Fall and Winter Gardening: 25 Organic Vegetables to Plant and Grow for Late Season Food

By R.J. Ruppenthal, Attorney/Professor/Garden Writer

● Introduction: Late Season Gardening

● 25 Vegetables for Cool Seasons

● Starting Vegetables From Seed

● When to Plant in Your Area

● Preparing the Soil and Fertilizing

● Garden Rows, Raised Beds, and Containers

● Extending Your Season

● Harvesting and Storing Your Produce

● Resources: More Information

All Rights Reserved © 2012 R.J. Ruppenthal

Chapter 1: Introduction: Late Season Gardening

When springtime comes, there’s a natural impulse to plant. The warm weather and longer days of summer provide the perfect combination to ripen all those tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, green beans, squash, and melons. With the bountiful harvest in and the late summer heat beginning to fade, it seems like a good time to dig up the garden, not start a new one. But with a little planning and care, fall can be a great time to grow vegetables and extend the bounty all year long.

This book describes 25 varieties of vegetables you can plant late and grow deep into the year for harvest in late fall, winter, and early spring. All the vegetables covered here are hardy in cool temperatures. They will thrive in cool fall weather and they can handle an early frost. Some of them can handle a hard frost and keep on trucking, particularly when they are protected using one of the techniques covered in this book. 

Many of these vegetables can be stored during the winter and kept until you need them. A few of them can even be left in the ground and covered with a thick mulch blanket over the winter for the first harvest of the new year in early spring. All of them are delicious and can be eaten fresh or preserved by freezing, drying, canning, or pickling them for later use.

There are other cool season veggies that I have not included in this book. Brussels sprouts, parsnips, rutabagas, leeks, and garlic, for example, can grow well in the cool fall weather. I have left them out of this guide because they need to be in the ground for much of the year in order to produce a good crop. But you just picked your tomatoes and you don’t have six months to wait until the weather turns cold. Instead, I have chosen to focus on 25 vegetables that can be planted and harvested relatively quickly in just 20-75 days from planting to harvest. These are the crops that not only can be harvested late, but planted late as well.

Chapter 2: 25 Vegetables for Cool Seasons

Here are basic descriptions and planting directions for 25 cold weather vegetables. All of them are vigorous plants that grow well from seed. There is some variation in the information provided for each one. For example, larger types of broccoli may need more space to grow than smaller varieties. And the “Days to Maturity” figure is somewhat approximate, particularly since fall weather can be cool and vegetables can take a bit longer to mature.

Before proceeding, I must pay respects to the plant known as Brassica oleracea. This remarkable species provides us with a wide range of hardy cultivars: broccoli, cauliflower, kale, cabbage, collards, and kohlrabi. Even radishes, turnips, arugula, cress, and the Asian greens on this list are all closely related. Everything in this family is extremely nutritious to eat and tough enough to survive the cool weather of fall.

These brassicas (or cole crops, as they are often known), are the foundation of cold weather gardening. But don’t worry, this book will teach you how to grow potatoes, carrots, lettuce, beets, and many more vegetables beyond the brassicas. They will be some old favorites and a few vegetables you’ve probably never heard of or tasted!

Descriptions of the 25 vegetables are below. But first, here is a quick rundown on the format for each description. For each vegetable, I have included the following information as well as some specific growing tips and other relevant advice.

Name of Vegetable

Edible Portion: Describes which parts of the plant may be eaten.

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Parsley is a green, leafy plant in the carrot family. Both curly leaved and flat leaved (Italian) varieties are grown commonly in home gardens. The plant is biennial, meaning that it grows on a two year life cycle. Therefore, even if its leaves die back, it may come up again the next spring, but it will be looking to flower and seed pretty quickly the second time around. Most people grow parsley as an annual and just remove the plant when it is finished for the year.

Parsley has a mild flavor that most people like. It is quite nutritious, packing large amounts of vitamin A and K, folate, iron, and calcium. While parsley is grown as an herb in the west, people in the Middle East use parsley more like a vegetable. Tabbouleh is a bulgur wheat salad, but the grain is not the main ingredient: chopped, flat-leaf parsley has the starring role, supported by chopped mint, tomatoes, green onion, and perhaps cucumber and other vegetables. The dressing is heavy on the lemon juice and salt for a wonderfully sour, salty, mildly minty, and definitely parsley-ey taste. A good tabbouleh will help you believe that parsley should be classified as a vegetable, not an herb. Also, look for Hamburg parsley, which produces an edible root like a carrot.

Peas

         Edible Portion: Seeds, seed pods, shoots

         Days to Maturity: 10 for shoots, 60 for pods and small peas

         Spacing: Space peas at least one inch apart in rows 12-18 inches apart.

         Planting: Plant seeds ½ inch-1 inch deep.

