12 Vegetables You Can Grow in Winter
A Guide to Planting and Harvesting Winter Vegetables
If winter grocery-store produce has you wishing for something fresh from the garden, consider this: you can grow a surprising number of vegetables throughout the winter in our moderate south coast BC maritime climate. (Article continues below slideshow.)
Certain vegetables, like kale and Brussels sprouts, thrive in winter temperatures and actually become sweeter after a frost. Others, with mulch and season extension can usually make it through the winter, even when temperatures dip below freezing or snow stays on the ground for more than a day.
Low light levels and cold will slow growth, so don’t expect to harvest as often as at other times of year. The trick is to plant a lot and make up in abundance for what the winter light cannot produce in size. For example, harvest winter greens as “baby salad greens” or braising mix, rather than expecting large heads.
Start planning in midsummer for your winter crops. Most vegetables (with the exception of leeks, which go in early) need to be planted by July or August to develop sufficiently before the cold sets in.
The guide below shows seed planting and harvest times for winter vegetables in southern maritime British Columbia.
Planting & Harvesting Winter Vegetables in South Coast BC
| Winter Vegetables | Planting Date | Harvest |
| Broccoli | June – July | Winter, Spring |
| Brussels Sprouts | May – June | Fall, Winter |
| Carrots | July – Aug | Fall, Winter |
| Chard | April – June | Fall, Winter |
| Collards | July – Aug | Fall, Winter, Spring |
| Kale | July – Aug | Fall, Winter, Spring |
| Leeks | April – May | Fall, Winter |
| Parsley/Parsley Root | April – Sept | Fall, Winter, Spring |
| Parsnips | May – July | Fall, Winter |
| Scallions | June – Aug | Fall, Winter |
| Turnips | Sept | Fall, Winter |
| Winter Salad Greens: | ||
| Arugula | Aug – Sept | Fall, Winter, Spring |
| Bok Choi | Aug – Oct | Winter, Spring |
| Chicory (Radicchio) | June – July | Fall, Winter |
| Lettuce | July – Sept | Fall, Winter |
| Mache (Corn Salad) | Aug – Oct | Fall, Winter, Spring |
| Mustards | July – Aug | Fall, Winter |
| Spinach | July – Oct | Fall, Winter |
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What do you suggest for mulch? How could I get some hay to use? I would use grass clippings but have many weeds mixed in so don’t want to. Would leaves be ok?
Straw makes a good mulch. Gardeners also use hay, although, unlike straw, hay often contains seeds. You can buy straw or hay from local farmers. If you’re in the Vancouver Island area, try searching the Farms & Food Map.
Dried grass clippings make wonderful mulch and probably have no more weed seeds than hay. Dry leaves are also good—especially if run over with a lawnmower to cut them into smaller pieces.
i have holes on the kale ?it cant be bugs we have had frost.
Slugs and snails do still attack.
Although it’s in smaller sessions.
We also have other small pests that are around that survive winter. Use cloch cloth to help protect from any damage.
i like to grow kale winter.
I am considering container gardening on my ground floor patio. The patio is pretty much 100% in shade – which would be the best vegetables or herbs to grow?
I suggest getting plants from a nursery, so that they are already sprouted and established.
I have had success with beets, sage, parsley, lettuce and collards in shade.
Everything will grow slower, but you can do some things to increase your success. 1. Good soil 2. Shade-tolerant strains.
Even if you have half shade, I have had success growing things like a bucket of potatoes, tomatoes, even a bell pepper plant. Give it super soil, though, ie. Lots of manure, compost and fertilizer. This will greatly increase your success. You start right, and you get better results.
I was just checking out your site, I am trying to see what I can grow in the summer to offset grocery costs in the winter. I have a cold room set up, but am looking at what I can harvest in the fall for eating in the winter. (Onions garlic are some I know of but you cannot have onion and garlic soup all winter, I may have to go to green housing, I think.) I loved your site very clean and not busy like other sites.
There are plenty of things you can grow in the Lower Mainland throughout winter.
A greenhouse would certainly help though and you can simply lay clear plastic over w/lots of mulch
Try any of the herbs for example – garlic, oregano, basil, etc.
Lots of winter cabbages, onions, leeks, turnips, etc.
Also – have you tried canning or preserving your large summer crops for winter eats?
You can try pickling as well
thanks
Thanks, very useful information. I have read about using mache as an edible cover crop and plan to try it this year. At the very least it will keep the deer population plump and robust …