Winter Veggies

I always laugh when I talk to gardening friends back East this time of year, who have already put their gardens to bed. For us, we have a whole new season to plant!

Many of the vegetables that grow well in summer also do well in winter in our area. Even better, they grow with fewer pest problems from October through February. The cooler days mean that lettuce stays sweet and doesn’t go to seed quickly, things like green beans become more tender, cauliflower more creamy and greens like spinach and kale get sweeter still. Of course, other vegetables that don’t grow in the summer will also do well in our mild winter climate. For the most part, we’re talking about a number of row crops. Things like lettuce, cabbage, cauliflower, spinach, kale and Asian veggies like bok choi. You can also plant asparagus, artichokes, beans, broccoli, carrots, radishes, Swiss chard, turnips and more.

A column on winter vegetables can’t omit Gilroy’s own, too: garlic. Garlic is a very long-tenured plant in that it needs more than one season to grow. You can plant garlic anytime after summer, and you’ll be harvesting your cloves right around Garlic Festival time next July. Garlic is easily started by breaking off the cloves of whole garlic bulbs. The garlic bulbs you’ll fine in the grocery store will work just fine. Thanks to the fact that our October weather is still plenty mild, these fall/winter vegetables can easily be directly sown in our gardens. Give carrots, spinach and other direct-seeded vegetables a helping hand by planting the seeds in a shallow furrow and covering them with finely screened compost or planting mix. The fluffy topping will not crust over. It is important to improve your garden soil before planting. After a long, hot summer, most garden soils are pretty much used up about now. That’s why it’s important to work in organic compost, green manures, redwood soil conditioner, gypsum, etc., before you start an entirely new fall/winter veggie garden. If you didn’t or you think your garden soil could use some rejuvenation after a hard summer of growing, just try turning in a couple inches of garden soil with a shovel. You’ll find how hard and dry things can be. If you have a chance, rototill these soil amendments into your soil. Gas-powered rototillers can be rented by the hour if you don’t have access to one. Tilling the soil really will do wonders. I also like to foliar feed my just-started plants with fish emulsion, compost tea or liquid seaweed. Even a little Miracle-Grow will do. If it doesn’t rain, continue watering once or twice a week.

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