         Temperature for Seed Germination: 40 F (min.), 80 F (ideal)

         Germination Time: 9-36 days (at longer end of the range in colder soil)

         Direct seed only

Peas are a close relative of beans. Beans are easily divided into two groups: pole beans and bush beans. For some reason, no one uses these same designations with peas, even though there are taller and shorter varieties of them also. Instead, peas usually are divided into shell peas (where you eat only the seeds), snap peas (where the whole pod is sweet, tender, and edible), and snow peas (with an edible pod that is flatter and not as sweet, commonly used in Asian stir fry dishes). Here is a picture of some Sugar Sprint peas growing in my garden in front of some Rouge d’Hiver Lettuce. 

Many modern varieties grow on dwarf vines that reach only 2-3 feet in height. These are the kinds you want for fall gardening, because they are faster to mature than the ones that reach 4-5 feet tall or higher. Tall varieties also need to be staked or trellised, whereas most types of snap peas remain under 30 inches and do not need support. I recommend the following varieties for fall gardening, which are all short vined and offer quick harvests. Sugar Snap Peas: Sugar Snap, Sugar Ann, Sugar Sprint, Cascadia. Shelling Peas: Green Arrow, Maestro, and Dakota. Snow Peas: Dwarf Grey Sugar (best variety for edible shoots), Mammoth Melting, Oregon Sugar Pod.

Potatoes

         Edible Portion: Tubers

         Days to Maturity: 60-80 (early types), 80-100 (midseason types), 100+ (late types)

         Spacing: Space seed potatoes 12 inches apart, in rows 30 inches apart

         Planting: Plant seeds 6-9 inches deep

         Temperature for Seed Germination: 40 F (min.), 65 F (ideal) for sprouting

         Germination Time: Immediate, when seed potatoes are sprouting

         Plant seed potatoes directly; do not transplant

Potatoes are classified here as a vegetable, but their carbohydrates make them more of a grain substitute and food staple. They can be roasted, fried, mashed, steamed, boiled, baked, and prepared in numerous ways. Most potatoes are classified as baking or boiling types. Baking potatoes are starchy and floury; they also lend themselves well to mashing or frying. Good baking types include Goldrush, Red Pontiac, All Blue, and the Russet types. Boiling potatoes, such as Red Norland, Yellow Finn, and the fingerling types, are waxier and have a higher moisture content. Boilers are better for roasting, barbecuing, or boiling for potato salad.

Though potato seeds exist, it is much more efficient to plant seed potatoes, which are either small potatoes or chunks of larger ones. Each seed potato needs to have at least one “eye” which will sprout into the potato’s growing shoot. You can sprout potatoes you buy from the store or order certified disease free seed potatoes from a reputable supplier, which will give you access to early, mid season, and late maturing varieties, including many delicious varieties you have never tasted before. My favorite places to buy seed potatoes are Irish Eyes Garden Seeds, Potato Garden, and Fedco Seeds’ Moose Tubers.

Planting them 6-9 inches deep is about right. Potato production increases if you “hill” the potatoes. When the leaves emerge from the ground and their stems are 6-8 inches high, mound up some soil or mulch around the base of the plant to cover part of the stems (but not the leaves). When the potato stems grow out again, mound up some more soil. You can do this several times and the potato plants will root from the buried stems, producing more tubers from those roots.

Potatoes grow extremely well in containers, including large pots, tubs, and barrels. I highly recommend trying fabric pots or growing bags, which I have found to be the most successful for spuds. These cloth or plastic containers have small holes on the sides and bottom of the container, which prunes the roots and forces them to branch out, again creating more space for spud production. They also keep the soil in a good temperature range, which is warmed by the dark colored container material, yet kept from overheating by the aeration on the sides. I challenge anyone to grow a greater quantity of spuds in the equivalent amount of space in a regular garden row or even a raised bed. I do not think the productivity of fabric pots and growing bags can be beat, except by an extreme vertical growing method. For more in-depth information on these methods, and on growing spuds in general, please see my e-book entitled How to Grow Potatoes: Planting and Harvesting Organic Food From Your Patio, Rooftop, Balcony, or Backyard Garden.

Radishes

         Edible Portion: Roots, leafy greens

         Days to Maturity: 21-30 days

         Spacing: Space seeds 1-2 inches apart, in rows 12-18 inches apart

         Planting: Plant seeds 1/2 inch deep.

         Temperature for Seed Germination: 45 F (min.),

         Germination Time: 4-10 days

         Direct seed only

Radishes often win the prize for the earliest finishers. In cool, spring weather when summer crops cannot be planted yet, home gardeners across the country are picking their first radishes. They can be grown in the fall, too, even in short season climates. There are many different kinds of radishes from the small Cherry Belle and French Breakfast radishes to the giant white daikons which add a mild sweetness in Asian cooking.

The leaves are pretty rough, but are quite edible once they’re boiled. They taste great in soups. Follow spacing instructions above for small, salad-type radishes. For longer radishes and daikon, follow planting directions on seed packet label. Radishes make great pickles and fermented dishes. Here is a picture of some different kinds, including the pink-hearted Watermelon Radish, being pickled in a jar.

