According to some experts, the term winter garden is a misnomer. Winter garden plants mature and are ready to eat when the winter months come around. They’re able to tolerate chilly rains and big drops in temperature.
With the right timing and care, you can cultivate your own winter vegetable garden that will provide delicious produce. Planting should begin mid to late summer or early fall. You can build a cold frame that covers your crops, protecting them against seasonal winds and frost damage while they utilize the sun to grow, and reuse the frames for seed propagation in spring and summer. They can be made from various materials like wood, cement block, fiberglass and more so long as they include a transparent face. There are also hotbeds available that heat your plants from underneath by electric or steam-heated elements. A more natural alternative is fresh manure; it absorbs and retains the heat from the sun for a long time.
For the best garden, figure out what you want to plant, how much time the plants need to grow and how much space is available. Create the right amount of space for your winter garden is by diagramming your existing plot(s) on graph paper.
Some plants like beets, carrots, brussels sprouts and cauliflower take 90 days to mature. Others like leeks, turnips, collards and perennial herbs take 60 days to mature. Chives, bunching onions, broccoli and spinach need only 30 days to mature.