Varieties bearing the Winter Garden tag have successfully overwintered in at our location near Sweet Home, Oregon – USDA Zone 8b, with average winter lows between 15-20˚F. We often use row cover for protection when temperatures are forecast to be below 25˚F, but have found many varieties are hardy down to at least 20˚F with no protection.
Please note that inclusion here is not a guarantee of success with overwintering! Many factors, including plant size, the presence of snow or other insulation, and gradually decreasing temps vs. an abrupt cold snap, to name a few, contribute to a plant’s winter hardiness. Varieties that do well some years may not survive others.
Most varieties listed here are planted and grown to maturity (or near maturity) during the main garden season and harvested during the winter months.
For more information about winter gardening, check out The Big Willamette Winter Gardening Chart. This is a compilation of notes on fall, mid-winter and overwintering crops made in collaboration with our good friend Nick Routledge. It includes lists of crop types, sow dates, hardiness, approximate harvest times, and notes on varieties gathered through years of experience. Even if you don’t live in the Willamette Valley, this info is sure to help any winter gardener where lows are above 10-15˚F.
Spinacia oleracea. 45 days. Giant winter type, perfect for spring, autumn and overwinter cultivation, but not summer. With a particularly aromatic flavor, its best suited use is raw, although it is also good cooked. We are always impressed with Verdil’s winter hardiness. The plants can stand in the freezing mud all winter and somehow not…
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Brassica carinata. A selection of Abyssinian mustard. Excellent flavor with some garlic overtones. One of Andrew’s favorite salad greens, especially in early winter, though Sarah likes it more for braising. Dark green, oval leaves with slightly irregular edges average 4-7” long. May size up enough for bunching, but does not get as big as other…
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Brassica rapa. 70 days. This is our hardiest turnip bred specifically for Oregon winters. Salvaged from the less than 5% of the surviving turnips from a population of Dr. Alan Kapuler’s Six Root Grex Turnip. The rest of the population died after a hard 8°F frost at Aprovecho Research Center in Cottage Grove, Oregon. The…
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Brassica rapa. 30 days. Salad type turnip that is delicate yet crunchy with a distinct sweetness unlike other turnips. Very quick to mature, best grown in spring or fall. White, slightly flattened globe-shaped roots grow to 3″ but we prefer to harvest and eat them at 2.” Tokyo Market turnips are delicious raw in salads,…
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Brassica rapa. 75 days. Beautiful creamy golden colored turnips. Flesh is the same color as the outside. Slightly flattened globes have mild radish-like flavor and are very winter hardy. Best sown early spring or fall. A very old heritage variety best used in sauerkrauts, stews and roasting. Seed originally from an Austrian Biodynamic CSA and…
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Triticum aestivum. Red Winter. Moderately tall, winter type bread wheat that has a semi-hard, golden orange grain. Even though it lacks the high protein of modern reds, it is a great variety for making bread and we consider it to also be a good all-purpose flour. Very productive and tall enough to organically choke out…
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Brassica rapa. 25 days baby, 45 days full. This dark green spoon-leafed Asian green is very similar to Tatsoi but with larger leaves and more savoyed texture. Yukina Savoy is one of the best mild mustards out there, as it works well as both a salad green when small, and sauté green when larger. Stems…
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