Scallions (Green Onions)

         Edible Portion: Immature bulb and stalk

         Days to Maturity: 60-65 days

         Spacing: Space seeds 1/4 inch-1/2 inch apart, in rows 18 inches apart

         Planting: Plant seeds 1/2 inch deep.

         Temperature for Seed Germination: 45 F (min.), 70 F (ideal)

         Germination Time: 6-12 days

         Transplant Seedlings at: 4-8 weeks

Scallions, also known as green onions or bunching onions, are immature onion plants that are picked and eaten before they can create a bulb. Scallions can be chopped and cooked like onions in almost any dish. They can be eaten raw if you like their zesty flavor, which is a little stronger than chives. They make a great accent in salads or as a topping for baked potatoes.

Bulbing onions take many months to grow, but you can harvest scallions within two months of first sowing. While scallions are just onion plants picked early, there are several varieties which have been developed specifically for this stage of harvest. Most seed suppliers sell seeds for bunching onions, while some of the better nurseries also carry onion starts or seedlings that you can transplant into your garden. Evergreen and Parade are two commonly sold varieties that grow straight as an arrow, while Guardsman and Purplette may taper to a small bulb.

Spinach

         Edible Portion: Leaves and stems

         Days to Maturity: 40-50 days

         Spacing: Space seeds 1-2 inches apart for baby leaf spinach or 3-5 inches apart for larger leafed plants, in rows 14-18 inches apart

         Planting: Plant seeds 1/2 inch deep.

         Temperature for Seed Germination: 40 F (min.), 75 F (ideal)

         Germination Time: 5-12 days (at longer end of the range in colder soil)

Spinach is the default leafy green vegetable for cooking. The young leaves can be eaten raw and make a delicious salad base. And of course spinach can be cooked in every kind of dish from eggs to lasagna. Spinach is extremely nutritious, providing large amounts of vitamin A, vitamin C, folate, iron, zinc, and other minerals with each serving. As Popeye the Sailor Man said, “I’m strong to the finish when I eats me spinach.” Fortunately, you won’t need to eat it from a can, and the homegrown kind is much better tasting.

Spinach plants, like the other leafy greens on this list, thrive in cold weather. It is one of the fastest fall vegetables you can grow, bringing you a harvest of baby greens in just over five weeks. The plants can be spaced very close together if you are growing them for baby greens.

Some varieties of spinach are better suited to spring production than fall production, so it is worth buying the right kind of seed. Seedlings sold in nurseries are not necessarily the best kind, and often they are simply labeled as “Spinach” with no variety listed. Bloomsdale, an old heirloom variety with, is the standard fall favorite. Also look for Giant Winter Spinach, Dolce Vita, Renegade, and Samish. Like Bloomsdale, the savoyed (curly) leaf types tend to perform the best in cold weather.

Tatsoi

         Edible Portion: Leaves and stems

         Days to Maturity: 45-50 (earlier for baby greens)

         Spacing: Space plants one inch apart in rows 18 inches apart.

         Planting: Plant seeds 1/4 inch deep.

         Temperature for Seed Germination: 45 F (min.), 75 F (ideal)

         Germination Time: 5-15 days

         Transplant Seedlings at: 2-3 weeks

Tatsoi is an Asian green with a savoyed, spinach like leaf. The small leaves grow in a very attractive, multilayered rosette. They can be picked at any stage and always stay very mild and tender. Tatsoi leaves are great in salads and they can be cooked as a substitute for spinach in any kind of dish.

Turnips

         Edible Portion: Roots, leaves

         Days to Maturity: 45-65 days

         Spacing: Space seeds 1-2 inches apart, in rows 12-18 inches apart

         Planting: Plant seeds 1/4 inch-1/2 inch deep.

         Temperature for Seed Germination: 40 F (min.), 75 F (ideal)

         Germination Time: 5-10 days

         Direct seed only

Turnips are dome shaped root vegetables that provide a great flavor to cooked dishes. In particular, they taste great when roasted, mashed and seasoned like potatoes, or added to soups. While they resemble potatoes when cooked, they have many fewer calories and also provide plenty of vitamin B6, vitamin C, potassium, and calcium. Turnip greens can be cooked as well, adding a strong dose of vitamin A and additional minerals.

Turnip roots should be picked when small and tender (no wider than three inches), as they are much tastier at this age. However, if you are planning to store cut roots over the winter, then larger ones probably store well with their tougher skins and lower moisture content. The standard turnip variety that is grown most often is called Purple Top White Globe, while Golden Globe (or Golden Ball) is also common. Some newer varieties of turnip that are picked small and eaten raw like radishes include Scarlet Queen, Scarlet Ohno, and White Egg. Occasionally, you will see leafy varieties of turnip being marketed by seed suppliers as forage food for livestock. Here is a picture of the standard Purple Top White Globe kind.

Watercress (Upland Cress)

         Edible Portion: Leaves, stems

         Days to Maturity: 45-65 days

         Spacing: Space plants 6 inches between plants, in rows 12-18 inches apart.

