Key Takeaways
| Topic | Details |
|---|---|
| Winter Gardening in the Southeast | Discover how to cultivate a range of hardy and half-hardy vegetables, along with mushrooms and winter flowers in zones 6a-7a and 7b-8b. |
| Mushroom Cultivation | Learn the intricacies of growing edible mushrooms in the Southeast’s humid climate. |
| Winter Gardening in the Gulf States | Understand the challenges and opportunities of winter gardening in Florida and Louisiana’s wetlands. |
| Gardening in the Mid-Atlantic & Northeast | Explore strategies for successful winter gardening in zones 3a-8a, including indoor sowing and mushroom cultivation. |
| Overcoming Winter Challenges | Tips and strategies for growing plants in the harsh winters of the Allegheny Plateau and New England. |
Introduction
So what can you grow in the winter? Winter is one of the most captivating seasons on the globe. The shiny white snow fills many parts of the northern hemisphere with beauty. In other places, it is just a dry wasteland. In a lot of places, it looks like death. But in other areas, it’s filled with life, even though it’s bitter cold.
For many people, the cold atmosphere keeps us inside our shelters and homes because we want warmth. For many homesteaders, winter is not generally associated with the plentiful harvests we enjoy in the spring, summer, and fall. But did you know that, depending on where you live in the U.S., you can grow various vegetables, fruits, flowers, and mushrooms in the winter? Yes, whether it’s outdoors or indoors, you don’t have to miss out on life’s harvests, and you can get a head start in your growing season that many people might miss because they didn’t know.
Fortunately for you, this article series will reveal crops that can thrive today based on different regions of the U.S. I will be using the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone as a general guide. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map is the standard by which gardeners and farmers can figure out which plants will probably flourish in specific areas (USDA). In this article, we will start off in the Eastern United States.
What can you grow in the winter in the Southeast?
The southeast region includes an extensive range of hardiness zones, spanning from 5a to 11b. I have divided this large area into three sub-regions to cover plant hardiness zones that make up most of these regions. The states included in this classification are Alabama, Georgia, The Carolinas, Tennessee, Arkansas, Mississippi, Florida, and Louisiana.
To the north, you have the start of the Appalachian Mountains in Eastern Tennessee, Western North Carolina, Northeast Georgia, and the Cumberland Plateau, which includes Central Tennessee and Northern Alabama. These regions generally fall under zones 6a-7a. They are a favorite spot for homesteaders since winters are usually mild and offer a significant water source from the Cumberland, Mississippi, and Tennessee Rivers.
You can grow hardy vegetables during the winter months –plants that can survive a freeze and frost. These include Arugula, Broccoli, Brussels Sprouts, Cabbage, Collard, Fava Beans, Garlic, Kale, Kohlrabi, Leek, Onion, Radishes, Rhubarb, Spinach, and Turnips. Hint: radishes offer quick harvests, so you can always have them year-round. You can also grow half-hardy vegetables—plants that survive in a limited time in frost or freezing temperatures (1-2 hrs). These include Beets, Carrots, Cauliflower, Celery, Chard, Chicory, Chinese Cabbage, Endive, Lettuce, Radicchio, and Parsley. You want to provide ample protection for these! We will have future articles on DIY plant protection projects.
Winter is a great time to grow mushrooms if you’re up for the fun and challenge. Since the Southeast is a humid region and the Cumberland Plateau/Appalachian Mountains offer cooler winters, this area provides a great environment to grow mushrooms. Three edible mushrooms to cultivate are wood ears, velvet shank, and one of my favorites, oyster mushrooms. Some mushrooms grow best outside and some indoors. We will dive deeper into the science of growing mushrooms in a future article, so stay tuned!
Believe it or not, there are also hardy flowers that can be grown outside in zones 6 and 7 during the winter. Most of these listed will have blooms as early as February: Crocus, Forsythia, Hardy Cyclamen, Icelandic Poppy, Lentin Rose, Pansy, Reticulated Iris, Snowdrops, Winter Hazel, Winter Honeysuckle, Winter Jasmine, and Wintersweet (Larum).
We have the Piedmont and Coastal Plains if we continue to the south. This subregion makes up the most significant portion of the Southeast. It includes most parts of Georgia, Alabama, The Carolinas, Western Tennessee, and Mississippi. Several rivers also feed it, and it contains wetlands and bogs. The warmer humid climate is excellent for so many plants to be grown in the winter. These regions fall under zones 7b-8b.
The temperatures here are not so different from those mentioned previously, so the same hardy and half-hardy vegetables can be grown outdoors with minimal major maintenance. Note: Georgia is famous for its Vidalia Onions. It is well known that onions can thrive well in the winter in this region! Suppose your particular area gets more moisture and has more rainy days. In that case, you want to minimize watering as too much water in cooler temperatures can result in rotting plants. You may want to consider growing your winter crops in raised beds. If you’re a carnivorous plant lover, the Carolinas are home to many Venus Flytraps and Sundews species. During the winter months, they will be dormant until the springtime.
