Winter Crops: Growing More Food

Today we are talking about how to grow more food with fall and winter crops. To live a fully self sufficient lifestyle, growing food year round should be your goal!

Many beginner gardeners, are not aware that some crops prefer to be grown or started in the cooler seasons, and they do as well when planted in the summer heat.

– Onions            -Peas – Brassicas ie: broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, etc – Greens ie: lettuces, chard, spinach, mustard, etc – Root crops: carrots, beets, parsnips, potatoes, radish

Cold Season Crops

Utilize cool season crops, warm season crops and perennial crops. Things like cold frames and greenhouses can help, but are not always necessary.

See my article Seed Starting 101: Winter Sowing, to learn how to start seeds outdoors in winter, which works perfectly for cold season crops!

Don't forget to continue to be wary of garden pests in cooler seasons. Here in the PNW, slugs and snails are a problem all year long.

It's wise to plan for succession planting in your food garden as well. Some crops grow very quickly, like radishes. So plan to sow a couple of batches of radishes in succession, to harvest the maximum amount.

As one crop gets harvested, immediately plant something in it's place after you have harvested and cleaned up the garden bed.

Slide up for more information on Year Round Vegetable Gardening for More Food