Are you ready to get in your garden and get your hands dirty?
I am. But we are still deep under snow, so I’ll have to be patient.
But I know many of my readers live in warmer climates and you might be able to get outside earlier than me. I’m so jealous!
So if you are one of those that is ready to get in the garden now, cold weather plants are a great place to start right now.
What is a cold weather vegetable?
Cold weather vegetables are plants that will grow when the weather is still cold. These can be planted in the spring or fall.
These plants are hardier than summer plants and can be planted before the last frost (or after the first frost). They give you a three season garden that will help you add more fresh food for your family’s needs.
You can even extend cold weather plants into winter if you have a good cold frame system to keep them insulated and protected from the elements.
10 Cold Weather Vegetables You Can Plant This Spring
Cabbage
Cabbage isn’t something I grew up eating in Texas. But I have learned to like it by chopping it up to add in salads and even nachos.
Here are some tips to get cabbage growing right in your garden:
- Start indoors six to eight weeks before the ideal planting date.
- You can plant before the last frost, but if the temperature drops too low you will want to cover to protect it from damage.
- The most common pests are cabbage worms or caterpillars, so keep an eye on your plants for these little guys.
- Cabbage needs a rich organic soil and regular, steady water to encourage the uninterrupted growth of the plant.
- Companion planting: plant near celery, dill or potatoes but away from grapes and strawberries.
Broccoli
Did you know broccoli doesn’t only come in green? I didn’t know this either until I started buying seeds from heirloom seed catalogs.
Here are some tips to get broccoli growing right in your garden:
- Broccoli needs 6-8 hours of sunlight every day.
- When it starts to get hot outside, broccoli can “bolt” and turn bitter.
- A mature broccoli plant can handle frost and tolerates temps down to the mid 20s F.
- Heavy mulching can protect your growing broccoli roots from temperature extremes.
- Start your broccoli seeds indoors no less than 8 weeks before your desired planting date.
- Space your broccoli plants at least 12 inches apart and keep the rows 2-3 feet apart.
- Companion planting: plant near basil, bush beans, dill, cucumber, garlic, lettuce, onion, potatoes, radish and tomato but away from grapes and strawberries.
Peas
I don’t usually plant things I don’t like to eat, so I haven’t grown peas in my garden yet. But I am rethinking that for this year, because vegetables always taste better fresh out of the garden than from the store.
Here are some tips to get peas growing right in your garden:
- Plant in the spring as soon as the soil is workable, even if you’re still expecting snow or frost.
- If you get frost or snow, just cover your peas overnight to help them stay warm.
- Peas like moist but well drained soil.
- Peas add nitrogen to the soil, so they don’t need excellent soil to get started.
- Add stakes or a trellis for the peas to grow on as they mature.
- Peas mature from the bottom of the plant, so start to pick there and keep picking as soon as peas are ready.
- Companion planting: plant near almost anything but away from grapes, onions and potatoes.
Lettuce
There is nothing better than eating a salad made with produce from your own garden. And you can grow many new varieties of lettuce you can’t get at your local grocery store.
Here are some tips to get lettuce growing right in your garden:
- Start seeds indoors 4 to 6 weeks before last spring frost date.
- Direct sow ¼ inch apart in rows 12-15 inches apart.
- Lettuce like moist but well drained soil.
- Fertilize with a high-nitrogen organic fertilizer at about 3 weeks old.
- Harvest before it gets too hot because the plants will “bolt”.
- Several varieties of lettuce will allow you to cut off leaves to use and still allow the plant to continue to grow and make new leaves. This is called “cut and come again” variety.
- Companion planting: plant near beets, broccoli, beans, dill, carrots, cucumbers, onion, radish and strawberry but not cabbage.
Swiss Chard
One of the prettiest vegetables I grow, I love the rainbow swiss chard variety. It has deep green leaves and multi colored stalks for a visually appealing addition to your garden.
Here are some tips to grow swiss chard right in your garden:
- Direct sow seeds about four-to-six inches apart in the spring.
