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Climate Zones offer general guidance to the kinds of plants that will succeed in your area. The warmer your climate, the higher the number of the Zone you live in. Zones are affected by altitude, exposure to open water, and also protection from the elements. Microclimates like English Bay in Vancouver can provide enough protection to grow palm trees. However, neighbours on a hilly street in North Vancouver may find themselves in different Zones.
The figures below offer a general guide to determining your Zone. Think of the minimum winter temperature in your area in a typical year.
Below -45°C (-49°F) – Zone 0
-45°C (-49°F) – Zone 1
-45 to -40°C (-49 to -40°F) – Zone 2
-40 to -35°C (-40 to -31°F) – Zone 3
-35 to -29°C (-31 to -20°F) – Zone 4
-29 to-23°C (-20 to -9°F) – Zone 5
-23 to -18°C (-9 to -1°F) – Zone 6
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Winter gardening is summer planting for winter harvest.
In our mild Coastal climate we can grow some vegetables all winter without protection. You can eat these plants throughout the winter, so they need to be full size by about Halloween. Until Valentines Day, plants grow very slowly and do not re-grow after harvest as they might in the summer. The greatest challenges are rain, low light levels and temperature swings.
Overwintering is summer planting for spring harvest.
This is a different concept from winter gardening. Overwintered plants go into the cold season as "teenagers," waiting for the lengthening days of spring to finish growing. Certain varieties of onions, garlic, cauliflower and sprouting broccoli need this extra season to develop fully.
Typically, overwintered vegetables need to have some growth achieved before winter frosts—but they keep growing without being covered. In the early Spring, their growth
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Some protection from cold, wind, and snow will certainly increase success for winter gardeners. We recommend the use of raised beds whenever possible, as they provide extra drainage, and will warm faster in brief winter sunny periods. Raised beds are easy to modify for use with cloche greenhouses, wind protection, and heavy row cover. Used in combination, these methods can ensure a bountiful harvest of fresh vegetables all winter long.
Even just planting against a south-facing wall can offer enough reflected/radiant heat and wind protection for many winter vegetables. Our customers have spoken of brushing snow off of unprotected Mizuna and finding it completely healthy and ready to eat. Imagine showing up at Christmas dinner with a fresh salad that you harvested that afternoon!
When growing carrots and other root vegetables over winter, consider planting in raised beds and adding a bit of straw around them for further insulation from hard frosts.
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Some vegetable varieties thrive in the cool conditions of fall and early winter, and offered a bit of protection from extreme cold, they can be harvested right through until spring. Many varieties actually improve in flavour, texture, and sweetness once the cold weather arrives.
As you would start many vegetables in late winter and early spring for summer harvests, winter gardening requires sowing seeds in mid- to late summer. This allows the plants to gain a little growth before the days begin to get shorter and the sunlight becomes less intense. The secret is choosing the right vegetables and thinking ahead.
Varieties for winter harvest:
Arugula: Sow from June to the end of August for harvests in fall, winter, and spring. High in Vitamin A and potassium, with a tangy, nutty flavour. Winter-grown arugula has a very different, milder flavour than the same plant grown in hot weather
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