4 Winter Resistant Vegetables You Can Grow

Believe it or not there are vegetables that you can grow during the winter months and enjoy all season long. Below are 4 such vegetables that you can add to your garden now.

1. Broccoli: the best time to harvest broccoli is when the heads are tight and firm this happens right before the heads begin to flower. If yellow petals start to show you must harvest immediately. For great tasting broccoli harvest in the morning before the sun comes up. You should cut the heads from plants including about 6" of the stem. You can do this by cutting the stalk of the head at a slant angle about 5 to 8 inches below the head.

Some varieties have side shoots they will continue to grow after you have harvested the main head. Keep in mind you can harvest that one plant for many weeks in most cases as long as your summer is not to hot. Store broccoli in the refrigerator no more that five days. Some people like to wash their broccoli before storing and that's ok as long as you dry it real good. The great thing about broccoli is that they can be blanched and frozen for twelve months at a time.

How To Plant Broccoli...

Space your broccoli plant 12 to 24 inches apart from each other and 36 inches need to be between each row. If you over seed you will need to thin the seedlings 12 inches apart so that the broccoli plant will have room to grow into a healthy vegetabel for your family table.

Winter Squash

2. Winter Squash:To grow this tasty veggie you start by planting your seeds after the last cold frost in soil that is fertile, and well-drained, that has a pH of 6-6.5. You can get the pH levels easy by adding rotted manure and compost to your soil.

Butternut squash that has a rich flavor and smooth texture will have a natural resistance to squash vine borers. These bottle-shaped fruits have buff-brown rinds and will store for six months or longer.

Garlic

3. Garlic: Plant garlic cloves in mid-autumn in however it must be in a sunny location with rich, well-drained soil. Start by setting the cloves root side down 4-6" apart in rows 1-1/2 to 2' apart, and then cover with 1-2" of fine soil.If you live in the North, put down 6" of mulch for winter protection. Garlic may begin growth late in fall or early in spring.

You should feed garlic plants every other week use a liquid fish emulsion fertilizer from the time shoots emerge in early spring until approximately June 1. Water is critical during the bulb forming stage in early summer, so try for an inch a week, including rainfall.

If you are growing hard neck garlic—the best type for the northeast area is around the time of the summer solstice, your garlic will send up a seed stalk called a scape. This should be cut off to encourage the plants to put all their energy into bulb formation.

Kale

4. kale: I love kale here how to grow it. You can plant kale at any time, from early spring to early summer. If you decide to plant kale late in the summer, you can harvest it from fall until the ground freezes in winter. Mix 1-½ cups of 5-10-10 fertilizer per 25 feet of row into the top 3 to 4 inches of soil. Kale is a cool season green and is also a part of the cabbage family. It grows best in the spring and fall and can tolerate fall frosts. Here’s how to grow kale in your garden.

harvest kale it from fall until the ground freezes in winter. Mix 1-½ cups of 5-10 fertilizer per 25 feet of row into the top 3 to 4 inches of soil.

You can plant the seeds ¼ to ½ inch deep into well-drained, light soil.

After 2 weeks, thin the seedlings so that they are spaced 8 to 12 inches apart.

Gardeners that who grow healthy fruits and vegetables during the winter months will most often be eating more greens than those purchasing them at stores. The access to nutrient rich vegetables during the winter is only a few feet away and it can help ward off sickness, improve the immune system, and keep the body running at optimum level.

Read more on Gardening In The Winter Here