* Brunswick cabbage– I’ve had this cabbage it last till mid January in our 6b zone with very little damage. Just don’t try to grow it as a warm season crop since it bolts very quickly. North Pole– This lettuce variety is said to survive down to 5✯. It has beautiful red color that gets more intense with cold. * Rouge D’Hiver– This is a red romaine that is as cold tolerant as Winter Density Lettuce. I’ve have it last down to 15 degrees before showing any signs of giving up to frost. * Winter density lettuce-As mentioned above this is a personal favorite of mine. *Star is for varieties I’ve grown in my own garden before and love. If you have some favorites you’ve tried that aren’t on my list, leave a comment, I’d love to hear about it. Below is a list of some favorites of mine, as well as some I’ve haven’t tried but are raved about to be better in the cold. I was in awe.Įver since, I’ve been on the hunt for varieties that do better than their counterparts in the cold. Winter density lettuce thrived when all my other lettuce turned into yellow mush at 26 degrees. My first experience with the marvel of specific crops bred for cold tolerance was winter density lettuce. The loophole that I’m referring to is specific varieties within crop families that are bred to be cold tolerant. No, it’s not a greenhouse, or a low tunnel, though those definitely extend the season. There is a loophole of sorts that will allow you to have certain varieties that should really be dead after reaching a certain temperature to continue on living. There is one really cool and really important thing to note here. These are general numbers and individual crop temperature kills can vary based on location. Frost kills the tops but the roots are still good. Crops that can take hard frosts include kale, cabbage, brussel sprouts, spinach, parsnips, carrots, mache, and claytonia. These would be crops that can several frosts and survive down to 20º and below. Next is very cold and winter hardy crops. Crops that can handle light frosts include lettuce, swiss chard, arugula, radishes, beets, chinese cabbage, collards, cauliflower, celery, turnips, and green onions. Light frosts would be in the 28-32✯ range. It covers such a wide range of temperature that they are usually put into two different groups, semi cold hardy which can take light frosts and cold hardy which can survive to 20✯ and below.įirst let’s talk about the crops that can take several light frosts. When I talk about crops that can handle the cold, they are usually grouped together and labeled Cold-Hardy or Cold-Tolerant vegetables.Ĭold Hardy vegetables can be killed anywhere from 30✯ all the way down to -5✯ and possibly lower. These crops need to be able to handle frost and lower temperatures. As a year-round gardener, I grow many vegetable crops in the garden to feed us in fall and winter.
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