Get Weekly Blogs Straight To Your Inbox
Winter Garden: Hardy Crops to Plant for a Resilient Harvest
Winter Hardy Salad Crops You Can Plant Now
Growing fresh salad greens in winter may seem challenging, but many hardy crops thrive in cold conditions. By selecting the right varieties and using simple protection methods like cloches, cold frames, or unheated greenhouses, you can enjoy homegrown salads even in the coldest months.
Best Winter Hardy Salad Crops
Winter Lettuce: Varieties like ‘Winter Density’ and ‘Arctic King’ tolerate frost and continue growing in low light.
Mizuna: A fast growing, cut-and-come-again leafy green with a mild, peppery flavour.
Mustard Greens: Hardy and flavourful, these greens add spice to salads and grow well in cold weather.
Spinach: Cold hardy varieties like ‘Giant Winter’ can be harvested throughout winter.
Rocket: Adds a peppery kick to salads and thrives in cooler temperatures.
Growing Tips
Succession Planting: Sow seeds every few weeks for a continuous harvest.
Cold Protection: Use row covers, fleece, or a cold frame to shield plants from harsh frosts.
Harvesting: Pick outer leaves regularly to encourage new growth.
By planting these winter hardy salad crops now, you’ll enjoy fresh, nutritious greens even in the depths of winter. With a little planning and protection, your winter garden can provide a steady supply of delicious, homegrown salad ingredients.
Winter gardening while growth may be slower compared to warmer seasons, these crops are well-suited
Winter Salads Planted In The Vegepod/Cold Frame Video Reel
Winter Hardy Root Vegetables to Plant Now
Scotland’s cool, damp climate may seem challenging for growing vegetables in winter, but several hardy root crops thrive in cold conditions. These vegetables withstand frost, improve in flavour with colder temperatures, and provide a steady supply of fresh produce throughout the winter and early spring.
Best Winter Hardy Root Vegetables to Plant Now
Garlic: Plant hardneck or softneck varieties in autumn for a strong root system before winter. Harvest in late spring or early summer.
Onions & Shallots: Overwintering varieties like ‘Radar’ (onions) and ‘Jermor’ (shallots) establish roots before winter and produce an early summer crop.
Winter Carrots: Hardy varieties like ‘Autumn King’ can be sown in late summer or early autumn for harvesting throughout winter. Protect with mulch for extended growth.
Parsnips: These thrive in Scotland’s cold climate, with frost improving their sweetness. Sow seeds in late summer for winter harvests.
Swedes: A staple winter vegetable, swedes grow well and can be harvested throughout winter.
Turnips: Fast growing and hardy, turnips provide both roots and edible greens.
Beetroot: Late sown beetroot can survive in a polytunnel or cold frame, providing fresh roots well into winter.
Growing Tips
Mulching: Protect crops with straw or fleece to insulate against hard frosts.
Succession Planting: Stagger sowings for an extended harvest.
Raised Beds: Improve drainage to prevent water logging in Scotland’s wet winters.
By planting these hardy root vegetables now, you can enjoy a fresh, homegrown supply of nutritious food throughout the cold months, ensuring a productive winter garden even in Scotland’s challenging climate.
In this reel we are using our Vegepod Vegebags and Soil from Caledonian Horticulture
Winter Root Veg Planting Video Reel
Winter Hardy Herbs to Plant Now
Growing herbs in winter may seem difficult in Scotland’s cold and wet climate, but several hardy varieties thrive through frost and low light conditions. With the right selection and some protection, you can enjoy fresh herbs throughout the winter.
Best Winter Hardy Herbs to Plant Now
Parsley: Both flat leaf and curly varieties are winter hardy and will survive outdoors with minimal protection.
Thyme: This tough, aromatic herb withstands frost and remains productive throughout winter.
Sage: A resilient evergreen herb that thrives in cold weather, ideal for hearty winter dishes.
Chives: Though they may die back in harsh frosts, chives regrow in early spring, providing an early season harvest.
Rosemary: This woody perennial survives winter well, especially if planted in a sheltered spot or grown in pots.
Mint: Though it may die back in severe cold, mint is very hardy and will regrow in early spring.
Growing Tips
Sheltered Planting: Herbs benefit from being planted in well drained soil, near walls or fences for wind protection.
Mulching: Apply a layer of mulch to insulate roots against harsh frosts.
Container Growing: Hardy herbs can be grown in pots and moved to a greenhouse, polytunnel, or cold frame for extra protection.
Regular Harvesting: Picking leaves encourages continued growth, even in winter.
By planting these winter-hardy herbs now, you can enjoy fresh, homegrown flavours throughout the colder months while ensuring a strong start to spring growth. For more details of the herbs we grow head to All About Our Fruits and Herbs That We Grow
Winter Hardy Herb Crops Video Reel
You’ll be surprised what you can get started once you start looking at different varieties.
Happy Gardening!
Katrina & Clayton and family live in East Ayrshire and share their daily life in the garden on instagram. They practice permaculture principles in the garden, reducing & repurposing waste whenever they can. Katrina shows how home educating in nature has helped Clayton thrive.
Clayton Completed The 2 Grow and Learn Courses with the Royal Caledonian HorticulturalSociety. He is Autistic, Non Verbal & has been Home Educated since 2018. Katrina & Peter hold their PDC & PDC PRO Permaculture Design Course from Oregon State University
They featured on BBC Beechgrove Gardens Ep23 2022 and returned in 2023 for an update,Katrina & Clayton are also columnists for ScotlandGrows Magazine, Guest Blog for Caledonian Horticulture as well as working with Gardeners’ World Magazine and many other brands. They are also Authors of the new children’s book: Clayton’s New Garden Journey: A Story of Autism and Growing available on Amazon & Kindle. Listen in on our Guest Podcasts to learn more about us.
Get new content delivered directly to your inbox.
Our Children’s Book Series
Author of the new children’s book series: Clayton’s Garden Journey: A Story of Autism and Gardening. Topics on Growing, Harvesting, Sowing & Composting and 108 Page Weather and Seasons Weekly Gardening Record Book available on Amazon and Kindle
Visit Our Print On Demand Stores
REDBUBBLE STORE -WORLDWIDE
Over 175 Garden & Nature Designs. Coasters, Phone Covers, Bags, Mouse Mats & Much More
Discover more from Building a Food Forest -Scotland
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
