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I know its not the smartest thing to do, but I just can't wait for spring and its my favorite hobbie also I know I'm not the only one doing it so. Few questions...
1.Anyone Else Gardens during the winter?
2.What are some Winter Veggies?
3.Will my plants Produce Fruit in Winter?
Just letting people know I live in Ontario South California it would be a bit close to the desert valleys. So I wouldn't know my Zone #[/b]

I would assume the sun comes out in Canada during the winter since I am only 200 miles from Canada! Make yourself a small solar greenhouse. 2 by 4's and plastic with 50 gallon water drums or bricks for heat storage! Its fun and works. Lettuce and cole crops will grow slow but can survve even inside 25 degree nights . You must use a double plastic. I transfer alot of my plants before the firs fros and extend the season for months and all winter for some crops! I had several flowers that grew to the following spring!

NOT Canada, not Oroz said Ontario, Southern California! Very different and lots more year round growing possibilities!

I went to college in Claremont, Calif not far from there. Very pretty!


So Oroz, see you don't actually HAVE winter where you are... If you go by temperatures you go straight from temps that I would call fall, back to temps that I would call spring, with nothing in between. I remember ONE time when I was in college, people going running through the girls dorm (yes, it was a long time ago!) yelling it's snowing, it's snowing. We all ran out in our little nighties to look at the ten or so snowflakes floating down. (But I think you are closer to the desert than I was, so actually a little bit more cold and snow)

You are in zone 8B or on the edge between zone 8 and 9. All that really tells you is how cold it gets in winter (not very) so what perennial plants will survive your winters (almost every thing). For knowing what veggies to plant when, what matters more is frost free dates.

So answers to your questions

Anyone else gardens in winter? Yes, in Southern Calif, everyone gardens in winter. Not here where I am

What are some winter veggies? If you are starting things from seeds or seedlings now, you would want to be planting cool weather crops. That would include lettuce, spinach, other green leafies, broccoli, cabbage, onions, carrots and other root veggies.

Will my plants produce fruit in winter? What kind of plants/ fruit ? If you are talking about things like tomatoes, no it's probably a little too cold and too short of days for them. You could plant tomato seeds in late Jan- early Feb. to grow through spring and early summer. Then it probably gets too hot for them, but you could start over planting new seeds in early August for a fall/early winter crop.

Hope this helps a little to get you started... ask more questions as you go along!

you can pretty much grow whatever you want.

Bobberman wrote:I would assume the sun comes out in Canada during the winter since I am only 200 miles from Canada! Make yourself a small solar greenhouse. 2 by 4's and plastic with 50 gallon water drums or bricks for heat storage! Its fun and works. Lettuce and cole crops will grow slow but can survve even inside 25 degree nights . You must use a double plastic. I transfer alot of my plants before the firs fros and extend the season for months and all winter for some crops! I had several flowers that grew to the following spring!

I Live in Ontario California

rainbowgardener wrote:NOT Canada, not Oroz said Ontario, Southern California! Very different and lots more year round growing possibilities!

I went to college in Claremont, Calif not far from there. Very pretty!


So Oroz, see you don't actually HAVE winter where you are... If you go by temperatures you go straight from temps that I would call fall, back to temps that I would call spring, with nothing in between. I remember ONE time when I was in college, people going running through the girls dorm (yes, it was a long time ago!) yelling it's snowing, it's snowing. We all ran out in our little nighties to look at the ten or so snowflakes floating down. (But I think you are closer to the desert than I was, so actually a little bit more cold and snow)

You are in zone 8B or on the edge between zone 8 and 9. All that really tells you is how cold it gets in winter (not very) so what perennial plants will survive your winters (almost every thing). For knowing what veggies to plant when, what matters more is frost free dates.

So answers to your questions

Anyone else gardens in winter? Yes, in Southern Calif, everyone gardens in winter. Not here where I am

What are some winter veggies? If you are starting things from seeds or seedlings now, you would want to be planting cool weather crops. That would include lettuce, spinach, other green leafies, broccoli, cabbage, onions, carrots and other root veggies.

