8 Greens Can be Grown In a Pot Through The Winter
Cold weather doesn’t mean you have to give up your fresh garden produce. On the contrary, winter gardeners do not have to fight summer’s bugs and plant diseases. Winter greens are great crops that will continue to supply fresh vegetables in cold weather. Not only are they easy to grow, but they can also be harvested a leaf at a time to add to your winter meals. The main difficulty in planting green leaves in winter is less light and low temperature. If you live in a colder area, you may need to protect your plants from the cold while ensuring they still get enough sunlight. You can grow your greens in pots on a south-facing windowsill. All the greens listed below can be successfully grown in a pot through the winter.
#8 Greens You Can Grow All Winter:
- Pea Greens
- Mache
- Land Cress
- Mizuna
- Sorrel
- Salad Burnet
- Agretti
- Fennel
#What You’ll Need To Grow Winter Greens:
- High-quality potting soil
- Containers (these could be planters and pots, or even empty cans and jars)
- Seeds
- A sunny spot (If you have a south-facing window, then the area near that window will be the warmest spot in your home, so that’s where you’ll want to grow your winter greens.)
#1. Pea Greens
Austrian winter pea greens are easy to grow and are particularly resistant to cold temperatures. In winter, due to less light, the pea plant won’t produce peas but you can still enjoy the pea flavor of shoots and tendrils. The greens taste like sweet sugar snap peas, but have the texture of lettuce. via iamcountryside.com and growjourney.com
#2. Mache
Mache, known as corn salad, is a tender salad green. It is a cool-weather crop, and in the zone, 9b doesn’t need winter protection. There are two basic varieties – large-seeded and small-seeded. Small-seeded varieties are better suited to cold temperatures. via savvygardening.com and farmtheworld.org
#3. Land Cress
Land Cress is a very hardy perennial. It is a rich leafy green and herb that is a great source of many vitamins and minerals. Land Cress is easy to grow and has delicious, peppery leaves to add to a mixed salad. Land cress is like watercress, similar leaves, and similar flavor, but it grows in the soil like other salad vegetables and not in water. via granthamgarden.org and gardeningknowhow.com
#4. Mizuna
Mizuna is an Asian mustard green well suited for salads or salad mixes such as mesclun. Its best feature is that it grows all by itself through the winter cold. Mizuna can also be grown in pots on a window sill, in trays to use as micro-greens. via harvesttotable.com and stuff.co.nz
#5. Sorrel
Sorrel is a cool-season perennial and has a fresh, lemony taste that complements salads and can be made into a creamy soup. It is a robust and persistent sort that grows like a weed. Once established in your garden, sorrel is a hardy plant that requires little care apart from watering and weeding. via wikihow.com and thisnzlife.co.nz
#6. Salad Burnet
Salad Burnet is an attractive plant that is at home in a border, in the herb garden, or on the windowsill. It is another perennial green, and the leaves have a hint of melon along with cucumber. Salad burnet is easy to grow and makes a useful addition to the herb garden or perennial bed. If your winters are mild, the salad burnet will grow right through the winter. via capegazette.com
#7. Agretti
Agretti is a long, annual herb that looks like chives, also called Saltwort or Toscano. It has a salty and bitter-like taste and is most often used fresh in salads with garlic and olive oil. Agretti has ability to grow in salty soils where other plants wouldn’t be able to grow at all. Image Source: sweetapricots.com via plantinstructions.com and theunconventionalgardener.com
#8. Fennel
‘Grosfruchtiger’ is a non-bulbing type of fennel grown for it’s sweet and tender leaves or greens. Leaves are a nice addition to salads, coleslaw, and dressings.
