Here are eight varieties of greens that grow reliably in cooler weather, when using these cultivation tips. According to the National Garden Bureau, cool-weather greens are low in calories, packed with vitamins and minerals, and can be eaten raw or cooked in a variety of ways.
Arugula is also known as rocket, ruchetta or rucola. Botanically known as Eruca sativa, arugula’s blue-green leaves add a smoky-peppery bite to salads, soups and sauces. It’s fast growing -- ready to pick about 40 days after sowing -- and it’s frost tolerant.
Bok choy, or Brassica rapa, is also known as pak choi. This mild-tasting crunchy plant is frequently used in stir-fries. Set out plants in late August or early September for an autumn harvest. They should continue to grow for a few weeks after the first frost.
Corn salad, Valerianella locusta, is a small, nutty-sweet green that delights in cold weather. It’s known by a variety of names, including mâche, feldsalat, lambs lettuce and rapunzel. In Four-Season Harvest (Chelsea Green Publishing Company, 1992), Eliot Coleman, who grows greens throughout the winter in his Maine cold frames, says corn salad is “the most dependable winter staple for fresh green salads.” Protected by a cold frame or mulch, corn salad should stay green throughout the winter.
Garden Sorrel, or Rumex acetone, grows from early spring until late fall -- even as temperatures fall below freezing. Its long green leaves have a refreshing, slightly sour lemon flavor that is delicious in a sauce for fish. Sorrel soup is traditionally served in Russia and Eastern Europe during the spring.
A staple for many households,lettuce,Lactuca sativa, is easy to grow from seed and fast to reach maturity, usually 45 to 60 days after planting. It comes in head and leaf forms. Cultivars known for cold tolerance include the heirlooms ‘Rouge d’Hiver,’ a romaine with large green leave touched with red, and ‘Tennis Ball’, a butterhead (or bibb) type once grown by Thomas Jefferson in his Monticello gardens. Plant seeds of the ‘Gayla’ or ‘D’Etampes‘ cultivars in early September for harvest starting around Halloween in the Northeast.
Fast-growing Mizuna, or Brassica rapa japonica, has delicious delicate green leaves with fringed edges. It tolerates most weather and is ready to eat 20 to 40 days after planting.
There are several delicious varieties of mustard greens, or Brassica juncea, which withstand some frost but may bolt when daylight get longer in the spring. Some mustard greens produce large leaves that get a foot or more tall, but which can eaten as soon as the outer leaves are 3 to 4 inches tall.
Tatsoi, or Brassica rapa rosularis, will grow through cold temperatures and light snow and also tolerates hot weather. That means you can plant it several times from spring through fall. Its tender leaves have a mild peppery taste. Use it as a baby green or let it grow into mature plants that are ready to harvest in 5 to 7 weeks.
Note: The advice regarding seed sowing times is for the northeast United States and should be adjusted according to the planting zone for other areas.
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