12 Hardy Winter Vegetables to Plant—Plus Tricks to Help Them Thrive

As fall weather starts to hit, you may be thinking it's time to put away your gardening tools and let your yard hibernate over the winter. But if you're feeling a little extra this year, there are some perfect winter vegetables you can plant in your garden to extend your growing season beyond the first frost.

"Harvesting vegetables in winter is easier than you think," says Niki Jabbour, author of The Year-Round Vegetable Gardener. "It takes a little planning, but there are many cold hardy crops that are planted in late summer or fall and enjoyed all winter long."

If you're looking to keep growing even as the leaves fall and the seasons change, start here with the best tips (and a pick of the best veggies!) to grow a winter vegetable garden.

Be mindful of the local weather

"Gardeners who live in milder regions have a wider variety of crops available to grow in winter than their northern counterparts," Jabbour says. If you live in an area where it's regularly below freezing, you'll want to double-check the cold hardiness of any varieties of vegetables you decide to grow, to ensure that they can handle the cold and snow.

Know your plant's maturity date

You can plant your garden based on when you want to harvest. So if you're looking to harvest a late-fall vegetable around the first frost, research how long a plant will take to reach harvest size, and subtract that from your typical first frost date to get a "plants in ground" date for your winter crop.

Pay attention to your sunlight

As the days get shorter, your plants notice it too—and when there's fewer than 10 hours of sunlight, it can drastically slow your plants' growth. But that doesn't mean that you won't have a good harvest. Jabbour says that many plants can "hold" that way in the garden until you're ready to harvest.

Start some seeds indoors

Seed starting is regularly used to begin the growth of spring and summer vegetables and plants, but even for plants started in the summertime, indoor seed starting can be helpful, Jabbour says. "Some of the crops are direct seeded in midsummer, late summer, or early autumn, while others are given a head start indoors under my grow lights. This allows me to ‘plug in’ healthy seedlings to bypass summer garden challenges like hot weather, dry soil, and pests."

Make sure your soil is rich

After you clear out your summer plants, your soil may need a little enriching. You can add compost, manure, or organic fertilizer before you plant your winter crops to get the soil ready for your new plants.

Add plenty of mulch

Consider mulch like a cozy blanket around your winter plants, helping to keep the roots warm, even if the temperatures go below freezing. You can use straw or leaves to mulch your winter crops. Jabbour recommends placing a 10- to 12-inch-deep layer before the ground freezes.

Protect your winter vegetables from the weather

If you want to extend the season well into winter, you can use season extenders like cold frames or greenhouses to protect your plants. You'll want to consider both the types of crops you're growing and your local climate when you choose. "In colder regions, using a structure like a cold frame offers better insulation than a plastic-covered mini hoop tunnel," Jabbour says.

Be ready for a low-maintenance garden

While you may find yourself battling pests, weeds, and of course, drought or excessive heat with your summer garden, your winter garden may not require a lot of love to thrive. "I love my winter garden because it offers a wide selection of delicious vegetables, but also because it is very low-maintenance," Jabbour says. "I rarely water in winter, nor do weeds grow or pests damage my crops."  

Top winter vegetables for your garden

If you're in colder climates, sturdy winter vegetables like root vegetables, greens, and cruciferous vegetables are the name of the game. Consider adding a few of these to your garden.