15 Winter Vegetables That Survive Frost and Snow
To keep your kitchen garden producing all year long, you need a steady supply of winter vegetables. But what if you live in a region with regular frost or snow? Gardening expert Madison Moulton lists 15 winter vegetables you can grow in the cold.
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Winter is the season when I enjoy cooking the most. I don’t spend as much time gardening (or, more accurately, just sitting in my garden relaxing), so I like to supplement that by making hearty, nutritious meals. For that, you need a steady supply of winter vegetables that survive frost and snow.
Don’t think frost or snow stops all action in the garden. If you time your planting right, there are still plenty of things you can harvest throughout winter. Even with a blanket of snow, many winter vegetables can remain in the ground without trouble, depending on your climate and soil conditions.
These 15 vegetables are easy to grow from seed and don’t mind a winter chill. That doesn’t mean they’ll survive anything, but they are better equipped to handle snow than others. You may also want to keep protections like frost blankets and mulch on hand to help them out.
Broccoli
Broccoli is surprisingly tough in the garden, easily handling light frosts (and a few moderate ones). Like all brassicas, cooler weather can improve both growth and flavor.
Broccoli can tolerate temperatures down to 25°F and light snow. Plus, colder temps reduce the risk of common pesky pests known to devour broccoli plants.
Start your broccoli seeds in trays in the fall if you want to harvest in winter. This timing will ensure transplants are well-prepared for cold conditions. Depending on your region, you can also direct sow in late summer for a fall harvest. Heads are typically ready to harvest around 55–75 days after transplanting.
Cabbage
A relative of broccoli, cabbage is a famously cold-hardy vegetable. Some types can even handle a blanket of frost or snow. They won’t appreciate living like that long-term (avoid extended periods below 25°F), but you don’t have to worry about a few cold snaps with these crops.
Start seeds about 10 weeks before your plan to transplant in the fall. Once the seedlings look strong, move them outdoors after hardening off to a spot with full sun. Don’t forget to give these heavy feeders plenty of nutrients if you want them to form large and tasty heads.
Depending on the variety, cabbages will be ready in about 80 days. You can cut the heads as soon as they feel firm when gently squeezed. I love using cabbage as a nutrient-dense lettuce replacement in salads during winter. My go-to combinations for toppings are butternut squash, beets, and toasted pumpkin seeds with a sprinkle of feta cheese.
Cauliflower
Although cauliflower may look delicate, it’s just as cold-tolerant as its brassica relatives. It isn’t invincible in heavy snow, but some cold and a light frost won’t trouble these winter vegetables. Snow can even act as an insulator, managing temperatures in the soil.
Just like broccoli and cabbage, cauliflower’s cold-hardy reputation is earned. Wait until the weather cools before you start seeds, as they don’t grow well in high temperatures. If you have inconsistent rainfall in fall and early winter, keep an eye on watering to avoid stunting growth.
Once the heads reach the size you want and look dense, cut them off at the base. Don’t wait too long as excess moisture can lead to mold and rot. If you have more than you know what to do with, toss a few sections in a food processor to make cauliflower ‘rice’.
Brussels Sprouts
The appearance of these mini-cabbage lookalikes will tell you they have a similar hardiness to cabbage. Although Brussels sprouts are a somewhat controversial winter vegetable in the kitchen, their flavor does improve after frost, which helps reduce the bitterness some don’t enjoy.
They need a bit more time to mature than other winter vegetables. Start seeds around four months before your first fall frost date. The tall stalks may need support in strong winds or light snow to stop them from snapping.
Harvest when the sprouts (the small buds on the stalk) reach about one inch in diameter and feel firm. Pick from the bottom up or harvest the entire stalk, depending on what you need them for and how many you need. Remove yellowing leaves as they grow to keep the plant healthy.
Kale
When I think of winter vegetables and snow, kale is the first thing to come to mind. Often considered the quintessential healthy green or ‘superfood’ (if you believe in those), kale is also impressive for its cold tolerance. Many varieties can handle mild snowfall and even taste better after they do.
You can direct sow kale a few weeks before your last spring frost if you want to harvest into fall and winter. In colder areas, or if you’re aiming for prime winter vegetable growth, start seeds indoors about 12 to 14 weeks before your first fall frost date, then transplant outdoors after 4 to 6 weeks.
Leaves are ready for picking once they’re large enough to use. Harvest the outer leaves first, letting the center produce new growth.
Spinach
It may not look like it, but spinach thrives in low temperatures, ones that could send more delicate greens to an early demise. It continues to produce well in snow and packs the vitamins and minerals needed to keep you healthy during cold seasons.
Spinach grows relatively quickly. Start seeds outdoors until 4 weeks before your first fall frost date as long as temperatures are cool enough. If thick snow is forecast, consider adding a row cover so the snow doesn’t cover the spinach completely.
Mature spinach leaves are ready to harvest in under 50 days from sowing, but you can trim baby leaves off sooner (as long as you don’t remove too many). This versatile vegetable is perfect raw or cooked in an impressive range of dishes.
Swiss Chard
Swiss chard also handles cold temperatures well, though it may need a bit of protection from heavy snow to prevent damage. The colorful stalks are great for bringing a pop of color to winter vegetable gardens when your flowers are few and far between. Plus, they also deliver a much-needed dose of nutrients in your meals.
