Winter is one of my favourite growing seasons and it was the first season I started growing a food garden.
The days are endlessly clear skied, there is that cold nip in the mornings that really makes you feel alive but by midday in the sun it is generally very warm if not hot, and there is something quite magical about that winter light.
Since the Lowveld is one of only two other places in the country where frost is not an issue, it’s not about what you can grow in the winter, but what you should.
While the rest of the country waits for the threat of frost to pass before tomatoes are planted out, here in the Lowveld, you can grow flavourful tomatoes throughout June, July, and August. While others have to just day dream about paprika and other peppers, if you put the plant in full sun, you’ll get a small harvest. And the cooler weather is just wonderful for growing crunchy cucumbers!
Now that winter is knocking eagerly at our doors again, and while it is still warm enough to take advantage of the weather to get your seedlings on the move, I am going to list my favourite winter crops and my experience with them.
Broccoli
Have you noticed how in summer the price for a head of broccoli goes up, but in winter it comes down? That’s because broccoli is a seasonal vegetable. And if you were to eat seasonally exclusively, broccoli would only be available during the winter.
Broccoli plants are great for growing in winter because they actually benefit from the cold. They tend to get a lot more flavour from the colder weather and since we don’t get frost, at least we don’t get a hard frost, they don’t run the risk of being damaged and going mush.
There is another benefit to enjoy when growing broccoli in the winter and that is less pest pressure. If you have ever grown broccoli in the summer, you know just how impossible it is to keep aphids off a summer crop. But aphids don’t like the cold so by growing broccoli during the winter, you will get a bigger, healthier crop with no pest damage.
Plant seeds when the weather starts to get cooler, around mid March or into April. You can continue to sow all through winter.
Tomatoes
I love to grow tomatoes and some of my best and biggest harvests have come from winter grown plants. The key is to give them all the sun they could want and to only water them once or twice a week. Tomatoes perform better when put under a little stress, but in summer, the heat and heavy rains can prove too stressful for the plants. In winter, since we don’t get freezing cold in the Lowveld, the tomatoes are in their element.
The lack of rain is also a plus, because along with the heat, the heavy watering can also put the plant under far too much stress, and it often leads to split fruits. In the summer, they can also be more susceptible to blight and red mite infestation.
You have none of these problems with a winter tomato.
Plant tomato seeds around the end of March and into April, and then succession plant, every 6 or so weeks, if you have enough space to do so.
Cauliflower
I struggled to grow cauliflower, but it is definitely a good winter crop for us Lowvelders. I think my problem was that I planted my cauliflower too late in the season, and by the time the heads were forming, it was already getting warmer so the plants almost bolted.
When planting cauliflower, you might find that the heads go yellow, it’s a sun thing, but it will still taste good. To minimize the yellowing, I tried the technique of tying the upper leaves around the head to protect it from the sun, but in my case, the damage was already done.
I suggest starting your cauliflower at the same time or sooner than your broccoli, around the start of March.
Peas
A simple and easy thing to grow, and a lovely treat to snack on or put in stews, peas are best grown in the winter. Most of the peas I grow don’t even make it into the house, they are simply too delicious to leave alone long enough to use in a meal.
If you grow the peas during a hot season, which in our case is spring, summer and early autumn, your pea plants could end up quite literally drying out.
Oregon Sugar Snaps and your average Green Feast Pea thrives in our winters, just give them enough space to climb. I planted mine along the garden fence.
Along with the peas giving you a delicious harvest all through winter, their blooms are absolutely beautiful too!
Direct plant pea seeds around the end of April, or when it starts getting colder. You can also start your peas and then plant them out, just don’t disturb the roots too much.
Carrots and Beets
Root veg are the ultimate winter crop.
And personally, for me, nothing quite says autumn is here and winter is coming then planting some carrot seeds and seeing those first dainty green shoots pushing through the earth on a pleasantly cool autumn morning in April.
Garden carrots are so different to the store bought kind. They are so full of flavour and they can be grown in between other plants provided you give them a head start so that they won’t be covered by the leaves of their companions.
Direct plant carrot seeds in mid-April, making sure you keep them moist. They keep well in the winter ground, so you don’t have to pull the entire crop at once.
Swiss Chard
Summer time Swiss Chard gets devoured by bugs. And not only do they suffer from a lot of pest pressure, but they just don’t have the best time in the heat. Swiss Chard is a winter crop in our corner of the world, although you can certainly grow it in summer under the right conditions.
I like to grow my Chard plants quite close to one another, and then I harvest as I need it, giving the plant time to regain its strength and grow new leaves between harvests.
As spring starts returning, I harvest everything, cut the plant down to the base, and either let it die or pull it. I blanche and freeze the leaves, so that we can use them throughout the summer.
Plant Swiss Chard seeds at the end of February, and into March and April for a healthy winter crop.
Always remember that the best way, the only way in fact, that you will ever find out what really works for your unique micro climate is to experiment and have fun.
All good gardeners often end up killing more seeds and plants than they harvest, so don’t be afraid to make the mistakes and to learn from them.
I wish you a happy, and abundant winter crop!
