Fresh vegetables, aromatic herbs and bright flowers in all colors can be harvested non-stop from the raised bed in summer. But even during the cold season there are some frost-hardy vegetables that can be harvested fresh.

Some types of vegetables can still be harvested very late

Raised bed attachments or poly tunnels extend the gardening season

Plants grown under film or glass grow faster and more evenly than conventionally grown crops thanks to the heated air saturated with moisture. In addition, with such tools, fresh vegetables can be harvested earlier in spring and a few weeks longer in autumn. With the help of a foil tunnel or even a greenhouse attachment, you can still harvest crunchy lamb's lettuce or aromatic parsnips even in winter.

You can still grow these vegetables in winter

There is a whole range of vegetables that you can leave in the bed even in winter and only need to harvest when needed. Cold and frost cannot harm them, and for some they are even crucial for good taste. But the same applies here: In winter, growth is extremely slowed down, so that the plants listed have to be brought forward in summer.

winter leek

If you want to harvest leeks in winter, you should choose explicit winter varieties such as 'Blue-Green Winter', 'Fahrenheit' or 'Pluston'. Other varieties are bred for cultivation in summer or autumn and are therefore only conditionally hardy. Winter leeks are sown in July, either directly in the bed (rather unfavorable, as the space can also be used for other purposes) or in pots.

Lamb's lettuce

Lamb's lettuce, also known as winter lettuce or rapunzel, is the ideal vegetable for subsequent cultivation. Sow the seeds between mid-July and mid-September for fresh greenery during the cold months. Seeds sown in November ensure a vitamin-rich spring harvest.

parsnips

Parsnips are sown and grown directly in the bed as early as May, but can remain there throughout the winter. The roots are hardy to frost and the perfect winter vegetable.

winter spinach

It is best to sow winter spinach between September and early / mid-October as a follow-up crop directly into the bed.

sprouting broccoli

Winter broccoli or sprout broccoli is preferred and placed in the bed as a young plant in autumn. However, it takes a good six months until the harvest: You can finally harvest the tender florets between March and May.

Kale

Depending on the variety, kale should be grown between mid-April and mid-May and planted in the raised bed by mid-July at the latest. The collards are then harvested after the first severe frosts between November and January.

tips

If you overwinter your raised bed harvested and want to leave it resting until spring, you should cover it with a mulch layer of half-ripe compost, leaves, brushwood or dark plastic film. This will prevent the valuable nutrients from being washed out.

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