Cold Weather/ Low Light (Shade) Vegetables

While discussing TOTM March 2016, there was a discussion of growing vegetables in a greenhouse post volcanic eruption. I think if society collapsed one would also benefit from knowing what the hardiest vegetables are. Just from my own gardening experiences I know that even with intense heat, lack of moisture, and short growing periods some vegetable produce better than others. I started researching low light vegetables and noticed that the list was very similar to the cold weather vegetables. I decided these seeds are the ones I should stock. Plus I need the correct varieties for my area, learn to harvest seeds and re-grow from the seeds I harvest. Looking at the lists I realized these are some of the healthier vegetables. Tolerant, hardy and healthy why not perfect growing these vegetables and herbs?

Cold Season/ Cold Weather Crops

Arugula (rocket)
Beets
Broccoli
Brussels sprouts
Cabbage
Collards
Carrots
Cauliflower
Chard
Fennel
Kale
Kohlrabi
Lettuce
Mustard greens
Onions (bulbing)
Onions (bunching--standard onions harvested before they form bulbs).
Bok choy
Peas
Potatoes
Radishes
Spinach
Coriander (cilantro)
Cool-season crops

Low Light/ Shade Tolerant/ Indoor Growing

Salad Greens, such as leaf lettuce, arugula, endive, and cress.
Broccoli
Carrots
Cauliflower
Peas
Beets
Brussels Sprouts
Radishes
Swiss Chard
Leafy Greens, such as collards, mustard greens, spinach, and kale
Beans

Mint seems to need to least light of all the herbs. When choosing seeds for lettuce, one should focus on the lettuces you find in mesclun mix, which consists of: chervil, arugula, leafy lettuces and endive. Mesclun mix green grow with the least light, like mint.

Also mushrooms, not a vegetable or herb, mushrooms love dark and damp so this can be a consideration

 

nice list!

 

Good list and there is several good books on cold climate gardening that really are worth reading. Coleman in Maine has some. I have found, but not exploited it yet, that an unheated greenhouse is a good way to "store" food for the winter. There are several plants in that list that may not grow much in cold or low light conditions, but keep well and if allowed to thaw out, are good all winter. Some are plants that go to seed in their second year and are good tasting until they start growing in the second year.Just pulled last years kale, green and an excellent flavoring even if to tough to eat as a green. Carrots, onions, beets, still good in soil, mulched with leaves, and a lot of herbs starting to green up now. They are often usable even when dormant.

 

Beets are a good late season draw for deer as well. Lots of hunters who set food plots, will do Beets and winter wheat, all the way into snow.
And if I remember correctly, Beets return nitrogen to the soil, So could be rotated with corn or other high nitrogen loving plants.

 

@Motomom34 good subject ,small remark you say "Plus I need the correct varieties for my area" the climate can/will change, so storing more varieties for other climates is wise. And the year with no summer prove we need to have very low light varieties .

 

Just remember to keep your mint plants in smaller containers, and out of your garden or above ground box. I learned that lesson a bit too late, and now have a 4x8 box with mint popping up all over the place!

It is, however, good for pest control in the garden....so I'm selectively pulling it up, where I need to plant other items, and leaving the rest to deter the various pests.

 

http://www.homesteadandgardens.com/list-nitrogen-fixing-plants/

list of lists - sorted by climate.

 

Thanks for the list.

 

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