- Swiss chard is harvested by pulling out the entire plant from the ground once it is ready.
- You can also just pick the leaves and leave the plant in the ground. It should produce again the next year.
- Companion planting: plant near beets, broccoli, beans, dill, carrots, cucumbers, onion, radish and strawberry but not cabbage.
Spinach
Spinach is a hot ticket in the healthy eating world because of all it’s nutrients. But buying those bags at the grocery store every week for your smoothies can get expensive. Let’s grow it at home instead.
Here are some tips to grow spinach right in your garden:
- Direct seed into the ground about 4″ apart, just barely beneath the soil.
- Plant in a moist, sunny spot for optimal growth.
- Harvest by picking off the leaves as they grow, but don’t pull off more than half the leaves of a plant at a time.
- Companion planting: plant near peas, cabbage, cauliflower, beans, celery, eggplant, onion, squash and strawberry.
Radishes
I never thought I liked radishes until I tasted some out of my own garden. Yum!
Here are some tips to grow radishes right in your garden:
- Direct sow seeds ½ inch to an inch deep and two inches apart in a sunny location, 4-6 weeks before the last frost.
- Thin out your radish seedlings 2-3 weeks after planting. These are great to add to your salad.
- Radishes are fairly easy to grow. Just sun and water should do the trick.
- To find out if you are ready to harvest, just dig out the soil around your radish and see how big the bulb is.
- Companion planting: plant near beets, beans, carrots, cucumbers, lettuce, melons, peas, spinach and squash but not cabbage, cauliflower, brussel sprouts or turnips
Kale
This healthy man’s cure all is actually pretty easy to grow, which makes it great for new gardeners.
Here are some tips to grow kale right in your garden:
- Kale is not as bitter if grown in cooler weather.
- Direct sow before the first frost for best results.
- Kale grows best in moist, well-drained and loamy soil.
- Only harvest the outer leaves of the plant after they are 3-4″ in height.
- Companion planting: plant near beets, celery, cucumbers, dill, garlic, hyssop, lettuce, mint, onions, potatoes, spinach, swiss chard but not beans, asparagus, carrots, cabbage or corn.
Arugula
Arugula is something I had never heard of until I started gardening. It is like lettuce with a little more kick!
Here are some tips to grow arugula right in your garden:
- Arugula is a quick growing plant that is ready to harvest in about 4 weeks.
- Plant arugula seeds just below the surface, similar to lettuce.
- Harvest when your plant is about 8-10 inches tall.
- Arugula grows best in a moist, nutrient rich soil.
- Companion planting: plant near bush beans, beets, carrots, celery, cucumber, dill, lettuce, onion, potato, and spinach but not with strawberries.
Brussel Sprouts
I never would have thought I would want to grow brussel sprouts in my garden. I tried them once as a kid and vowed to never touch them again. But I have turned over a new leaf, and when cooked right (can we say butter and bacon?) they aren’t too bad. And they are really good for you.
Here are some tips to grow brussel sprouts right in your garden:
- This is a long season crop that should stay in the ground from last frost to first frost.
- Direct sow seeds 3-4” apart and then thin to 18-24” once the seedlings are established.
- Keep soil moist, but not saturated. Use mulch to keep water in.
- When leaves begin to yellow, harvest these leaves immediately.
- You may need to cover with netting to keep birds and other rodents away while the plant matures.
- When ready (about 1-2”), harvest from the bottom up, snapping them off with a quick pull.
- Companion planting: plant near beets, celery, cucumbers, dill, garlic, lettuce, onions, potatoes, spinach, swiss chard but not strawberries, kohlrabi or pole beans.
As you can see, there are many kinds of vegetables you can grow in the spring. You don’t have to wait!
So if you have a chance to get out in the garden this spring, try something new. You will be enjoying your harvest faster and have a wider range of veggies to choose from come salad time!
What kinds of cold weather vegetables does your family like to eat? Let us know in the comments below. And if you found this post helpful, please share. Thanks!
