Fall and Winter Vegetable Gardening in Texas - Experiential Gardener (2024)

Covering Plants for Extra Warmth

Planting and Watering Your Winter Vegetable Garden

When planting your winter garden, it is a good idea to group plants that have a similar frost tolerance together. This will make it easier to cover them with one blanket. If you don’t have an old blanket around the house, one can be purchased for just a few dollars at a re-use store. Floating row cover fabric will also raise the temperature of the air around the plants a few degrees, as will hoop houses and cloches. There are many factors that have an impact on the lowest temperature a plant can withstand before it succumbs to the cold weather. Just to be safe, I have added a couple of degrees to the “when to cover” temperature for some plants that have more variables involved.

Watering

Plants that are watered and have adequate moisture in their cells have a better tolerance for cold compared to plants in dry soil. During the winter, water your vegetables during the warmest part of the day. That is usually between 12 noon – 2 pm. Don’t water when temperatures are freezing (32 degrees or below), or when temperatures will reach freezing very soon.

Harvesting Your Winter Greens

Greens planted in early fall will provide food from late fall to mid-spring. You can literally have endless fresh salads for several months, by just harvesting the outer leaves as you need them. Watch the videos and read the blogs that are linked below for more in-depth planting and harvesting information.

Lettuce

Spinach

When to Plant: Mid-September – 2nd week in October.
Varieties: Bloomsdale, Melody
When to cover: 15 degrees or below.

Swiss Chard

When to Plant: Mid-September- 1^st week in October
Varieties: Bright Lights, Ruby, Fordhook Giant (more cold-hardy)
Read Blog Swiss Chard: A Beautiful Tasty Green That Grows Well In Texas
When to cover: Bright Lights 28 degrees, Fordhook Giant 15 degrees or below.

Kale

When to Plant:Mid-September – 1stweek in October
Varieties:Premier, Dwarf Blue Curled (curly leaves can hide aphids)
Read Blog:Growing Kale In Texas
When to cover:10 degrees or colder

Radishes

When to Plant: October – 3^rd week of November
Varieties: Red varieties: Champion, Early Scarlet, Cherry Belle, and Globe.
White varieties. White Icicle, Summer Cross and Chinese White Winter.
When to cover: 20 degrees or below

Mustard Greens

Cabbage

When to Plant: Early September
Varieties: Market Prize, Bravo, New Jersey Wakefield
When to cover: 20 degrees or below.

Collard Greens (Collards):

When to Plant: Third Week of September – first 2 weeks of October
Varieties: Georgia Southern, Blue Max
Read Blog: Growing And Cooking Collard Greens In Texas
When to cover: 15 degrees or below

Cauliflower

When to Plant: Early September (seeds), September – October Transplants
Varieties: Snow Crown
When to cover: 26 degrees or below.

Broccoli

When to Plant: Early September (seeds), September – October Transplants
Varieties: Packman, Green Magic, Premium Crop
When to cover: 26 degrees or below.

Brussels Sprouts

When to Plant: Early September (seeds), September – October Transplants
Varieties: Jade Cross, Diablo, Tasty Nugget, Royal Marvel
When to cover: 20 degrees or below.

Parsley

When to Plant: Mid-September – 2nd week of October (seeds). Pre-soak parsley seeds overnight before planting. Parsley seeds may take 21 days to sprout.
Varieties:Italian Flat(stronger taste, used in most dishes calling for parsley and tabouli), Curly (milder flavor – frequently used for garnish).
When to cover:20 degrees or below

Cilantro

When to Plant: Mid-September – 2nd week of October (seeds)
Only plant cilantro for a fall/winter crop since it bolts or goes to seed when daily temperatures reach 85 degrees or more.
When to cover: 20 degrees or below.

Parsnips

Turnips

When to Plant: Mid-October- 1^st week in November.
Varieties: White Lady, Tokyo Cross.
When to cover: 20 degrees or below.

Leeks

When to Plant: September – 2nd week of October for spring transplants. Transplant when leek stalks are the size of a pencil.
Varieties: American Flag
When to cover: 5 degrees or below

Onions

When to Plant: 1^st week in November for spring transplants. You can also buy very affordable onion bunches and bulbs to plant in February.
Varieties: Texas SuperSweet, 1015Y, Texas Early White, Texas Early Grano, Southern Belle, and White Bermuda.
When to cover: 10 degrees or below.

Arugula - Roquette - Rocket

When to Plant: Mid-September – 2nd week in October
When to cover: 10 degrees or below

Garlic

When to Plant: October (from cloves)
Varieties: Soft-Neck varieties. California Early, California Late, Silverskin, or Silverwhite.
When to cover: 15 degrees or below.

Carrots

When to Plant: 3^rd week of September – 2^nd week of November
Varieties: Nantes Half-Long, Danvers Half-Long, Imperator 58, Red Core Chantenay, Royal Chantenay
When to cover: 5 degrees or below.

Beets

When to Plant: 3^rd week of September – 2^nd week of October
Varieties: Detroit Dark Red, Ruby Queen
When to cover: 20 degrees or below.