Consistently harvesting vegetables almost all year round seems perfect. And it is actually possible with the right timing. A rich harvest is not only possible in the spring/summer season. How can you harvest fresh vegetables in the garden even in winter? When to start preparing to get vegetables for the winter at the right time?
It doesn’t take a lot of gardening experience to know that each plant takes its time to grow, which also depends on the weather. But how are you supposed to sow in summer to reap in winter when all the beds are still occupied? Don’t worry, with the right organization, everything will fall into place and you’ll be growing the best winter vegetables in the garden!
Vegetables for the winter – what do you do with the lack of space
The weather or the temperatures would now actually be ideal for sowing winter vegetables – directly outdoors. The young seedlings would get plenty of sun from the start. But the big problem is: where should the new plants go? All those first vegetables you grew in spring are still growing happily.
Well, you simply proceed exactly as you did at the beginning of the season: by raising seeds in seed pots. The only difference is that this time you don’t need to leave the potties indoors, but take advantage of the nice weather outside. It’s up to you whether you want a terrace, balcony or greenhouse. Especially at this time of the year, it is important to ensure that there is sufficient moisture, because everything dries out much faster in the hot summer, as you know.
Areas in the bed that are already free due to early vegetables can be used directly for sowing winter vegetables. All others will be filled as soon as something becomes free again.
A notice: If you have decided to grow in pots, only transplant the young plants when they are strong enough. Just because the weather is better doesn’t mean the plants aren’t still sensitive.
Sow in summer, harvest in winter – typical winter vegetables for the garden
Which vegetables can you sow in July to harvest in the winter months? You can use our list as a guide and choose your favorite varieties. There are some winter vegetables (especially lettuce) that even the frost can withstand or even benefit from.
What vegetables to sow for the winter in August?
It may not be August yet, but you can still start sowing many vegetables and continue throughout August. This is suitable:
Fast growing vegetables
For vegetables that score points for their rapid growth and maturity, you even have until September to sow them. They include, for example, the popular cut lettuce. But not only that! Radishes also grow very quickly, so you can use them to prepare delicious winter salads. Don’t forget arugula, radishes or tender watercress.
Slower vegetables
Last chance for broccoli and co.: Broccoli should be sown in the vegetable patch as early as July, but no later than the beginning of August. Since this plant grows relatively slowly, the period until winter is otherwise a bit short. The same goes for cauliflower and kohlrabi as winter vegetables. It is important to remember that these types of vegetables also require a lot of space and thus limit the already scarce space in the bed even more. It is therefore worthwhile to sow smaller quantities.
What from the summer can stay in the bed?
The healthy, sweet carrots are actually not that well known and are typical winter vegetables. But it is actually possible. You can leave the beets that have not yet been harvested in the bed after the summer (or sow new ones). To protect the above-ground parts of the plant from frost, spread straw over them on the bed. Only ever harvest when needed. The big advantage of this variant is that the cold will make the carrots taste even sweeter.
Leeks and celery are also types of vegetables that can be planted in spring but can remain in the bed until winter. Only a new sowing is not suitable.
What else can you grow as vegetables for the winter?
Which vegetables still grow in winter? You can use some of the following varieties as autumn and Grow winter vegetables.
Asian salads lamb’s lettuce spring onions and spring garlic (harvest throughout winter: simply cut off and let regrow) oat roots cabbage, e.g. B. butter cabbage, green cabbage, white cabbage, red cabbage (harvest red cabbage in December or protect it with fleece) chard beetroot salsify spinach winter leek (sow/plant in the bed at the latest by the end of July) savoy cabbage
There are also hardy herbs that you can sow. Here are a few suggestions.
Vegetables for the winter – how frost hardy are they really?
Winter vegetables are unquestionably quite cold tolerant. But it cannot withstand frost forever. You should therefore start harvesting after a few days of frost. What is also important is that, nevertheless, do not harvest during a frost phase of all times, but when it is on a break, so to speak. So as long as the frost lasts, you should not harvest anything new, but use what you have already harvested. Tracking the weather report can help with this.
No matter which vegetable you choose, it will always come in handy to have fresh ones on hand. So if you haven’t tried it yet, now is the time!