Winter Gardening in Tennessee: Ideas and Tips for Cool-Season Growing

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Hands harvesting winter greens in a winter garden in Tennessee

Photo credit: Karen Pulfer Focht

For hardcore gardeners, sometimes winter can be a little sad. Yes, it is a great time to plan for next summer’s garden and rest, but for people who really love to dig in the dirt, the absence of opportunities to garden can be a drag. Fortunately, one of the great pleasures of the Tennessee growing climate is that the garden doesn’t have to go completely dormant even when the days get shorter.

There are root vegetables and leafy greens that feed folks in the winter, meaning they feed their stomachs and feed the part of their soul that yearns to garden.

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See more: Winter Gardening Tips for Spring Blooms

Just like gardening in any other season, a winter crop starts with a clean slate. As autumn crops are dying off, clean out those beds. Pull out the plants that are done producing. Then remove dead leaves, weeds and twigs that may have accumulated as the seasons changed. Fertilize and amend soil before it gets too cold.

Most plants will need a row tunnel or cold frame to protect them from frost. Some crops like Brussels sprouts don’t need cold frames. They can be exposed to the elements. Kale and spinach are the hardiest of the leafy greens, but lettuces, mustard greens and Swiss chard may also tolerate some winter weather when protected from ice and snow. As always, your growing zone matters, and not all Tennessee climates are the same. A gardener in Memphis is going to have more flexibility in extending the autumn season into winter than a gardener in the Smoky Mountains.

Depending on location, consider the following for your protected winter vegetable patch: beets, cabbage, carrots, endive, kohlrabi, leeks, radishes, scallions and snap peas. Remember that leafy vegetables, like lettuce, kale and spinach, can be harvested when they are small, so if a bad storm is coming, you can go nab what’s sprouted and use it in a salad. In winter, it’s better to pick a vegetable too small.

See more: Winter Garden To-Do List

Constructing Cold Frames

No matter how well you select and plant winter-hardy crops, you need to put them in an environment that positions them for success, including some sort of covering that protects them from snow and ice. Consider building row tunnel covers or cold frames, which are structures with a transparent roof to let in light and keep soil warm. Plans for different cold frames are available online, but it is pretty easy to construct one out of what you have around, such as scrap wood and PVC pipe, old windows, shower doors or clear plastic.

If you only have time and space for a few plants in your winter garden, you can use plastic milk or water jugs as protection, with one over each seedling.

Back to Basics

Don’t forget the basics, as winter gardening is like gardening the rest of the year. Don’t let the soil dry out. If you’re using plastic as your covering, be careful not to let plants in direct sunlight burn. Water appropriately when it doesn’t rain and don’t skip the mulch. Mulching is crucial year-round, and in winter it can help keep soil warm and moist. Consider a darker mulch than you use in summer, as the dark color will absorb more sunlight and warm the soil.

About the author: Margaret Littman is a freelance writer and a Master Gardener of Davidson County. For more free advice on gardening in the Volunteer State, check with the UT Extension office in your county.

1 Comment

  1. Diane Hinkle says:

    I live in Blount County, TN. A few years back, all the farm land around here turned bright yellow. The farmers had planted mustard greens, I was told. I guess they were also a cover crop. Everyone from near and far was coming to these vast patches of color to make pictures. It was beautiful. However, Mother Nature sent a terrible hail storm our way, and when it was over and done with, there was not a bloom left anywhere. My thought was that the farmers had suffered an expensive loss. But, if this was just a cover crop, maybe not!

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