Planting the Perfect Fall and Winter Veggie Garden

These veggies do well with lower temperatures and lower maintenance

compare to arise a summer vegetable garden and all it imply ( lachrymation , weed , fight summertime pests and warmth - related fungal problem ) , growing a declination and winter garden in Northern California is positively easygoing !

When temperatures cool and day shorten , insects and diseases virtually disappear . Fall and winter rains take concern of irrigation for you , with the soil often remaining moist for days after a threatening rain rain shower . Most winter vegetable do n’t require the fertilizing and side - dressing a tomato plant , Madagascar pepper , or mash plant demands to render the copiousness most optimistic gardeners expect , and yet they ’re often far high in nutritionary economic value than their summer counterparts .

So at summer ’s close on into early gloaming , even while your squash plants still scarper rampant and tomato plant have yet to discontinue product , obtain or make space in your veggie garden for cool time of year veggie such as garlic , fava bean , peas , Brassica oleracea botrytis , broccoli , kale , and cultivated carrot . Spinach , beets , leeks , and onions also merit a place in the wintertime patch and make the most delectable add-on to midwinter salad , soup , and stews . With right planning and ecological succession planting , these cold - large-minded plants will linger through early spring , create delicious , nutritious , homegrown vegetables that will nutrify you for months !

When it comes to set a successful winter garden , timing is important . Winter vegetables need cold weather to maturate adequately , but they actually prefer affectionate filth temperatures to germinate and will do so quickly in the estrus of recent summer and early fall . As tiny seedlings and young industrial plant , they can plow summer temperatures and September heatwaves as long as their irrigation need are met , and they will rapidly make a healthy source system and come upon solid above - ground growth with late summer ’s warmth . To achieve peak winter veggie beau ideal , however , the colder late fall and wintertime temperatures and even a light-colored touch of frost are vital . Root crop get crisper ; kale and Brassica oleracea gongylodes addition in sweetness ; cabbage , broccoli , and cauliflower manoeuvre up better ; and peas are acquire in profuseness . In Northern California , the good time to plant your fall and wintertime garden is from mid - August through October .

Choose your winter vegetables as you would your summer vegetables , and be certain to embed the food you actually love eating in your favorite wintertime dishes ! surf seed catalogue , make your choices , and start your seeds indoors in late August . Better yet , allow your favored nursery to seed , germinate , water , and nurture the young plants , then transplant these babies into your veggie patch from mid - September through October .

My favorite veggie to grow in my own wintertime garden ? I bonk red and purple vegetables — they’re as beautiful in the garden as they are on the home plate , plus they ’re high-pitched in the antioxidants , vitamin , and minerals needed to help battle the colds and flu that go along with plummeting declivity and wintertime temperatures . I always start by making infinite for‘Purple of Sicily ’ Brassica oleracea botrytis , a arresting magenta - purple heirloom cauliflower ( from , you think it , Sicily ) , that yields 2- to 3 - pound . brain throng with those good minerals and antioxidants . Sweet , luscious , and everything you want in a Brassica oleracea botrytis , it is naturally disease tolerant , make it a great selection for the beginner gardener .

Purple - skinned‘Kolibri ’ kohlrabiis another easy - to - turn , bomb - proof imperial veggie . Sweet , round , toothsome , and with a feel combination of jicama , radish , and potato with just a hint of broccoli , ‘ Kolibri ’ is have it off by kids for its “ bizarreness . ” It declare well while it sit on top of the land in your garden . glean this frizzy and flavorful oddball when you ’re quick to nosh on it right in the garden , or add it to a favorite winter dish .

The highly productive , long - producing , sprouting‘Santee ’ broccoliis my winter Brassica oleracea italica of choice , for both its deep - purple hue ( though it does turn green when cook ) and also for its more than generous product of tender , honeyed , and nutritious miniskirt - floweret . This gourmet , over-embellished broccolini overwinters well in most areas of Northern California , acquire its most impressive yields after several weeks of cold temperatures .

‘ Kalibos ’ cabbageis a cosmetic high spot in my wintertime veggie patch . I love to mature this tasty beauty for its unique material body and color , splendid repositing capabilities , and sweet , delicious flavor . The nicely pointed , cone-shaped , 2 - pound . cryptical purple heads are wrapped in whirlpool fleeceable out leaf , make it expect far more like a giant come up than the nutrient rich cabbage that it is . It ’s splendid when serve fresh in slaw or lightly sautéed in olive oil with a little sea common salt and ail .

lastly , I would never allow October pass by without planting a stand ofcrimson - bloom favas . A hard - to - find heirloom dating from 1778 , the compact ( and quite ornamental ) fiddling unsubtle - noodle industrial plant not only produce deliciously tasty beans , but the flowers and young leave are eatable and can be add to your favorite winter salads . Immature , tender pods are delicious steamed or stir - fried , and of class the small , almost square fava bean itself can be enjoyed as a fresh dome while young and still bid , or dried and stored for late consumption when more mature .

Here are a few bakshish to pass on you with about plan and growing your own fall and winter garden : First , see to it bountiful harvests by amending your dirt , working rich organic compost into your garden layer before you plant . If you ’ve just pull the remains of lowering - feeding summer crops , be certain to add earthworm casting and organic plant food ( EB Stones Organic Sure Start is fantastic ) to refill the depleted dirt . Second , because drain is an important consideration in your wintertime veggie bed — remain firm water can stunt growth , moulder roots , and even pour down your plant — take appropriate measures . Third , be ready to monitor for slugs and snails , and shell out with them accordingly . Hand - pick should be your first line of defensive structure , but if you need extra help , OMRI - certified Sluggo is very effective and is dependable for pets and everyone EXCEPT those pesky type slug and snails .

Finally , gather up some good recipe for hearty winter ravisher , and look forward to love your very own , homegrown , wintertime garden harvest !

Fionuala Campion is the owner and director of Cottage Gardens of Petaluma in Petaluma , California .

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Pick up your favorite established winter veggies at a local nursery from mid-September through October.Photo: Fionuala Campion

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