Sitting in soil, planting fruits and vegetables, and enjoying the fruit of your labor is therapeutic. Whether it’s a sunny day or a breezy, fall day, it’s relaxing to enjoy putting your hands in the soil. But once the temperature gets frigid and straw hats are replaced with winter coats, winter gardening is not as fun to sit around in. However, there are some winter plants that are a bonus for Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner tables regardless of the frigid temperatures. They grow as well (or better) in the winter, and some may cut your grocery list in half. These eight plants are ideal for a winter garden.

Sweet Potato Slips

The good news is you can grow sweet potato slips inside of your home, wait a few weeks and then go outside to plant the slices. Both white potatoes and sweet potatoes do well as winter plants, as long as you give them some space from each other so neither soaks up all the moisture from snow. If grown as a houseplant with the intention of taking them outside, make sure the soil is at least 60 degrees even in the winter. (Spring may be better, depending on how rough winter is for your area.)

White Potatoes

To grow white potatoes, gardeners cut seed potatoes and spread them apart in a pot that’s at least 1 foot deep and wide. Fill the bottom of the container with garden soil (or plant the potatoes outside). Place one to three tubers in the pot, then cover with approximately 6 inches of compost or soil. Because they need consistent moisture, snow may do the trick. If it’s a dry winter, water one to two times per week. Small potatoes should be ready in 60-70 days and perfect timing for spring, especially considering they should be consumed within six weeks of being pulled. As long as they’re grown in soil that’s at least 40 degrees Fahrenheit, January plants are just fine.

Garlic

Save yourself some money in the seasoning aisle, especially if you’re a big fan of Italian food. Good to plant between October and December, choose four to six weeks before the ground freezes. Also, skip wet, clay soil because garlic may rot inside of it. With the paper covering still intact, break up the garlic heads into their own cloves and up to 4 inches deep. (Make sure the pointy end is facing upward. Mix in compost or organic fertilizer, if possible. Avoid overwatering or underwatering; once per week is enough. Although birds should be flying south for the winter, for northerners who are still seeing birds stick around, cover the garlic with cloches.

Onions

Skip the dried onions in the grocery store aisle, and grow your own in the fall to be ready from January to March. Plant seeds or small bulbs in a sunny area of your winter garden with well-drained soil. Generally, the yield for onions is bigger in the fall than the spring. Either way, onions need full sun, whether they’re planted in the ground or in containers. In your winter garden, space onion bulbs 4-6 inches apart and 2-4 inches deep. Cover them with about one-half inch of mulch. As they rise and grow, add about a 4-inch layer of mulch to protect them from weeds. A row cover, polytunnel, cold frame or snow cover is also a protection option. They should be ready within 90-100 days.

Parsley

It’s not always the first thing you think of on the menu, except to decorate your plate, but parsley is rich in antioxidants and vitamins A, K and C. It also helps to steady blood sugar. Grown between December and May, it works out best in moist, well-drained soil and compost. If grown inside, put the container near a sunny window. If it’s outside, put parsley in a full-sun area during the winter season. If you’re using parsley seeds, spread the plants out about 9 inches apart. The top inch of soil should stay moist. When it grows in 45-130 days, it should be watered with 1-2 inches per week. Cut the stems at the base, and parsley will continue to regrow and look bushier.

Radishes

This is another one of those underrated winter garden plants, and it’s rich in vitamin C and minerals like calcium and potassium. Even better, it can be grown all year round. Loosen soil approximately six inches deep, and make sure to remove any rocks, clumps or debris. Avoid nitrogen-heavy fertilizers, but don’t be stingy with the compost. Sow seeds approximately one-half to 1-inch deep, 1-2 inches apart and in rows that are approximately 12 inches apart. When the seeds develop and grow, thin the seedlings to 1-3 inches apart in that same row. Water regularly for good growth. They should be ready in three to five weeks.

Spinach

From August to February, get ready to plant this cool-season vegetable six to eight weeks before the first frost. Sunny, fertile, well-drained soil is best. Use compost or organic matter in the soil, and plant spinach seeds one-half inch deep, 2-3 inches apart in rows that are 12 inches apart. Or, use a nutrient-rich potting mix indoors. Because of its short roots, you will probably end up watering it every day (or every other day) to keep its soil moist. If the ground freezes before the plants mature, add hay until the temperatures warm again in the spring. 

Lettuce

Growing lettuce can be touch-and-go. It tastes bitter if grown in hot weather and freezes in extreme cold. This is one of those Goldilocks plants. For a winter that doesn’t get too much colder than 45 degrees, it’ll be fine. Sow lettuce seeds outdoors in early August, then cover them with cloches from late September. Space lettuce plants 6-18 inches apart in an area with plenty of sun and fertile, well-drained soil. Keep moisture levels consistent by watering whenever the top inch of soil is dry, and add a thick layer of mulch to prevent weeds. In four to six weeks, leaf lettuce should be ready (and 5-6 inches tall), romaine lettuce is ready (6-8 inches tall) and crisphead lettuce is ready when the leaves overlap.

Which Winter Garden Plants To Grow First

For all eight of the winter garden plants above, some must be seeded earlier than others. A few do well inside, even during the winter months, as long as there’s sun. And a few more are just fine hanging outside. If you’re not sure what kind of winter you’re going to have, you may want to start with the plants you know can fight their way through frosty temperatures (ex. spinach and onions) versus those who really depend on a sunny area. Watch the weather carefully, including reviewing the almanac, to avoid a waste of seeds or bulbs. Then plant away, and enjoy your produce.