Cold season harvest: Essential vegetables to expect this winter

The cooler days leading into winter make working in the garden a pleasure as you harvest a few last-minute veggies. The key to harvesting in winter is choosing cool-season veggie crops and choosing the correct time to harvest them.

Harvesting in winter is possible even if you live in an area with below-freezing winter temperatures. Knowing when to harvest these veggies is key to getting the best flavours of your produce.

Harvesting your cool-weather vegetables

Broccoli

When you see a head beginning to form in the centre of your broccoli, check its growth every day, as harvesting might be coming soon. It is best that you harvest broccoli while the tiny buds are still tightly closed. The harvesting time for broccoli depends on several factors, including weather, location and the climate region you are in. The maturity rate can be anywhere around late June, which is mid-winter.

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Cauliflower

When growing cauliflowers in your garden, be sure to check their growing rate as they approach maturity. The head of the plant needs to be small and compact for you to start harvesting it. However, if the head begins to open up, cut it from the plant at the base of the head, no matter how small it is, because it will only get looser and lose its characteristic texture. When deciding on growing cauliflower, be aware of the challenges it is sensitive to temperature fluctuations.

Lettuce

Lettuce is one of the easiest cool-season vegetables to grow and harvest. The leaves can be picked at any size, and they tend to be sweetest when harvested in cooler weather. To harvest, simply break off the outer leaves one at a time. Growing lettuce is straightforward, and harvesting it is even easier.

Beets

Harvesting beets can be done seven to eight weeks after the initial planting. When the beets have reached the desired size, all you need to do is gently dig them up from the soil. The beet greens can also be harvested. Harvest these while the beet is still young and the root is small.