         Planting: Plant seeds 1/4 inch deep.

         Temperature for Seed Germination: 45 F (min.), 65 F (ideal)

         Germination Time: 3-10 days

         Transplant Seedlings at: 2-3 weeks

Watercress is a challenge to grow in the home garden, but Upland Cress provides a very similar leaf and flavor. It is also very easy to grow and was used for providing winter vitamin C in colonial times. Upland Cress has a sharp, spicy flavor that can liven up a late season salad. These plants are very hardy and can survive some ugly frosts. In all but the coldest climates, they should keep on growing right through the winter.

Be careful about leaving it too long, though, because this cress can naturalize and do a pretty good impression of weed. I planted some Upland Cress which escaped my raised beds and took over a patch of the walkway. When planting, you can sow the seeds one inch apart in row and begin thinning out the extra plants into your salads 10 days after plants emerge. Eventually, six inch spacing is best. Always give Upland Cress plenty of water, though it is not an aquatic plant like its better known relative.

Chapter 3: Starting Vegetables from Seed

There are three ways to start plants for your garden. The first way is to plant seeds directly into the garden soil, whether this is in a container, raised bed, or garden row. The second way is to start the seeds in small nursery pots and then transplant the seedlings into their eventual garden home. And the third way is to purchase seedlings at a nursery that you can plant. For various reasons, the first two approaches are best.

Direct seeding is much easier to do in the later summer than in the early spring, when most seeds are sown. In the springtime, the temperatures are still cool and variable, whereas most fall and winter crops are planted in more favorable weather. Late summer warmth helps seeds germinate quickly and gets plants off to a good start before the weather begins to cool. Also, there is a far better selection of cool weather vegetables available from seeds than from seedlings. A good seed supplier may carry as many as ten varieties of broccoli, while you would be lucky to find one variety of broccoli seedling at your local nursery. You may be missing out on some faster, more productive, tastier, disease resistant, and unusual varieties.

Growing your own seedlings and then transplanting them into the garden is a good option also. This approach still saves you money over buying seedlings, and it gives you the great selection of seeds. Growing your own seedlings is as easy as buying the seeds and planting them in small plastic pots. Once your seedlings get big enough, you can transplant them into the garden. You do not need grow lights, heat mats, or indoor greenhouses to start these seeds. Just grow them outside, since late summer has plenty of light and heat to get these plants off to a good start.

As a practical matter, very few nurseries offer a good selection of veggies for late season planting. Once the crowds of tomato planters have moved through, the nurseries tend to focus on other lines of business besides seedlings. At best, you may find a few broccoli, cabbage, and lettuce seedlings. Some of these may have been sitting on the shelf for long enough that their roots are tangled and their leaves are yellowed. If your nursery carries a better selection than this and brings in fresh stock of fall vegetable seedlings every few days, then you should be thankful because it is one of the few.

Transplanting does not work well for orach, peas, potatoes, carrots, radishes, or turnips (which prefer to be planted directly in the garden), but using this method for other vegetables on our list can save you some very valuable time. If you have limited growing space and are not ready to take out your summer tomatoes to make room for fall vegetables, then this can buy you a few extra days as well. Of course, both direct garden seedling and growing seedlings requires that you have access to high quality seeds.

I have purchased seeds from a lot of different sources in the past. Most of them sell you smaller packets of what has been left over from their larger commercial suppliers. I have bought seeds before that were old, unable to germinate, or even mislabeled as a different variety (which you find you the hard way much later). On the opposite extreme are a few great seed companies which reliably offer fresh seed that germinates quickly and grows strong plants that comply perfectly with their catalog and website descriptions. Here is a list of the best seed companies I have found. Without recommendations from people I trust, I will not buy seeds from anywhere else.

If you have a newer version of Kindle or are reading this on your computer or in the online Cloud Reader, you should be able to click these companies’ names to be linked to their sites. If you are using an earlier Kindle reader, then you can find these same websites listed in the Resources section at the end of this book.

1. Johnny’s Selected Seeds. Johnny’s is the gold standard for garden seeds and offers the best selection of fall vegetables. When you browse the listings for carrots, spinach, broccoli, or other veggies on our list, you will see that Johnny’s often recommends certain varieties for spring and others for late season planting. Their folks work diligently to research and test the best varieties of vegetables, particularly those that succeed in cold climates and offer good disease resistance. Every seed packet I have ordered from Johnny’s has contained the absolute highest quality seeds. If you live in the Northeast, mid-Atlantic, or Upper Midwest, these seeds will be particularly well suited to your regions. I do not live in any of those regions, yet this is still my first stop.

2. Territorial Seed Company. Territorial is another terrific seed supplier which puts a lot of effort into developing and testing the best varieties. I have never gone wrong ordering from them. They have an excellent selection of fall vegetables as well, though not quite as extensive as Johnny’s. Territorial’s seeds are particularly well suited for anyone on the West Coast.