Winter flowers for zone 8 include Chinese Fringe Flower, Feather Reed Grass, Inkberry Holly, Lenten Roses, Sweet Flag, and Witch Hazel (Jimenez).
The last subregion in the Southeast is the Gulf States Wetlands, which include Florida and the Bayou of Louisiana. This region is a rather tricky area for winter crops due to the crazy weather patterns that the winter may bring, especially in Florida. Florida is much more humid due to the warm, moisturized air from the Gulf of Mexico. There will be times that the temperatures will be in the 70s and 80s, which is suitable for many vegetables, fruits, and other tropical plants. But at times, low-pressure systems develop during the winter, bringing arctic air via cold fronts into Northern and Central Florida.
Because of the general warm temperatures in those areas, you would think it may be a good idea to grow tender crops—plants that are injured during near-freezing temperatures. Tender vegetables include tomatoes, cucumbers, sweetcorn, chilies, peppers, okra, squashes, eggplant, and French runner beans. If you maximize sunlight position, you can grow tender crops in Northern and Central Florida wintertime, no problem. However, unless you’re in South Florida, where temperatures are likely not to fall below the 40s during the winter, you may consider planting in a greenhouse.
If you’re in South Florida, you get to have all the benefits of growing any of the crops listed above, with the addition of including fruit trees! Zones 10 and 11 are great for growing citrus, mango, avocado, and papaya trees. One thing to note, if you’re new to gardening, fruit trees generally take a lot longer to harvest than vegetables. We will explore how to plant, cultivate, and harvest fruits in future articles. Again, suppose you’re interested in the beauty of carnivorous plants. In that case, South Florida is a great spot to grow tropical pitcher plants, such as the Nepenthes, tropical sundews, and the rare bromeliad, Brocchinia reducta.
What can you grow in the winter in the Mid-Atlantic & Northeast
Our next central region includes the majority of the Eastern Seaboard. However, there are many states in this area, including Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine. I have split this area into two major zones to account for most plant hardiness zones. The plant hardiness zones ranges are narrower than the Southeast, covering zones 3a-8a. Moving west from the coast, you get a drastic change in plant hardiness zones. Please read on.
The first sub-region is the Mid-Atlantic Coast. This region is a continuation of the Coastal Plains that begin in Florida. Fed by many rivers and streams, it is very wet and includes a lot of swamps and marshes. The sediment from the water sources provides an enormous advantage for agriculture. Most of this region will fall in the 6b-8a zones. However, keep in mind that although these zones are similar to the zones of the Southeast, the winter brings more stormy weather systems. The Arctic air is much more present, especially if you’re north of Maryland and Delaware. This means more inches of snow that many crops will not handle and generally colder soil temperatures.
Some considerations in this region include sowing indoors in February if you want to grow the following: Artichoke, Arugula, Asparagus, Broccoli, Cabbage, Celery, Eggplant, Endive, Kale, Kohlrabi, Leek, Lettuce, Onions, Peppers, Radicchio, Sorrel, Spinach, and Turnips (Mary’s Heirloom Seeds). Another strategy I will cover more in Part 2 of this series is to utilize minimally heated greenhouses if you want to plant outside. Specialized protection is critical as you move north! It would be a great idea to grow some indoor herbs as well. These include Basil, Chives, Oregano, Parsley, Rosemary, Sage, and Thyme. Herbs are packed with taste and nutrition, and you can harvest them pretty quickly to include in your favorite recipes!
Winter flowers that will make your garden look less lifeless include Winter Aconite, Christmas Rose/Lenton Rose, Winter Jasmine, Winter-Blooming Camellia, and Witch Hazel. Other flowers to consider are Heaths, Primroses, Edgeworthia, Snowdrops, Daffodils, and Crocus (Meadows Farms).
This area is another place to consider growing mushrooms due to the colder temperatures and the humidity from the coastal regions. If you have a basement, this is ideal since mushrooms and other fungi like to grow in darker areas. You can even build your own DIY outdoor freezer to grow mushrooms! More on these types of projects later on in the future.
Moving west and north to the Allegheny Plateau and New England is where the severe winters are. The Allegheny Plateau is a continuation of the previously mentioned Cumberland Plateau. This plateau features a fantastic ecosystem that attracts homesteaders because of the abundant aquifers fed by the Allegheny, Susquehanna, and Delaware Rivers. Spring and Summers are filled with beautiful green hills, mountains, and valleys. The growing season is short due to the positioning of the sun and the brutal winters. The states that fall into this plateau include Pennsylvania and upstate New York. The New England states also feature lots of rolling hills and mountains. They include Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, Vermont, and Maine.
