8 winter garden greens
The cold weather salad bar is open.
Freshly sliced greens may not look like mid-winter, but if your USDA hardiness zone is 6b or higher, mace, pea shoots, fava bean leaves, and mustard will be on your holiday plate. For a small investment per pocket, you have greatly reduced your salad shopping bill and are content to produce your daily bowl at home.
Above: I started growing mí the (also known as corn salad and lamb lettuce) because its soft and easily wound rosettes could not be found in the markets. she is a real winter crop. While many sources point out that this is easy to grow, there is a trick (they do not mention): seeds do not germinate if the temperature is above 70 degrees Fahrenheit. After the overnight temperature drops below 50 degrees Fahrenheit, it is time to harvest in mid-winter or spring.
Giant red mustard
Above: Giant red mustard nipple, one of the cold-hardened broccoli thrives in the weather and welcomes the addition of pepper to mixed salads. Larger leaves form better leaf wraps. (And planted alone in a perennial bed, the leaves are really huge and very striking.)
Arugula
Spicy arugula is a staple in my daily salads. After moving from a container garden in Harlem to a garden in Brooklyn, I was glad to see that they thrive without direct sunlight. In fact, they work better than the arugula I grew in full sun. In late summer, plant with continuous sowing until frost.
Fava Greens
Above: Fava greens are an early spring crop for planting, so why not turn them into the last crop of the cooling year? Fava greens push the shoots out as fast as you can for salads and fries. They can take more shade and turn them into a versatile crop.
Pea shoots
Above: Peas work well in containers and on the ground. If you plant them in late fall, they will not form pods, but you can appreciate their beautiful, sugary snap-flavored shoots.
Baby Kale
Above: Sweet kale leaves taste good after a mild frost and are hard enough to withstand the dust of the snow. Their texture holds packaged salads and works beautifully with sliced apples and pears. Plant dwarf varieties in containers and small spaces and for pre-harvest.
Fenugreek
Above: I planted my first dill section from store-bought spices in late summer. The seeds all germinated quickly. Although not a regular winter climate crop, greens can be collected when the temperature is above freezing. Pulses are common in India (also known as methi) and in the Middle East but are not widely used in the states. Fresh leaves can be green or withered (and a favorite of parathas). Their roots adjust the nitrogen in the soil (a nice bonus). Look for seeds in Middle Eastern or Indian grocery stores and soak them before sowing.
Winter Cress
Above: Here is a plant you noticed growing in the woods in cold weather. Winter grass (also known as upland grass and grease greens) loves cooling as its name implies. Planted in early autumn, it can be harvested before the last frost of winter. The leaves taste like mustard and develop a high chewiness with cool temperatures. Their warmth in a salad compensates for the tropical sweetness of winter mangoes. Leaving the bolt, its beautiful yellow flowers on the delicate stems are delicious.
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