Tips For Winter Growing

• Offer your vegetable plants protection. While several species are able to develop well in cold weather, shield plants from freezing winds. Plant your vegetables near fences, or between shrubs and trees, to protect your garden from undue stress.
  
  Grow your winter vegetables in a raised container. This will allow the soil to dry out quickly, and prevent saturation. Plants use little water in the fall and winter. Dry soil also keeps the roots from freezing, or developing rot by continuously sitting in water. Use a soil probe to pull a sample, and monitor moisture levels.
  
  Make sure your winter vegetables get plenty of sun. All plants need sunlight in order to thrive. Choose a location that will provide the amount of light necessary for proper maturation.
  
  Protect the soil. Cover crops, like fava beans, will enrich the soil and minimize the appearance of weeds. A cover crop can serve to prepare the growing area for springtime plants the following year.
  
  Time your winter vegetables carefully. Plan for your plants to reach full maturity before freezing temperatures arrive.
  
  

What to Plant

• Plant garlic, cabbage, broccoli and cauliflower in September to grow through the winter and produce results in early spring. Mustard, collards, carrots and beets also grow in the cold. Kale, a type of cabbage that's full of antioxidant compounds, is an exceptionally nutritious choice for a winter garden. To add a splash of color, mix in some heuchera (also known as coral bells). Heuchera, like kale, can survive the winter months with minimal guard against the cold. For those whose gardening interests tip on the side of fragrance, winter-blooming, sweet-smelling sarcococca works well. Vines like Boston ivy and wisteria will give your garden a regal effect.