13 Cold-Hardy Vegetables for Your Fall and Winter Garden

If you think winter gardening involves months of eating kale, think again. There are plenty of vegetables that can survive a freeze in zones 6 or below, and even improve after multiple frosts.

Here are 12 of the most cold-hardy crops that need little to no protection in winter, even down to sub-freezing temperatures.

Plant them in late summer to fall for harvests all winter long!

01.

Chard

Swiss chard is often grown in summer gardens because it has great drought tolerance, but it’s that same trait that makes it remarkably tolerant to cold as well.

02.

Salad burnet

This low-mounding, fern-like green is one of my favorite salad crops in winter because the plants can survive dips down to 0°F, despite their delicate appearance. It’s also a perennial that thrives in zones 4 through 10.

03.

Sorrel

This leafy green is even more freeze-resistant than salad burnet (it can tolerate temps as low as -20°F) but is adaptable to most climates, as long as it isn’t too hot. The plant is rich in oxalic acid, which gives it a light, tangy taste.

04.

Leeks

If you plant garlic in fall, you know that garlic leaves are very resilient to freezing weather. Leeks are a close cousin in the allium family and can also withstand some pretty frigid temps.

05.

Carrots

Like all root vegetables, carrots crave chilly weather and accumulate more sugars in response to cold. These sugars act as a natural “antifreeze” to protect the plant from freeze damage.

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