When to Plant Winter Harvest Vegetables

Brussels sprouts taste better after a frost.

Cool autumn temperatures are ideal for growing leafy greens, peas, broccoli, brussels sprouts, carrots and other many other vegetables. Cool-weather gardeners battle fewer pests, diseases and weeds than spring and summer gardeners.

Frost Date

Kale is a cold weather crop.

If plants are frost sensitive, as is basil, select short-season varieties, which can be harvested before the first average frost date. Bush snap beans, for example, mature in 45 to 65 days. They should be planted no later than 45 days before the average first-frost date.

Frost-tolerant vegetables

Carrots survive all winter in the garden.

Broccoli, kohlrabi, leaf lettuce, Swiss chard and turnips are frost tolerant. These vegetables will not survive a freeze, and should be planted in time for harvesting before the average first-freeze date in your area.

Freeze-tolerant vegetables

Beets, brussels sprouts, cabbage, green onions, kale and peas tolerate temperatures in the 20s F. In cold and moderate climates, they are planted in late August or early September. In warmer climates, they are planted when day time temperatures stay below 85 degrees F.

References

• University of Minnesota Extension: Planting Vegetables in Midsummer for Fall Harvests
• Oregon State University Extension: Fall and Winter Gardening
• University of Illinois Extension: Growing Cool Season Vegetables in the Fall

Resources

• North Carolina State University Extension: Growing a Fall Vegetable Garden