Start seeds outdoors as late as 2 months before your first fall frost date. You can also direct sow in late summer to early fall in milder climates, ready to harvest in about 2 months.
This winter vegetable will continue sending up new growth from the center, giving you a steady supply of fresh greens throughout the season. Just don’t remove more than a third of the plant at one time to ensure it has enough energy to keep producing.
Carrots
At their most delicious after cool weather, carrots don’t appreciate the heat. They can remain in the ground under a layer of mulch even after the first snowfall, a storage hack that saves space and improves flavor. This will kill off the tops, but the roots should be fine.
Sow carrot seeds directly about 2 to 3 weeks before your last frost for a fall harvest, or wait until mid to late summer for a winter vegetable harvest. Carrots develop best when left undisturbed, so avoid sowing in trays and transplanting if you can.
Your carrots will be ready to pull in about 70 days from sowing. If the soil is not completely frozen, leave some in the ground to store them naturally. Or lift them all and store them indoors with other winter vegetables for protection and easy access.
Beets
Beets are another staple winter root vegetable that thrives in cool weather. Both the roots and the leafy tops are edible, giving you plenty to work with in the kitchen. You can even sow a few leftover seeds indoors to grow as microgreens.
Direct sow beet seeds around 6 to 8 weeks before your first fall frost to give them time to develop sizable roots before the winter weather becomes too harsh. Water regularly to prevent the roots from becoming woody.
After harvesting (in about 60 to 90 days, depending on the variety), roast them to bring out their sweetness. The greens can be used as a replacement for spinach or Swiss chard if the snow or frost hasn’t killed them off.
Onions
Onions, and alliums in general, handle snow better than you may think, surviving in temperatures down to 20°F for short periods. The larger varieties are especially well suited to winter growth. In colder climates, you can transplant in late summer to early fall and let them slowly develop through winter.
When sowing from seed, start about 10 to 12 weeks before you plan to transplant them outdoors. They need well-draining soil to prevent rot, as they will be in the ground for quite a while before you pull them.
Harvest times vary depending on what you’re growing, but it won’t be quick. Generally, your overwintered onions will be ready the following summer. You can pull young onions earlier or wait for the bulbs to fully mature, based on how you plan to use them.
Leeks
Leeks are also members of the allium family that almost need frost to be at their best. They are known for getting milder and sweeter when temperatures drop. With some soil insulation or light mulching, these winter vegetables can stay in the ground under a pile of snow without trouble—it’s a great way to store them.
Start seeds indoors about 8 to 10 weeks before your last spring frost if you want a fall to winter harvest, or plant in late summer for overwintering in milder climates.
Harvest when the stalks are at least an inch in diameter (usually in about 100 to 120 days). You can dig them up in stages, taking only what you need at a time.
Parsnips
Parsnips develop a wonderful nutty flavor in lower temperatures, an essential winter root vegetable. They can handle snowy conditions as long as the ground is not frozen solid, tolerating temperatures down to 0°F. They may be overlooked in the kitchen, but they certainly shouldn’t be in the garden.
As they are root winter vegetables, they don’t transplant well. Seeds are best direct sown in spring for a late fall or winter harvest. Parsnips germinate slowly (10 to 25 days), so don’t worry if they don’t pop up straight away.
Parsnips usually reach harvest size in about 100 to 120 days, so patience is definitely required. Luckily, you can leave them in the ground as temperatures drop to let them sweeten even more.
Radish
Radishes are quick-growing root vegetables that can handle light frosts if you choose the right variety (although hard freezes can damage their texture if left unprotected). Winter radishes like daikon are the ones to look out for.
Direct sow radish seeds around 8 to 10 weeks before your first fall frost. Thin the seedlings to give the roots room to develop, maximizing your harvest. Due to their larger size, winter radishes may need more space to grow than small spring varieties, but that also means you get more to use at the end of the day.
Winter varieties take around double the time to harvest (two months), but they’re still relatively quickly growing. Keep an eye on root size by gently brushing away the soil before pulling.
Kohlrabi
We’re going back to the brassicas but with something a little different from the usual broccoli and cauliflower. If you’re looking for a brassica that stands out in your vegetable garden, kohlrabi is the answer.
Its shape looks a bit alien-like, but the versatility and cold tolerance are worth it. Kohlrabi tolerates moderate frosts and snow without much fuss. Start seeds indoors about 10 to 12 weeks before your first fall frost date if you want a head start, or direct sow in late summer for a fall harvest.
Harvest them around tennis ball size (or a bit smaller) for the best flavor. You can eat them raw, but I think they are far better served in a roast winter vegetable mix.
Turnips
Turnips have been a long-standing (if not begrudgingly so) winter vegetable staple for generations. That’s because they handle snow well and don’t mind cooler weather, expanding the range of growing opportunities in winter. The tops may die back a little, but the roots will be fine.
They lose some of their sharpness once the temperature drops, so your harvests will be sweeter and more flavorful. That could be a positive or a negative, depending on how much you like turnips (I lean toward the latter, but to each their own).
For a steady supply, sow seeds up to 8 to 10 weeks before your first fall frost. You can pick them earlier than the one to two-month harvest time if you want baby turnips with a sweeter flavor. Both the roots and the greens are edible.
