Fall/Winter Vegetables

Just about this time every year, many home gardeners across the country are just about calling their garden quits. Ah, but we’re blessed with a mild winter climate that is perfect for growing – you guessed it – winter vegetables!

Yes, 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 this time of year.

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.

The fact of the matter is most row crops will do well throughout winter. We’re talking about lettuce, cabbage, cauliflower, spinach, kale and Asian veggies like bok choi. You can also plant garlic, asparagus, artichokes, beans, broccoli, carrots, radishes, Swiss chard, turnips and more.

Thanks to the fact that our early October weather is still plenty warm, 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.

Fall crops rarely need fertilizer, especially if you’ve worked in compost or green manures at the start of the growing season. If you didn’t or you think your garden soil could use some rejuvenation after a hard summer of growing, turn in a couple inches of compost, soil conditioner, manures or more. 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. Although pest populations usually dwindle in fall and winter, it’s a good idea to check young seedlings routinely for the first signs of insect damage or disease. Of course, snails and slugs never seem to take a break, so hand pick or bait accordingly. If you have pets or small children, try Sluggo, an iron-phosphate-based, organic snail bait that isn’t poisonous.

If don’t have any inclination to grow vegetables in winter, you may want to sow a cover crop instead. Things like Italian fava beans will provide a number of benefits. It will prevent soil from washing away, they’ll keep weeds under control and also provide nutrients and organic

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