The plant hardiness zones fall between 3a-5b, which means that your lowest temperatures will range from -40º to -10ºF. There is absolutely no way your crops can survive outdoors with this type of weather. Fortunately, winter gardening is not foreign to this area. With careful planning and strategizing, you can grow bountiful crops in frigid weather.
Growing in the Allegheny Plateau and the New England states require ample specialized protection to have a successful crop season through the winter. The best strategy is to grow plants already mentioned in a cold frame. In his book, The Winter Harvest Book, Eliot Coleman says that “growing plants in a cold frame is the equivalent of moving them to a climate one and one-half USDA zones warmer, or about 500 miles to the south here on the East Coast. A cold frame will usually prevent the crops inside from freezing until the outdoor temperature goes below 25°F” (Coleman). Therefore, cold frames are not enough, though. It is important to have double framing. We will cover more about this in Part 2 of this series when we explore winter crops in the Central U.S. states, so stay tuned for that.
If you utilize this protection strategy, you can grow hardy vegetables through the winter with no problem in this region. But another thing to consider is that not all varieties of your spinach or broccoli will withstand the Northeast winter. Click here for a list of recommended varieties of your favorite hardy veggies for winter greenhouses.
I want to emphasize also that time is your friend when it comes to winter gardening under extreme conditions. Generally, to have consistent plant growth throughout the year, there must be at least ten hours of sunlight. If there are extended periods of less than that, either the plant growth will remain slow, or they’ll go dormant until the spring. To take advantage of your plants’ growing capacities, “plants must reach a certain minimum size before day length drops below the ten-hour mark. In other words, to be dependably productive for winter harvesting, crops need to make sufficient growth in the fall” (Coleman). So you want to make sure to sow and grow your hardy plants in the fall to have thriving plants during the winter!
Winter Growing is Challenging
Winter is a fascinating season. There is minimal extra work and maintenance to produce crops if you’re in warmer climates. However, the knowledge, skills, and tools utilized in more extreme environments reveal how nature can press on through difficult times when you provide some assistance. I’ve only scratched the surface of the different plants you can grow and what tools and strategies are essential to consider. We will explore more resources and tools in Part 2 of this series when we look at the Great Lakes, the harsh Midwest, and get a peek at what you can grow in the Rockies. If you or someone you know live in those regions, you don’t want to miss out on our next article!
In the meantime, for more insights on gardening basics and sustainability, explore these helpful resources:
- 6 Best Plants to Grow for Beginners
- Gardening Techniques
- Starting a Garden
- Gardening Basics
- Sustainability in Gardening
- Exploring Homesteading
FAQs
Q1: What vegetables are best suited for winter gardening in the Southeastern U.S.?
- A1: In zones 6a-7a, hardy vegetables like Arugula, Broccoli, and Kale thrive. In slightly warmer zones 7b-8b, you can grow half-hardy vegetables such as Beets, Carrots, and Lettuce.
Q2: Can I cultivate mushrooms in the Southeast during winter?
- A2: Yes, the humid climate of the Southeast, especially in the Cumberland Plateau/Appalachian Mountains, is ideal for cultivating mushrooms like wood ears and oyster mushrooms.
Q3: What are some winter gardening options in the Gulf States Wetlands?
- A3: In this region, tender vegetables like tomatoes and cucumbers do well. Additionally, fruit trees like citrus and avocado are suitable for zones 10 and 11.
Q4: What are some effective strategies for winter gardening in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast?
- A4: Indoor sowing, using minimally heated greenhouses, and cultivating indoor herbs are effective strategies. In colder zones, utilizing cold frames is crucial for protecting crops.
Q5: Are there specific considerations for winter gardening in the Allegheny Plateau and New England?
- A5: Yes, due to the severe winters, it’s important to provide specialized protection like double framing in cold frames and selecting hardy vegetable varieties that can withstand the extreme cold.
Q6: What challenges does winter gardening present?
- A6: Winter gardening varies significantly based on the region. Warmer areas require minimal maintenance, whereas colder regions need innovative strategies and tools to protect and grow crops.
Q7: Can flowers be grown in winter?
- A7: Yes, there are hardy flowers like Crocus, Forsythia, and Winter Jasmine that can be grown in winter, particularly in zones 6 and 7.
Q8: How does day length affect winter gardening?
- A8: Plants require at least ten hours of sunlight for consistent growth. Shorter daylight hours during winter can slow down growth or cause dormancy, making strategic timing for planting in the fall crucial.
Q9: Is winter gardening possible in Florida?
- A9: Absolutely. In Northern and Central Florida, tender crops can be grown, especially if maximizing sunlight. South Florida’s warmer temperatures allow for a wider variety of crops, including tropical fruit trees.
Additional Resources:
(DIY GREENHOUSE) How We Made Our Own Inexpensive Hoop House
What Plant Hardiness Zones DON’T Tell You…
5 Ways to QUICKLY become More Self Sufficient
Soil Map
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