Mrs. David's Garden Seeds®

Grow A Winter Garden In Texas


You can grow a winter garden in Texas or in any warm climate. We have lots of cold hardy seeds that will stand up to mild coolness. Usually, we have a mild enough winter compared to up North so you can grow a lot of vegetables. There are so many root seeds that you can plant in October and Novem ber, even December if you live in the Southern or South Central part of Texas. Keep in mind that over the last four winters we have had some ice and snow that we normally do not get. Even so, we have been able to grow carrots, onions, beets, and turnips through all of the below freezing temperatures.

Grow A Winter Garden In Texas -
Above Ground Vegetables

Broccoli is David's favorite vegetable.Broccoli is David's favorite vegetable.

In your winter garden in Texas, you will want to include root vegetables such as carrots, onions, shallots, bunching or green onions, turnips, radishes, parsnips, beets, kohlrabi, fennel, scorzonera, salsify, rutabaga, parsnip, and leeks. These are all cold hearty vegetables so the occasional frost will not hurt them. Once the roots are growing and established, if you get a week of cold weather, your roots will be fine.

You will also want to think about including arugula, rhubarb, Swiss chard, broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, kale, cabbage, lettuce, collards, various greens, mustard greens, peas, and spinach in your winter garden.

Let's talk about planting your winter garden in Texas. Most years, you are pretty safe to plant things in November and December. Once in a while, we get a hard freeze but most of the time that is in February.

Most peas will do well in the cooler weather but a hard freeze will do them in. Plant them in October just in case we get a freeze in November. This year, the Almanac says we will get our first freeze on November 22 which is pretty early. In fact, I would go ahead and plant the above ground plants this year in October just in case. This includes the following: 

Grow a winter garden and include sugar snap pea vines.Grow a winter garden and include sugar snap pea vines.

If you are fortunate enough to have a greenhouse, plant these things in the greenhouse in pots to protect them from frost. If the temperature gets below 45°, turn on the heaters.

Grow A Winter Garden - Roots

Now, let's talk about root vegetables. Roots should be planted and established before the first freeze. Plant any of the following roots in November and get them growing before the first freeze:

Grow a variety of colored beets.Grow a variety of colored beets.
  • Beets
  • Bunching Onions (Green Onions)
  • Cardoon
  • Carrots 
  • Fennel
  • Kohlrabi
  • Leeks
  • Onions 
  • Parsnips
  • Potatoes (We don't sell seed potatoes but you can make your own.)
  • Radishes
  • Rutabaga
  • Salsify
  • Scorzonera
  • Shallots  
  • Turnips 
Pulling a huge turnip from the garden. When you grow a winter garden in Texas, it should include turnips. Air fry them for a better taste and texture.Pulling a huge turnip from the garden. When you grow a winter garden in Texas, it should include turnips. Air fry them for a better taste and texture.

Because they are established before the first frost, they will do fine underground. Right before the frost, cover them all in about two inches of mulch or hay to protect them this winter. Don't forget to continue to water them if you are not getting much rain during the winter. If temperatures are below freezing, do not water during that time.

Mark the dates you planted each vegetable on the calendar. Also count ahead the number of days that plants should be harvested and mark that on the calendar so you don't leave them in the ground longer than you have to. Pull one up to see if each crop is ready for harvest. If not, leave them in the ground for a few more weeks and try again.

Grow A Winter Garden - Herbs

Rosemary plants that we grew to sell.Rosemary plants that we grew to sell.

Herbs can best be growing in pots during the winter months. Most of them will die if they are outdoors during a frost. If you plant them in pots during the winter, you can move them to the greenhouse, your home, garage, or shed when you know it will be cold overnight. Mine have all been moved to the greenhouse.

  • Basil
  • Calendula
  • Garlic (Garlic can be grown in the winter time as well. Ideally in Texas, you should plant garlic in September or October and then harvest in June or July. Garlic takes 240 days or eight months to grow. Before the first frost, cover the garlic with a two inch layer of mulch or hay to protect it.)
  • Mint (Mint is best grown in a container because wherever you plant it, it will take over the space.)
  • Oregano
  • Parsley
  • Rosemary
  • Savory -- (Winter Savory only)
  • Thyme

Grow A Winter Garden - Flowers

This is ornamental Kale Crane Red.This is ornamental Kale Crane Red. You don't want to eat it.

What about flowers planted in a winter garden in Texas? We plant them every year in October and November. The zinnias will last until the first freeze so we usually allow them to die back but sometimes, we will pull them out early after cutting the heads off of them where the seeds are. We collect the seeds in a bucket for next year.

Grow a winter garden of flowers in Texas. Plant the following:

  • Ornamental Kale Crane (Ornamental kale is edible and nutritious but it does not have a good flavor. Do not eat the roots of any kale. They are all poisonous.) 
  • Pansies
  • Petunias
  • Scabiosa
  • Snapdragons
  • Violas

Return from Grow A Winter Garden In Texas to Grow A Fall Garden

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