Challenges of Growing Produce in the Winter

There are real challenges in bringing fresh vegetables to our tables during the wintertime. Excessively cloudy, rainy, and freezing conditions are less than ideal for most crops, including winter crops. While covering with row cover and plastic keep plants from dying, tough weather conditions keep them from thriving. When conditions are favorable, winter crops can make good growth, though slower than spring and summer plantings.

The time when daylight is shorter than 10 hours a day, not much plant growth occurs and plants exist in a semi-hibernation state. In this area this time stretches from late November to mid January and are referred to as the Persephone days. For growing winter crops, these dates are more important than frost dates. The trick is getting plants to a good stage of growth before the days of deep winter set in. The winter basically prolongs the harvest season, not the growing season.

Cold temperatures can actually be a blessing for the taste of winter crops, as it seems to sweeten and crisp up many vegetables. Lettuce, spinach, and other winter crops may not make huge growth during the cold months, but their quality seems improved and maintained.

A few growers in this area are experimenting with growing winter crops for sale. Consumer patience is needed, while it takes trial and error to learn what will work in this area, the quality of the produce can be fantastic. Be sure to support their efforts through Cape Locally Grown while they work to create a sustainable winter food system.