Winter Vegetables To Grow In Southern California
Some of the winter vegetables I grew in my backyard including leeks and carrots
Winter is generally considered a vegetable-growing dead zone in most places, but a Southern California winter is actually still a very decent time to grow vegetables as long as the plants can get a lot of sunshine (shaded areas are out for winter growing).
If you are planning to plant from seed, full sunshine is doubly important because seeds are activated by heat. At my house, the courtyard area I usually use for my garden gets very shaded in winter (as the sun changes its angle) so I have had to improvise to get my seed trays in an area that gets the most sun. That is area happens to be my bedroom balcony - not a traditional spot for seed trays, but hey I’m making it work!
Check out my list of winter vegetables to grow in Southern California below, and if you would like my free 2024 Vegetable Planting Calendar, you can also download it below.
Wondering what winter vegetables to grow in Southern California? I grow tomatoes, spinach, broccoli and even sunflowers (see above)
Winter Vegetables To Grow In Southern California
The categories of veggies I have planted with success over a SoCal winter include:
Leafy greens including spinach, silverbeet, rainbow chard, kale, cavolo nero and radicchio.
Traditional cool weather plants including carrots, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, onions and cabbages.
If you’d like to see the specific veggies I planted this year in my own garden, check out my new Salisbury Grange YouTube channel.
Spring onions, ironically grown over winter
Carrots are a good fall and winter vegetable to grow in Los Angeles and Southern California
Looking for more information? Check out my take on the Best Flowers To Grow In Los Angeles, Month By Month and When To Plant Tomatoes In Los Angeles.
