What Vegetables for Winter to Plant in the Summer? Follow This Guide to Get Fresh Veggies!

Harvesting vegetables almost all year round seems perfect. And it is actually possible with the right timing. A rich harvest is not only possible in the spring/summer season. How can you harvest fresh vegetables in the garden even in winter? When to start planting vegetables for winter?

It doesn’t take a lot of gardening experience to know that each plant takes its time to grow, which also depends on the weather. But how are you supposed to plant anything in summer and reap it in winter when all the beds are still occupied? Don’t worry, with the right organization, anything is possible and you’ll be growing the best winter vegetables in the garden!

Vegetables for Winter – What Do You Do with the Lack of Space

The weather, respectively, the temperatures would now actually be ideal to plant winter vegetables – directly into the soil. The young seedlings would get plenty of sun from the start. But the big problem is: where should the new plants go? All those first vegetables that you grew in spring are still growing happily.

Well, you simply proceed exactly as you did at the beginning of the season: by growing seeds in seed pots. The only difference is that this time you don’t need to leave the pots indoors, but take advantage of the nice weather outside. It’s up to you whether you will use your patio, balcony or greenhouse. Especially at this time of the year, it is important to ensure that there is enough moisture, because everything dries out much faster in the hot summer, as you know.

If you have free area in the garden beds that are already free due to early vegetables, use it to plant your winter vegetables. The rest will be filled as soon as something becomes free again.

Note: If you have decided to grow in pots, transplant the seedlings only when they are strong enough. Just because the weather is good doesn’t mean the plants aren’t delicate.

Sow in Summer, Harvest in Winter – Typical Winter Vegetables for the Garden

What vegetables can you plant in the summer to harvest in the winter months? You can use our list as a guide and choose your favorite varieties. There are some winter vegetables (especially lettuce) that can withstand frost or even benefit from it.

What Vegetables for Winter to Plant in August?

You can start planting many vegetables is August. These are suitable:

Fast growing vegetables

For vegetables that score high for their rapid growth and maturity, you even have until September to plant them. Among them, for example, is the popular oakleaf lettuce. But not only that! Radishes also grow very quickly, so you can use them to prepare delicious winter salads. Don’t forget arugula, daikon or tender watercress.

Slow-growing vegetable plants

Last chance for broccoli and the like: Broccoli should be planted in the vegetable patch as early as July, but no later than the mid-August. Since this plant grows relatively slowly, the period until winter is otherwise a bit short. The same goes for cauliflower and kohlrabi as winter vegetables. It is important to remember that these types of vegetables also require a lot of space and thus limit the already scarce space in the garden beds even more. It is therefore worthwhile to sow smaller quantities.

What summer plants can stay in the garden beds?

The healthy, sweet carrots are actually not that well known and are typical winter vegetables. But it is actually possible. You can leave the carrots that have not yet been harvested in the bed after the summer (or plant new ones). To protect the above-ground parts of the plant from frost, spread straw over them. Always harvest only when needed. The big advantage of this option is that the cold will make the carrots taste even sweeter.

Leeks and celery are also types of vegetables that can be planted in spring but can remain in the bed until winter.

Also read: Hardy herbs that you can plant and harvest in late summer and autumn!

What Else Can You Grow as Vegetables for Winter?

Which vegetables still grow in winter? You can grow some of the following varieties as fall and winter vegetables.

• Bok choy
• Lamb’s lettuce
• Spring onions and spring garlic (harvest throughout winter: just cut off and let regrow)
• parsnip
• cabbage, e.g. pointed white cabbage, savoy cabbage, white cabbage, red cabbage (harvest red cabbage in December or protect it with fleece)
• chard
• Beetroot
• Salsify
• Spinach
• Winter leeks (sow/plant in the bed at the beginning of August at the latest)

Vegetables for Winter – How Frost Resistant Are They Really?

Winter vegetables are unquestionably quite cold tolerant. But they cannot withstand frost forever. Therefore, after a few days of frost, you should start harvesting. What is also important is that you do not harvest during a period of frost, but when it is on a break, so to speak. So as long as the frost lasts, you should not harvest anything new, but use what you have already harvested. Keeping track of the weather forecast can be helpful for this.

No matter which vegetable you choose, it will always come in handy to have fresh ones during the cold season. So if you haven’t tried it yet, now is the time!