3. Park Seed. Park Seed also offers very reliable seeds of high quality which have tested well in their own gardens. This is an ideal seed source for southern gardeners, many of whom can grow vegetables right through the winter with little or no frost protection.

4. High Mowing Organic Seeds. This small Vermont company has built a successful business by growing and selling only organic seeds. They may not have as many choices as larger seed houses, but they also do not stick to the safe, popular mainstream varieties. They pick the best ones which are most likely to succeed and give you some great food. I have come to trust both their quality and their selection of varieties in each category. And I love supporting an all organic small business.

5. Peaceful Valley Farm and Garden Supply. Peaceful Valley may be an unusual choice to appear on this list because it is not really a seed house. As its name indicates, this is a supply store for farmers and gardeners. I include it here because these folks also sell seeds and I have had good success with them. If you happen to need some supplies (anything from tools to fertilizers to organic insect control to chicken coops), they throw in free seed packs when you buy enough other stuff. You get to choose a certain number of free seed packets when you buy $50, $100, etc., worth of other products. So if you need to equip your garden, you can get free seeds.

At most times of the year, it takes only a week or two for your seeds to ship out. Seeds are normally packed fresh after the previous year’s growing season, so most people order them in the wintertime or early spring for spring planting. For fall planting, you can order seeds in the springtime and summer also, but beware that popular varieties can sell out by then. I usually order them by early spring (if I remember) and keep the fall seeds in a cool, dark cabinet until I’m ready to use them.

Once you get your seeds and your garden is ready for them, follow directions on the packet for planting. Proper planting depth, plant spacing, growing tips, and estimated times for germination, transplanting, and harvest for cool season vegetables are covered in the previous chapter. If you are planting seeds in small pots to be transplanted later, try 3-4 inch plastic nursery pots. You can grow them outside, but make sure you keep them well watered as small pots can dry out quickly in summer heat. During hot spells or in very warm climates, you may want to place the seedling pots in an area that gets some afternoon shade.

Chapter 4: When to Plant in Your Area

Most crops for fall and winter harvests should be planted between June and September. Your best planting date will depend on two variables: what you’re planting and when the weather gets really cold in your area. Fast crops like radishes and baby leaf lettuce can be harvested just a few short weeks after seeding, which means you can plant them quite late. On the other hand, carrots require at least two months to grow, so you need to plan well and put them in the ground in late summer.

Every plant we cover here is pretty hardy and can handle a light frost. But young, tender plants cannot stand up to extreme cold. You need to give them a head start so they can get big enough before frost is expected to arrive. Once you know when frost is expected to arrive, you can count backwards the number of days it takes to grow a particular vegetable. That provides you with the safest planting date.

The information in the following sections will help you determine when to plant particular vegetables for the latest possible harvest in your particular area. Please bear with me, since there is a lot of information to cover first, but I think it is worth spending the proper time to understand this well. This knowledge will empower you to plan your late season garden. And I promise you we will put all this information together very soon and help you find the best planting times. Of course, it all depends on what veggies you want to grow and when your area in> >Many vegetables can be stored for use during thenter months. Root vegetables and late maturing potatoes make thebest storage candidates. Kohlrabi and cabbage can be kept for surprisingly long periods as well. Broccoli, cauliflower, peas, and all theleafy greens on our cold season list need to be used more quickly, generallythin a week or two. However, any vegetables can be preserved by freezing them, while some can be pickled, canned, or dried as well.brbr>While it is possible to store vegetables for long periods in therefrigerator, this tends to dry them out. Late maturing potatoes, beets, carrots, turnips, long types of radishes, cabbage, and kohlrabi will keep better in moist, cool conditions in a temperaturerange of 32-40 degrees F. A root cellar, unheated garage, basement, attic, or out building m be a good option, depending on what space you have available at your home. In times past, many people stored vegetables in storage clamps.brbr">To make a clamp, select a dry part of your property. It can be a flat spot or a sloped area on theside of a hill. Dig a large hole thereand line thebottomth a thick layer of straw (or shredded paper, sand, or sawdust fromuntreated wood). Place one layer of root vegetables on thestraw, packed loosely to allow for air circulation. Cover this th another layer of thestraw. Place another layer of root vegetables on top, cover it again, and repeat until you have filled most of thehole. Finally, cover itth a thick layer of straw on top and hold this down wth some scrap wood or stones. Take out a few vegetables as you need to use them, starting on thetop layer and working downward. brbr">A storage clamp worksbest if you have a lot of pro to store for thenter. This method alsoleaves your food vulnerable to soil-based pests such as gophers, voles, or digging rats. You m be able to strengthen your clamp by lining itfirst wth sharp gravel and then straw, then covering thetop th a tough piece of wood that is drilled wth small air holes and heavilyed down wth stones or cinderblocks. Another option is to take an old refrigerator or barrel and bury itmost of theay in thehole, layering and covering as you would th an open clamp. On a smaller scale, you can just store vegetables in a cardboardbox on a shelf in an unheated garage, cellar, or other cool location. brbr">Thesebags, made by a company called Orka, are very convenient for vegetable storage. Theyork especiallyll for storing potatoes, onions, garlic, and root vegetables. Theyhave handles for hanging, so if you have a storage area which is already pretty full, you will not need to use extrahorizontal space. These could be hung froma wall or rafters. brbr">Below is a list of thevegetables on our cool season list, which is sorted nto different categories for storage purposes. After this information, well cover storage by freezing, drying, pickling, and canning.brbr"b>Root Vegetables, Potatoes, Cabbage, and Kohlrabi (store in moist, cool location, 32-40 degrees F)bbrbr"i>Beets: Wash roots, trimtops to 1/2 inch, and store in perforated plasticbags for 3-4 months.  brbr"i>Carrots: Same directions as for beets. brbr"i>Cabbage (heads): Cut off cabbage heads at thebase when they are firm. Storage varieties can be kept in a plasticbag for up to three months in a cool place.brbr"i>Cabbage (leafy, Chinese Cabbage): Same directions as above, but storage time is less, probably 1-2 months. brbr"i>Kohlrabi: Cut off the root from the bottom and the leaf stems from the top. Kohlrabi will store in the refrigerator or another cool place for as long as 2-3 months.

