CHARLOTTE, N.C. — This article involves commercial content. The products and services featured appear as paid advertising.
Here are some veggies that thrive in the cooler weather, that you can plant right now:
- Lettuce
- One of the most giving vegetables you can plant
- Plant a blend of different lettuce types for variety (romaine, red leaf, etc)
- Lettuce roots are shallow – easy to grow in containers (shallow bowls)
- To harvest, snip or pick outer leaves so the centers will keep growing
- Spinach
- Prefers full sun but is one of the few vegetables that can tolerate partial sun
- Another shallow-root veggie, so you can grow in containers
- Harvest sooner as smaller leaves (will get bitter as it matures). Pick outer leaves to give the inner leaves more time to grow (extends harvest)
- Kale
- Hardy, can tolerate some cold and frost
- Harvest when the leaves are about the size of your hand. Choose smaller, tender leaves for salads; larger leaves for cooking
- Ornamental varieties are not tasty, so don’t eat them, but they add great texture to garden beds
- Cabbage
- Heavy feeder – needs regular fertilization
- Avoid growing alongside broccoli & cauliflower (can deplete soil nutrients faster because they’re all heavy feeders)
- Harvest when the cabbage head is nice and firm.
- Ornamental varieties available for flower gardens and containers (not tasty, so don’t eat them)
- Broccoli
- Keep it evenly watered; Avoid watering the heads, only water the soil
- Needs regular fertilization as well
- Harvest with buds of the head are firm and tight; cut the stem at an angle. Plant will continue to give side shoots for additional harvesting well into fall
- Cauliflower
- Keep consistently watered
- Grows a bit slower, so be patient
- Harvest when heads are 6 to 8 inches in diameter and are firm, white and tight
- Onions
- Planted as bulbs, choose from white, yellow or red onion bulbs in a variety of sizes
- Heavy feeder – needs regular fertilization to produce big bulbs
- Harvest immature onions as scallions. For mature onions, wait until the tops yellow & start to fall over
- Herbs – many do well in cool weather, too
- Parsley
- Thyme
- Oregano
- Sage
- Rosemary
- Chives
Planting Tips
- You don’t need a large space to grow cool season veggies & herbs --- you can even grow them in a pot
- However, you do need an outdoor area that receives 6+ hours of sunlight
- When planting in the ground use a rich, organic planting mix like Black Gold Planting mix – this helps breakup our dense clay soil while adding in organic compost so roots can more easily establish & provide proper drainage
- When planting in a pot or container, make sure it has a hole in the bottom for drainage and use Black Gold Potting Soil – it's specially formulated for the unique needs of potted containers
- Be sure to add in Dr. Earth Root Zone when planting to give your new transplants needed nutrients to prevent transplant shock
- Keep your cool season veggies watered – twice a week depenidng on the weather & get ready to enjoy your harvest
For more advice on growing cool season crops like these, go to PikeNursey.com.
Charlotte Today is a local lifestyle and entertainment show where you'll learn everything about the Queen City with hosts Mia Atkins and Eugene Robinson on WCNC Charlotte live weekdays at 11 a.m.
From what’s trending to local restaurants, events and entertainment, you’ll find it all on this show.
Charlotte Today also features sponsored content by local and national businesses. Are you a business interested in advertising with us? Go to WCNC.com/advertise or call now (214) 977-6001
If you have a question for the Charlotte Today team, feel free to email them at charlottetoday@wcnc.com