A little bit of frost won't hurt kale, in fact it will make them even tastier. 

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Winter Gardening is Cool

If you want to save money while dining on your own freshly harvested produce during the winter, you are not alone. Winter vegetable gardening is practiced by many gardeners, especially those that live mild climates such as the Southwest coast of British Columbia, which is a balmy USDA Zone 8. It might surprise you that it’s also possible to grow veggies in Zones 6 & 7.

Of course not all plants are suitable as they must be able to withstand the cold so cool crops and roots crops such as kale and beets are perfect candidates. Here on the West Coast of BC, commonly referred to as the ‘Wet Coast’, winters are short, rainy and mild. Our first frost usually occurs in November with our last frost date at the end of March. 

Surprisingly, this Tuscan kale survived and went on to produce huge and tasty crop.

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Site selection & Where to Begin

​​​​Once summer crops are harvested and gaps appear in the veggie garden it gives gardeners an opportunity to start a winter garden, but be selective as certain growing conditions are imperative for success.

​Choose an area that faces south, as the more sun the better! An area against the house or heated garage is ideal so it’s protected from winter winds.
Insulate the soil with straw or fall leaves at least 2 inches deep.

Good draining soil is essential so plants don’t rot in the ground. That applies any time of the year, but it's even more important during the winter where winter rains and melting snow saturates soils. For poorly draining clay soils, mix in compost, SeaSoil, composted manure and other organic matter. If that is not an option, consider raised beds and planters.

Swiss chard is kept a bit warmer surrounded by a leafy mulch.

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What to Plant

Swiss chard is a cold tolerant and tasty veggie.

​Swiss chard, broccoli, kale, Brussel sprouts, lettuce, spinach, cabbage, cauliflower, carrots, beets, parsnips, onions, garlic, leeks are cool season crops that don’t mind the slings and arrows of winter. Not just any variety of these plants will do though. Siberian kale says it all. Westcoast Seeds have made inroads in developing winter veggies and are a local BC company in Ladner. They have an excellent winter catalogue that comes with an comprehensive chart to make sense of it all.

​Depending on the crop, harvest from fall through winter (ex: carrots, kohlrabi, lettuce, mescluns, pac choi, peas).  Semi-mature cauliflower, broccoli, onions and garlic will survive the winter and won’t put on much growth until spring. Once this happens, they will mature and be ready for harvest just before spring planting time. ​

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Things to Know

Root Crops:

• Even in cold climates, it isn’t necessary to harvest carrots, beets, parsnips and other root crops in fall. You might be surprised to learn that it’s better to keep them in the ground as the cold enhances their flavor and keeps them fresh longer, especially if you don’t have a cold cellar. Harvest them as needed. 

Select Winter Hardy Varieties:

• Veggies suited for spring gardens are not suitable for growing through the winter. They need the summer weather and long hot, sunny days. Westcoast Seeds catalogue, is a good resource as it details which plants are suitable for each season.  

Starter Plants or Seeds:

• It's not necessary to start plants from seed as many plant nurseries offer veggie starter plants just for fall planting.  

Rotate Crops: 

• It's important not to plant the same crop in the same soil you’ve just harvested from. So if you've harvest your kale, don't replant the bed with more kale as it will be more susceptible to insects, diseases and may not be as robust. 

Protection: 

• ​It's a smart idea to protect crops from bugs as well as freezing temperatures with cloches. They are easily made from made from floating row covers, made of spun-bonded polyester (Remay). This fabric allows light, air and water through and has some insulating value. You can use plastic but it doesn't allow rain or air to penetrate, and might overheat on sunny days, even during the winter. If that occurs, open up the ends of plastic covers, but remember to close them at the end of the day. 

Beets are best left in the ground to overwinter.

Hardy winter scallions inlcude Kincho, Pacific 22 and Ramrod.

Rotate crops to prevent diseases and insects. Companion planting is a good idea too.

Protect plants with a floating row cover.

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Common Winter Crops

Harvest the main broccoli head and others will sprout along the stem for an extended harvest.

​Broccoli  – Start seeds indoors during the last week of June to the first week of July. Plants must be acclimatized to the outdoors before planting outside by hardening them off. Get broccoli plants in the ground in early August (10 to 12 weeks before last frost). Alternately, directly sow the seeds in the ground in August. Harvest though fall and winter, but don't remove the entire plant. Cut off the initial broccoli head. Soon after new side shoots will quickly form along the main stem for even more harvests. Protect plans from cabbage moth and keep them warmer by covering them with a floating row cover. Suitable broccoli varieties for harvesting include Natalino and Red Spear Purple Sprouting. 

​Lettuce – There’s numerous ways to grow a late crop of lettuce. Either sow seeds indoors in July or directly sow seeds outdoors in August for fall and winter harvests. Alternately purchase starter plants from plant nurseries and plant outside from late August to October. To prolong their harvest remove individual leaves instead of the entire heads. Don't forget to cover with a floating row cover to keep the frost from damaging their leaf tips and to keep heavy winter rains from turning them into mush. Ex: Winter Density, Rouge d’Hiver  

Lettuce is a quick growing crop and benefits from being grown under a floating row cover.

Kale produce flowers their second year then die.

Kale – This is one tough cookie! Even when covered in snow and ice, it still rallies. Either start seeds indoors about 2 weeks before the last frost (late July, early Aug). or plant starter plants. Kale is so hardy that they don't need winter protection. Since kale is a biennial, so if you haven't harvested the plant in fall, it will produce flowers in its second year. The flowers are very tasty and great in salads and their second year leaves tend to be quite tender. However once it flowers it will succumb and die since its life cycle has been completed. Ex: Redbor, Winter Red

​Onions – Sow their seeds indoors in late June, early July so you can plant them outside in August. Harvest occurs the following June when their tops fall over. If not all tops fall over, manually bend them. Wait one week but don't water them during that time. Harvest after a week then cure them by placing them in a frost free, dry place in a single layer. You can cure them outside but don't get them wet and cover them to avoid morning dew. When their skin dries and becomes crispy, they are ready to eat or store. Ex: Walla Walla, they are the best and most reliable. 

Onion plants should be kept dry before harvesting.

​Peas – They are easy peasy to grow! You don’t even need a garden. Just plant them in containers and provide them with something to climb on like netting. Sow them in ground in February when a handful of soil doesn't drip water when squeezed. Plant another crop in July to September. Since peas grow quickly, keep planting to extend the harvest to December. Ex: Cascadia, Green Arrow.