Radishes: Wash and cut off tap root and top. Store small radishes for one month and longer radishes for 3-4 months.

Turnips: Wash roots, trim tops to 1/2 inch, and store in perforated plastic bags for up to 3-4 months.

Broccoli and Cauliflower (best kept in refrigerator)

Broccoli/Cauliflower: Does not store for long periods. In the refrigerator, fresh picked broccoli or cauliflower will last 1-2 weeks. It should be stored in a perforated plastic bag.

Leafy Greens (best kept in refrigerator)

Arugula, Chard, Chicory/Endive, Lettuce, Kale, Spinach, and other greens: To harvest, break off or cut leaf stems near the base. Store in plastic bags in the refrigerator for 1-3 weeks.

Others: Peas, Parsley, and Scallions

Peas: Sugar snap and snow peas can be washed and kept in a plastic bag in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. Shelled peas need to be frozen, since they will not last long otherwise.

Parsley: Pick the leaves and stems, wash, and keep in a plastic bag in the refrigerator for 1-2 weeks. Another way to extend your parsley season is to plant it in a pot you can move indoors. Keep harvesting parsley leaves as you need them, and you should get a few extra weeks out of it this way. 

Scallions: Pick them when they get big enough to eat. Wash and cut off roots. Also cut off the tops of the stems. They will keep in a plastic bag in the refrigerator for two weeks. You can keep them longer and still use the white part at the base, but you will need to cut off the green leaves, which will wilt and decay.

Freezing Vegetables for Later Use

All vegetables on this list can be frozen. While it is possible to just wash, cut, and freeze your vegetables, it is best to blanch them first, which ensure that they will retain more flavor and color in the freezer. The basic procedure is this: Wash, trim, and chop potatoes or root vegetables into bite sized pieces. Prepare two pots of water, one filled with ice water and the other placed on the stove to boil.

You will also need a slotted spoon or pasta server for removing the vegetables from the hot water when they have been blanched. If you are only preparing one batch, then you can use a colander in the sink to strain the vegetables out of the water, but if you are blanching more than one batch at a time, then it seems wasteful to dump out your hot water each time, so a slotted spoon or pasta server works best for removing the vegetables from the water.

Once the vegetables have been chopped and the pot on the stove is boiling, dump them in and set a timer for exactly two minutes. As soon as two minutes are up, immediately remove the vegetables from the hot water and move them into the ice water. Once they are cooled, you can freeze them in plastic locking zipper bags or freezer containers for use at any time over the next year. These frozen vegetables will last at least 8-12 months.

Drying, Pickling, and Canning

There are several other ways to preserve your own vegetables: drying, canning, and pickling. Here is an excellent free guide for canning your own fresh vegetables. To pickle vegetables, you can use either a vinegar brine (like most pickled cucumbers you buy in the store) or lactic acid fermentation, which works for sauerkraut, kimchi, and other fermented vegetable dishes. My Fresh Food From Small Spaces book has some good sauerkraut and kimchi recipes. These recipes rely on natural yeasts and beneficial bacteria (like those in yogurt) for fermentation. If you would like a great free sauerkraut recipe and a stronger indoctrination into the world of Wild Fermentation, let me refer you to Sandor Katz’s website. For vinegar pickling and in depth canning information, I recommend the book Putting Food By, which is the definitive canning guide.

You can also dry vegetables to preserve them. Here is a good free guide on preservation by drying. Sun drying is possible, but probably not practical in cold weather. The other two methods are to use a food dehydrator machine or to dry them in the oven on the lowest temperature setting. Dried vegetables do not taste that good, but they can be added to soups or stews to reconstitute them. Root vegetables can be sliced, and will become dried vegetable chips, while leafy greens can be dried and turned into powder. If they are dried at low temperatures (under 110 degree F), they will still have much of their nutrition intact.