Will my plants produce fruit in winter? What kind of plants/ fruit ? If you are talking about things like tomatoes, no it's probably a little too cold and too short of days for them. You could plant tomato seeds in late Jan- early Feb. to grow through spring and early summer. Then it probably gets too hot for them, but you could start over planting new seeds in early August for a fall/early winter crop.

Hope this helps a little to get you started... ask more questions as you go along!

Very Helpfull Thanks

you can grow tomatoes in winter, you can grow whatever you want down in ontario. go buy seeds of what you like and plant them, its really that simple.

I'm from the San Antonio area of Texas and each year starting in Sept. I plant cabbage from plants I buy at the hardware store. we have hit as low as 19 degrees and when I know it's going to dip down in temperature I go out & throw a old sheet or blanket over the cabbage plants, hold them down with 2x4's or rocks so the wind don't blow the sheets away. It usually takes three to four months with cabbage. I also plant potatoes and have good results, I do the same with my potatoes, cover them up when its below 32 degrees. 3 or 4 months I dig them up....

soil wrote:you can grow tomatoes in winter, you can grow whatever you want down in ontario. go buy seeds of what you like and plant them, its really that simple.

I don't know about that - they do average 3 -5" of snow a month in Nov, Dec, Jan.... I don't think tomatoes grow real well in snow.

Well if were talking about were I live in ONtario California then We Don't Get any Snow at all Year Round

OK sorry about that... I was talking about Ontario Calif. but it's been a long time since I lived near there.

lol your making this confusing, ontario california doesnt get any snow for the most part. most of socal doesnt get any snow(on rare occasion). I know a girl from around there. she says they don't even get frost. maybe maybe once a year.

go to a nursery, see what they got for starts, buy some seeds, grow some food. don't forget about perennial plants that provide use.

Parenial plants? Sorry I dng know gardening terms but yea no snow at all in ontario sometimes like today was pretty hot about 85F and gets about 50F on the coldest days

Perennials are plants that live for several years. Annuals are plants that live only one year. Biennials live for 2 years; 1st year they grow their stems and leaves, 2nd year they grow their flowers and produce seeds.


Since I live in Southern California too I can give you and idea what to grow. Right now I have carrots, radish, beets, lettuce, kale, chard, cilantro, parsley, garlic, arugula, and chives in the ground.


I also have 1 tomato plant, cucumbers, 2 bell pepper plants, 1 serrano pepper plant, bush beans, and 2 leftover Basil plants. I also have several perennials like rosemary, sage, 2 different mints, lavender, yarrow etc.


The peppers are leftover from Spring planting but I am going to let them overwinter and see what happens. As of right now they are producing amazing.


I planted the cucumbers, tomato, and beans kinda late but it is an experiment. Next year I think with the right planning it will go better. I can tell the cooler weather and shorter days are affecting the growth. The cucumbers and tomato are still small. I planted them 1st week of September by seed. There is some flowers on the tomato plant now, but the cucumbers barely have 2-3 leaves on them. Supposedly going to mature in around 55 days, same thing with the beans. I don;t know how much longer the Basil will live, it was leftover from Spring. One I am leaving to flower which it is doing now and the other I am still trimming from.


I also planted some Spinach seeds but they never sprouted. I planted some Marigold flowers and nasturtium flowers and they are growing pretty good, I am surprised the marigolds are starting to produce flowers right now. It is all an experiment though to see how and what grows.

Mmmm gives me good idea then and parential plants sound better to grow but now ama do a research on what plants are parential and sense this is my first time gardening and wrong season I shall call this my testing and experiment year

some common perennial plants would be raspberries, strawberries, fruit trees, citrus, things like that.

also shasta daisies, bee balm, black eyed susan, tulips, lilies... and so on

I'm in SOCAL myself and looking to do a little winter gardening. Just bought some seeds today, gonna plant them tomorrow.

