Comments

Post a Comment

Thanks

Popular posts from this blog

Social media gardening myths. . .DEBUNKED!

If your feed is anything like mine, you will receive regular updatesmGardening information every time you look at your phone. Manyn These articles, memes and posts are mostly good or at least harmless. But some ideas that keep popping up are useless or dangerous to you or your plants. Here are some ridiculous social media myths we should all avoid sharing 1. Oil and vinegar kill weeds. Homemade herbicides have been making the rounds on social media since I first got on Facebook 15 years ago. All of the household herbicides you see include vinegar or oils that kill plants more quickly and "naturally" than something like Roundup. The problem is that vinegar and oil kill quickly By burning the tops of a plant, they don't kill the entire plant, so the weeds grow back on the roots. Of course, very small plants can be killed completely, but this is the exception rather than the rule. A final The problem with vinegar and oil is that they are extremely dangerous to a...
Post a Comment
Read more

5 Plants I Always Start From Seed

Seeds can be started in a number of ways: directly in the ground outdoors, indoors under lights or in a greenhouse, and even in the refrigerator with a paper towel. I use all of these methods. The needs of the plant and how it germinates determine the method I do. But the reasons I grow specific plants from seed vary. For example, sometimes it’s the only way I can find a particular variety. I’ll walk you through seven plants I always start from seed and highlight why and how. 1. Petunia Petunia spp. and hybrids Why start from seed? I use petunias in mass plantings, which can be expensive to fill large beds with layers of plants from the garden center. I may not be able to find some of the fanciest colors or double cultivars, but seeds of many great landscaping petunias, such as the Shockwave series above, are available. Seed-Starting Tips Start petunias indoors about 10 weeks before the last expected frost in your zone, so they will be ready to go into the garden as soon a...
Post a Comment
Read more

They are one of the most difficult perennials to grow

Most difficult perennials to grow 'Some perennials often considered difficult to grow require the right conditions and some patience to fully enjoy their beauty,' 'Some plants I classify as the gold of perennials - they must be successful. Too hot or too cold, too wet or too dry, too much sun or too much shade, and they cannot survive or thrive. 1. Bearded iris Although bearded iris is one of the oldest and most well-known perennials, there are some common problems that can make it challenging to grow. "Root rot is a common problem with bearded iris, caused by planting too deep or where the soil doesn't drain well," says horticulturist Katie Sunderlage. ‘To avoid root rot, it is important to plant the rhizome 1-2 inches below the surface of well-drained soil, adding organic matter if needed. These majestic garden plants are also susceptible to insect and disease problems, particularly leaf spot, iris borer and aphids. Katie continues, 'To prev...
Post a Comment
Read more