Storing in Place

There is one final storage possibility. Carrots, beets, and other root vegetables can be stored in the ground. This only works well in climates where the ground is workable in wintertime, but which are cold enough so that the plants will not start growing again during the winter. After the plants freeze back in the late fall, cover the soil with a thick layer of mulch such as straw or leaves. Make sure this is kept in place with some wood, so that it does not blow away. Then whenever you need a few carrots or beets, just peel back the mulch and dig up a few roots to wash and eat. You can keep doing this into early spring, but make sure to pick and eat them all before they start growing again in early spring. It doesn’t get much simpler than that!

My Secret Winter Nutrition

Finally, here is my secret to winter nutrition. I grow kale in a big raised bed until the plants start to get too old and tough. Picking all the leaves, I wash them (often enough to fill 3-4 paper shopping bags). I then turn on my juicer machine and juice all the leaves, which fill the juicer cup with dark green juice that is incredibly dense with vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. (You can add a little of this to some other juice for an amazing nutritional boost, but this stuff is pretty hard to drink in any major amount.)

Then I fill up several ice cube trays with the kale juice. Once these are frozen, I empty them into a plastic locking zipper bag. Every time we make soup, stew, beans, eggs, pasta, you name it, I shave in a little kale ice. The kids never know what wonderful nutrition they are getting. I do this a couple of times per year and so we always have a steady supply.

Resources

Cold Hardy Vegetables

Additional Information on Cold Hardy Vegetables from University of Minnesota and Oregon State University:

http://www.extension.umn.edu/distribution/horticulture/M1227.html

http://ir.library.oregonstate.edu/xmlui/bitstream/handle/1957/20754/pnw548.pdf?sequence=3

Vegetable Seed Suppliers (Online Ordering)

Johnny’s Selected Seeds: http://www.johnnyseeds.com

Territorial Seed Company: http://www.territorialseed.com

Park Seed: http://parkseed.com

High Mowing Organic Seeds: http://www.highmowingseeds.com

Peaceful Valley Farm & Garden Supply: www.groworganic.com

Seed Potato Suppliers

Potato Garden: http://www.potatogarden.com

Irish Eyes Garden Seeds: http://irisheyesgardenseeds.com

Moose Tubers: http://www.fedcoseeds.com/moose.htm

Storing Vegetables

Information from Cornell and Iowa State Universities on How to Store Vegetables:

http://www.gardening.cornell.edu/factsheets/vegetables/storage.pdf

http://www.extension.iastate.edu/Publications/pm731.pdf

Canning Vegetables

Excellent free guide:

http://www.uri.edu/ce/ceec/food/documents/GH%201454.pdf

Drying Vegetables

Good free overview:

http://nchfp.uga.edu/publications/uga/uga_dry_fruit.pdf

Sauerkraut and Wild Fermentation

Sandor Katz’s website: http://www.wildfermentation.com/making-sauerkraut-2

Building a Greenhouse

DIY Plans for 12’x14’ greenhouse made primarily of PVC pipe and plastic sheeting: http://www.bae.ncsu.edu/programs/extension/publicat/postharv/green/small_greenhouse.pdf

Links to Free Greenhouse Building Plans and Information: http://www.sherrysgreenhouse.com/pages/structures/greenhouses-build.html

How to Build Your Own Greenhouse book: http://www.amazon.com/How-Build-Your-Own-Greenhouse/dp/158017647X/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1340396975&sr=1-2&keywords=building+greenhouse

Greenhouses for Sale Online

Good selection of smaller greenhouses: http://www.littlegreenhouse.com/flowerhouse.shtml

All sizes of greenhouses: http://www.4seasongreenhouse.com/

Building Cold Frames and Hot Beds

Excellent article from Mother Earth News:

http://www.motherearthnews.com/modern-homesteading/how-to-build-a-hotbed-zmaz76mazhar.aspx

Information from University of Missouri and Purdue Extension Programs:

http://extension.missouri.edu/p/g6965

http://www.hort.purdue.edu/ext/HO-053.pdf

In-Depth Book on Growing Vegetables in Unheated Greenhouses in Winter

Eliot Coleman is the master of growing vegetables in unheated greenhouses, which he does in the wintertime in Maine. He has several good books, including The Winter Harvest Handbook, available on Amazon.

My Publications

1. Backyard Chickens for Beginners: Getting the Best Chickens, Choosing Coops, Feeding and Care, and Beating City Chicken Laws [Kindle e-book]

Download it here:

http://www.amazon.com/Backyard-Chickens-Beginners-Choosing-ebook/dp/B0084HOC50/ref=sr_1_6?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1337887484&sr=1-6

Description from Amazon:

Excellent booklet for beginners on how to start a backyard mini-flock of 2-4 chickens and get fresh eggs every day. Written by the author of the best-selling Fresh Food From Small Spaces book, a former columnist for Urban Farm magazine. (Updated 2012 Version)

Topics include:
• Fresh Eggs Every Day
• How Much Space Do You Need?
• Building or Buying a Coop
• Feeders, Waterers, Nesting Boxes, and Roosts
• Getting Chicks or Chickens
• Feeding Your Chickens
• Tips for Cold Climates
• Health and Safety
• Dealing with Neighbors, City Chicken Laws, and Other Challenges
• Resources: Everything You Need!

