How cold can you go?

What to Plant Right Now (Late Fall / Early Winter)

If your ground isn’t frozen solid, you can still grow a lot.

One of the biggest mistakes people make in winter gardening is thinking they’re out of time. If you live anywhere your soil doesn’t lock up like concrete, you’re still in the game. And honestly, this is one of the easiest and most peaceful times of year to garden. Fewer bugs, less disease pressure, cooler weather for you and the plants.

The only thing that matters right now is how cold your plants can handle. That’s it. Once you know that number, you can stop panicking every time the weatherman says “cold front". 

PRO TIP- Group your fall/winter plants by what low temps they can handle. Then if you do need to cover, you only cover the rows that actually need it, instead of throwing blankets over the whole garden like you’re tucking in 40 toddlers.

And now the science- Different plants have different cold tolerance because some of them have built-in anti-freeze. They move sugars and other dissolved minerals into their cells as temperatures drop, which lowers the freezing point. Fun fact- this is why collards and carrots taste sweeter after a cold snap. In addition to their natural anti-freeze, their cell walls are thicker, and designed to flex without bursting. Warm season crops like tomatoes and squash have super thin cell walls with a more ridged structure. They turn to mush as soon as they freeze. 

So instead of over simplified categories like “cool season crops,” this is a list of what can handle a frost or a freeze and what temp they can go down to-

Collards, kale, garlic, carrots, leeks, parsnips — low 20's

Cabbage, broccoli, beets, turnips, rutabaga — mid 20's

Radishes, cauliflower, peas, cilantro, dill, Asian greens, most lettuces — upper 20s

Strawberries, spinach, arugula, celery — around 30° or just below

If your 10-day forecast is showing anything around what a row can handle, be prepared with frost cloth so you can cover them. Use only frost cloth or blankets (no plastic) and cover like a ghost (to the ground) and not like a lollypop. If plants do get zapped, do not rush out and prune everything after a frost. Leave the ugly leaves alone until the plant recovers. The damaged leaves actually protect the new growth behind them.

I have a saying that no one likes to hear- "If you never cover anything up, then eventually you wont ever need to cover anything up."

Winter gardening is really just matching plant to temperature. That’s it. Once you understand tolerance, everything else feels easy. Right plant, right time, right place, equals fewer pests and problems. This is the core foundation of Integrated Pest Management. If you are not familiar with IPM, we have a great blog you can read <<HERE>>

In our next blog article, we’re talking about the science behind frost, and understanding and creating micro-climates.

In the meantime, if you want the next post sent straight to your inbox without hunting for it: Join our email list to keep up with new garden blogs, new items, and seasonal specials.