For most folks, gardening is a seasonal activity. In December, we get seed catalogs in the mail, and we use the winter to plan our gardens for the spring and summer. You can feed yourself and your family for another six months, though, and you don’t have to be a Master Gardener as a guide. If you don’t live in the Rocky Mountains or the middle of Alaska, your fall garden should be fine through the winter.
There are ten types of cold-tolerant vegetables that have been known to keep growing all winter, even in the coldest hardiness zones. They are kale, Dutch vit, komatsuna, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, leek, carrot, rutabaga, parsley, and Windsor bean.
Read on to find out which plants we think are best for winter container gardening, along with some tips on how to keep your plants safe from deep freezes and long periods of cold weather.
Growing your own vegetables in pots during winter is an excellent way to enjoy fresh, homegrown produce year-round. With the right plant choices and proper care, you can have a bountiful harvest of tasty greens, roots, and more straight from your patio, balcony or window sill.
Why Grow Vegetables in Pots During Winter?
Growing veggies in containers has many advantages
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It allows gardeners without outdoor space to grow food easily on a balcony or patio.
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Potted plants can be moved indoors or protected when frost threatens. This extends the harvest season.
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Pots warm up faster in spring, allowing for an earlier start to the growing season.
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You can grow veggies not suited to your climate by moving pots into ideal conditions.
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Containers restrict root growth, resulting in slower growth and richer flavor for many crops.
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Mixing potting soil allows you to provide ideal nutrients tailored to each plant.
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Container gardening helps avoid soil-borne diseases and pests.
With the right techniques, pots enable harvests of fresh organic produce all winter long!
Best Vegetables for Winter Container Growing
Many vegetables that thrive in cool conditions can be grown successfully in pots during winter. The top picks include:
Leafy Greens
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Kale – Extremely cold hardy and becomes sweeter after frost. Redbor and Winterbor are great varieties.
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Collards – Tolerates frost and light freezes well. Vates Blue is a good choice.
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Lettuce – Grows well in cool weather. Opt for looseleaf or oakleaf types.
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Spinach – Rapid growth makes it great for frequent harvests. Tyee is a good variety.
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Swiss Chard – Extremely productive with regular harvesting. Bright Lights is very ornamental.
Root Crops
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Carrots – Survive light frosts in the ground. Grow short types like Thumbelina.
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Beets – Their sweetness intensifies after a frost. Red Ace and Detroit Dark Red are good choices.
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Radishes – Fast-growing and tolerates cold. Try Cherry Belle or French Breakfast varieties.
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Turnips – Best flavor after exposure to frost. Purple Top White Globe is a standard type.
Other Frost Hardy Crops
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Peas – Can be grown in pots and withstand light frost. Oregon Sugar Pod is a prolific variety.
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Fava Beans – Extremely hardy and loves cool weather. Broad Windsor is a good choice.
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Brussels Sprouts – Frost improves their flavor. Jade Cross E is ideal for containers.
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Cabbage – Grows well in cool fall weather. Start early varieties like Early Jersey Wakefield.
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Broccoli – Produces long after the main head is cut. Opt for sprouting types like Green Goliath.
Growing Winter Veggies in Containers Step-By-Step
Follow these tips to maximize your winter vegetable harvest from pots:
Choose the Right Containers
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Pick containers at least 6-12 inches deep for adequate root growth. Dark colors absorb more heat.
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Make sure pots have drainage holes to prevent soggy soil. Add crocks or gravel to improve drainage.
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Use plastic, wood, concrete or metal pots which insulate better than terra cotta or ceramic.
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For most crops, aim for container sizes of at least 10-12 inches in diameter.
Prepare Potting Mix
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Use a good quality commercial organic potting mix, or make your own soilless mix.
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Ensure the mix is light and fluffy with excellent drainage. Mix in compost for nutrients.
Sow Seeds or Transplant Starts
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Direct sow quick-growing crops like greens and radishes. Sow slower growers like broccoli indoors first.
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When transplanting, disturb roots as little as possible. Bury stem up to lowest leaves.
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Follow seed packet instructions for sowing depth and spacing. Sow successively for steady harvests.
Provide Optimal Care
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Set pots in full sun, at least 6 hours per day. Move containers to follow the sunlight as daylength decreases.
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Check soil daily and water thoroughly when top inch is dry. Avoid wetting foliage when watering.
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Monitor for pests like aphids or slugs. Remove by hand or use organic sprays if infestations occur.
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Feed plants biweekly with a water-soluble organic fertilizer to replenish nutrients.
Maximize Winter Production
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Use cloches, cold frames or mini hoop tunnels to protect plants from hard frosts and freezing.
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Move pots to an unheated garage or porch to shelter from extreme cold. Bring inside if temperatures drop below 25°F.
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Pick leafy greens regularly for a continuous supply. Let roots size up before harvesting.
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Insulate potted plants by surrounding with bales of straw or leaves. Cover pots with row cover fabric or plastic sheeting at night.
Enjoying the Fruits of Your Labor
With the right varieties and proper care, your winter container garden can provide you with fresh, homegrown, organic produce regardless of frost, snow or freezing temperatures. Nothing beats the flavor of winter-harvested greens and roots!
The satisfaction of nourishing your family with vegetables grown with your own hands is a delight that no winter can extinguish. Your potted garden will be both productive and beautiful right through the coldest months.
So don’t hang up your gardening gloves just because summer is over. Embrace fall and winter vegetable gardening in containers. You’ll be rewarded with amazingly fresh flavors and the joy of growing your own food year-round!
Choose the right containers for winter gardening
Growing winter-hardy vegetables isn’t as simple as throwing seeds in any pot and calling it good. In any container garden, the size and type of planter are important things to think about, but in the winter they’re even more so.
While we love terracotta and ceramic pots, they aren’t the best option for winter gardening. Clay is prone to crack during freeze/thaw cycles–so stick to metal, wood, and concrete planters. Fiberglass and resin containers also hold up well, as do the more durable types of plastic.
Make sure the pot you use for your plants is big enough for them when they get big. Also, bigger pots have more soil, which helps keep plant roots warm when the temperature changes.
To keep your planters from freezing to the ground or your patio, put them up off the ground if you can.
Tips for cultivating cool-season vegetables in containers
Keeping plants alive during the winter months looks just a little bit different than summer gardening.
10 Frost Resistant Vegetables to Grow in Winter
FAQ
What are the best winter vegetables for pots?
What is the best vegetable to grow in winter?
When should I start winter vegetables?
What to do with potted vegetables in winter?
Can you grow potted vegetables in the winter?
Lastly, note that you can grow almost any type of potted vegetable during the winter with some care and the right environment. Pots and containers allow you to prolong the growing season and take advantage of your crops all year, especially in a heated greenhouse.
What are the best winter vegetables to grow in pots?
Here are the 9 best winter vegetables to grow in pots to make sure you’ve got plenty of fresh produce to enjoy this winter. Carrots are big tap roots. They don’t grow out very much, either above ground or below it. They just grow straight down, and this means a few things.
Can vegetables grow in pots?
There are plenty of vegetables to grow in pots on a patio, balcony, or sunny entryway. With full sun and quality potting soil, many different vegetable plants will thrive in a container. Group several planters together, and you’ll have a buffet of produce. Here are 21 vegetables that grow well in pots. Give beets an early start.
Can you grow vegetables in containers?
Fortunately, by switching to containers, you can continue to grow vegetables in cold temperatures. But what are the best winter vegetables to grow in pots, and how can you care for them to ensure they produce a crop worth harvesting? Carrots, beets, spinach, and bok choy grow just as well in containers as they do in the ground.