2. How to Grow Potatoes: Planting and Harvesting Organic Food From Your Patio, Rooftop, Balcony, or Backyard Garden (26-page Booklet)

Download it here: http://www.amazon.com/R.J.-Ruppenthal/e/B00852ZTT2/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1

Perfect beginners guide to growing potatoes. This booklet explains how to plant and grow organic potatoes for food in the home garden. Recommended for backyard gardeners and container gardeners with small city-sized yards, patios, balconies, decks, and rooftops.

● Why Grow Potatoes? Six Great Reasons

● Different Kinds of Potatoes (and Where to Get Them)

● Growing in Containers, Raised Beds, and Traditional Rows

● Planting and Hilling Potatoes

● Soil, Fertilizer, and Watering Needs

● Harvesting Potatoes

● Storing Potatoes for Later Use

● Bonus: Two Secret Tips for Getting More (and More Delicious) Potatoes

3. Blueberries in Your Backyard: How to Grow America’s Hottest Antioxidant Fruit for Food, Health, and Extra Money (25-page Booklet)

Download it here:

http://www.amazon.com/Blueberries-Your-Backyard-Antioxidant-ebook/dp/B0085YNZD2/ref=la_B00852ZTT2_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1338923112&sr=1-2

Description from Amazon:

Perfect blueberry growing guide for beginners. This booklet explains how to plant and grow blueberries in the home garden. Recommended for backyard gardeners with small city-sized yards, patios, balconies, decks, and rooftops. (Updated 2012 version)

Topics include:

         Why Grow Blueberries? Six Great Reasons

         Blueberries for Every Climate (and where to get them)

         Grow Blueberries Almost Anywhere: Doorsteps, Patios, Balconies, Rooftops, and Yards

         Perfect Blueberry Soil (regular garden soil kills them, but they will thrive in this!)

         How to Plant and Grow Blueberries in Raised Beds and Containers

         Feeding, Watering, and Caring for Your Blueberry Bushes

         Making Extra Money Growing Blueberries

4. Fresh Food From Small Spaces: The Square-Inch Gardener’s Guide to Year-Round Growing, Fermenting, and Sprouting by R.J. Ruppenthal (Chelsea Green Publishing 2008). This book covers small space gardening, fermenting (yogurt, kefir, sauerkraut, and kimchi), sprouting, plus chickens for eggs and bees for honey. Over 20,000 people have read this book, which helps beginners learn what they can grow in small urban spaces, such as apartments, condominiums, townhouses, and small homes. Many readers have been motivated to try new things and grow some food where they did not believe they could before reading this. The book is a broad overview, so it does not have a fine level of detail.

Download it or purchase the print copy here:

http://www.amazon.com/Fresh-Food-Small-Spaces-Square-Inch/dp/160358028X/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1226714427&sr=8-1

Author Info

R.J. Ruppenthal is a licensed attorney and college professor who has a passion for growing and raising some of his own food. He is based in California, though he has experience trying to grow winter vegetables in Wisconsin. He regularly writes and blogs about fruit and vegetable gardening, growing food in small urban spaces, sustainability, and raising backyard chickens. On occasion, he even pens something about law or government. You can follow his blogs at http://www.amazon.com/R.J.-Ruppenthal/e/B00852ZTT2/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1

All Rights Reserved © 2012 R.J. Ruppenthal

Photo credits: Cover images: CanStockphoto, www.canstockphoto.com

CSA veggies: Flickr user “aMichiganMom”, www.flickr.com

Arugula: Flickr user “little blue hen”, www.flickr.com

Broccoli: Flickr user “edibleoffice”, www.flickr.com

Cabbage snow: Flickr user “quinn.anya”, www.flickr.com

Kohlrabi: La Grande Farmers’ Market

Mache: Flickr user “rfarmer”, www.flickr.com

Window frames: Flickr user “dyogi”, www.flickr.com

Potato grow bags: Courtesy of Gardeners Supply Company

Greenhouse of bottles: www.geograph.org.uk, NH5319

Large growing tunnel with farmers: http://blogs.usda.gov/tag/hoop-house

Miniature growing tunnel “Flickr user “greengardenvienna”, www.flickr.com

Other images are property of the author or public domain

Table of Contents

Copyright

Chapter 1: Introduction: Late Season Gardening

Chapter 2: 25 Vegetables for Cool Seasons

Chapter 3: Starting Vegetables from Seed

Chapter 4: When to Plant in Your Area

Chapter 5: Preparing the Soil and Fertilizing

Chapter 6: Garden Rows, Raised Beds, and Containers

Chapter 7: Extending Your Season

Chapter 8: Harvesting and Storing Your Produce

Resources

Author Info