Vegetables That Grow in Our Mild Winter Climate

Are your tomatoes totaled, peppers pooped and zucchini zapped? While summer vegetables are over, we're blessed with a mild winter climate that is perfect for growing -- you guessed it -- winter vegetables!

With tomatoes, peppers, zucchini and other summer vegetables finished, it's time to clean out the garden if you haven't done so already. I always pull everything out and throw them in the compost pile, then add several bags of organic compost, steer manure or mushroom compost to the tired, old soil. If possible, rototill in soil amendments. If you don't have access to a rototiller, you can rent one or -- and this is a back-breaking option -- hand-dig the amendments in. Amending soil is very important not only to replenish it, but because of drainage. With our heavy winter rains still to come, garden soil needs to be well-draining or else roots will rot.

Of course, the best is yet to come. While our counterparts in many parts of the U.S. and the world are putting their gardens to bed, we have a whole new season to plant! Many of the vegetables that grow well in summer also do well in winter in many parts of California. Even better, they grow with fewer pest problems this time of year. The cooler days mean that lettuce stays sweet and doesn't go to seed quickly. Things like spinach also grow well this time of year.

The fact of the matter is, most row crops will do well throughout winter in all but the coldest parts of California. We're talking about lettuce, cabbage, cauliflower, spinach, kale and Asian veggies like bok choi. You can also plant garlic, asparagus, artichokes and more.

I live in Gilroy, California, which is known as the Garlic Capital of the World. We have the world-famous Garlic Festival every July. And, luckily for me, garlic is among the easiest vegetables to grow. Basically, garlic requires a long growing season in a sunny location, and a well-draining soil that is moderately fertile. You can buy garlic bulbs in local stores. Just before planting, break apart each bulb into individual cloves. Space cloves about five inches apart; if it's elephant garlic, leave twice the amount of space. Come next spring, the green tips will start to emerge and your garlic should be side-dressed with fertilizer. When the tops turn yellow next summer, stop watering. Allow the bulbs to cure in the soil for two weeks and then harvest the garlic by pulling the entire plant out of the ground. Allow the bulbs to dry on the soil surface.

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