Growing Own Vegetables and Fruits During the Winter

The vast majority of vegetables and fruits do not survive the cold winter temperatures or become dormant when the snow covers the ground. The ones available at the grocery are not as healthy as widely believed due to pesticide and preservative residues and are also poor in vitamins and other essential nutrients. If you want to pick your own vegetables and fruits all year round you should perhaps consider winter gardening.

Which vegetables and fruits can you grow during the winter greatly depends on the climate of your specific area, while some plants have greater difficulties with insufficient daylight than with low temperatures. Some vegetables such as carrot, radish, some breeds of broccoli and cabbage, and some other plants grow well even in low temperatures although leafy crops commonly need to be protected from frost either with cloches or to be covered with agricultural cloth.

Root-crops are less sensitive to frost but you might face great difficulties with picking for example carrot or parsnip from frozen soil. If living in an area with continental climate you should pick some root-crops before the first frost to make a supply for a week or two and to take advantage of the days above 32 °F (0 °C) during the winter for harvesting.

A winter garden in which you can control both temperature and light is the easiest and the most convenient way to grow vegetables and fruits during the winter, while some plants especially herbs and spices such as parsley can be easily grown in a pot in your apartment.