I'm in SOCAL myself and looking to do a little winter gardening. Just bought some seeds today, gonna plant them tomorrow.

Boy! This is a confusing post to read! lol!

and Bobberman, no...the sun rarely shines here all winter long
It feels like that, anyway...especially near the lakes.

Middleman, I would love to see some pics of your planting, I started seen some radishes seedlings and feels great knowing Winter is still Gardening Season, I Actually Planted some Strawberry plants in the ground and hangers, and That really sucks that Canada doesn't get as much sun.

I know horseradish likes cold weather. It's almost Christmas and mine are still green and growing outside. I think the coldest it has been is like 24*F.
I have a lot of hot peppers to pick too. They are in 8 inch wide pots in a big window in the den. I'm going to try to grow sweet peppers inside too! I'm in zone 7a.

I got alot of zebra tomatoes growing inside, and a beefstake, I'm trying to grow some plants inside so when spring hits, they will be ready, and My radish is just growing like crazy, unfortunatelly the Hard winds that Hit southern Cali, brought down all the Palm trees dryed leaves and destroyed most of my radish but I got more seeds, This is My Radish on my custom wood planter [img]https://i167.photobucket.com/albums/u135/victororozco/2011-12-20175807.jpg[/img]

That really sucks about the winds and your radishes but your new ones look good! I lost a ton of peppers when the wind blew a branch down last summer. I tried growing tomatoes inside but no luck yet. I'm going to try again. Here's one of my indoor peppers. I took this picture about 2 weeks ago. I think it's a Cubanelle! There's a lot more peppers on it now!

[img]https://farm7.staticflickr.com/6051/6365829661_fdfcd3e209_z.jpg[/img]

Thats Awesome, Well I planted Radishes like crazy, everywere I could planted them I did, for the main reason that my sisters ducks eat all the seedlings so that will leave some still alive, and well my indoors plants are doing fantastic, I just wish my Mom wouldnt mind me putting a light over them, I have a good light but she says it wastes too much energy, so its slowed down on growing but it looks very healthy, Just as healthy as your Pepper plant, Its very nice

Ducks?? Omg! theres ducks here too but they never get in our yard. I even feed them sometimes. My mom has lights on her plants and I can use them but I think sunlight in the window is better. Btw, this is the first year that I've been growing plants too. I started last spring growing tomatoes and peppers. I got a ton of bell peppers and pimentos but the tomatoes died. that's why I want to try those again.

Yea, Its my First Year, I got Out of Jail on July and Needed a better Hobby to keep me busy instead of trouble, so my friend got me into gardening and now its been a couple of months and its amazing seen stuff grow, My plants are growing fantastic but they seem to stop because of the weather, but the ones inside are by a window doing great, I have several seeds of different plants in small cups to grow a variety of peepers and tomatoes [img]https://i167.photobucket.com/albums/u135/victororozco/2011-11-26172221.jpg[/img]

Wow! and yeah that is a better hobby. If that ever happened to me my parents would totally freak! and I would probably be grounded forever. Btw thats how I started growing my plants too was in cups. it took soooo long but its awesome to watch them grow!

Yea a little better than watching grass grow specially cuz your gana get a reward (veggies) and then after trading seeds with other you will have a big variety

I have never gardened in Southern California, but my guess is that right now you would do well to plant early varieties such as spinach, lettuce, radish, turnip, kohlrabi, and cabbage. Do you expect any frost there in the next month? These plants can withstand a light freeze. They do well when the temperatures are cool.

In about 3 weeks plant beets, chard. About the first of February you should be good to go with melons, beans, tomatoes, peppers and squash. If you don't normally experience frost in February.

Cucumbers usually plant a week or two after the squash. They like it to be warm and won't do well otherwise.

I don't believe we get any Frosts here in Ontario Cal. the coldest it gets is probably low 30s but thats about it, as of right now we are still in the 70s, and Its Pretty nice, sunny No clouds in the sky, and I have radishes growing like crazy, the melons and squash I'm going to wait till probably feb like you said.