In summer, the raised bed provides fresh vegetables and herbs. But how can you use your raised bed in winter? Here you can find out which plants can be overwintered in the raised bed and how to winterize your raised bed.
The popularity of raised beds as ornamental or vegetable beds has been unbroken for years. They can now be found in many gardens. In summer, raised beds can provide large yields of vegetables and herbs, and ornamental flowers also thrive. In winter, on the other hand, the last harvest work and the care and preparation for the coming year are the main tasks. A few plants continue to grow slowly through the winter, and sowing seeds during this cold period is a handy way to bring spring vegetables ahead of time. We explain how to manage the raised bed in winter, prepare it properly and protect it from the winter cold. Because there are several ways to ensure that the raised bed does not lie fallow in winter, but accommodates some residents.
Overwinter perennial plants in raised beds
Perennial plants can simply be left in the raised bed over the winter and overwintered on the spot. Various perennials survive the winter unscathed in the raised bed. And herbs don't mind being overwintered in the raised bed either. Some of them can even be harvested during the cold season. Herbs such as sage, thyme and rosemary, which keep their leaves even in winter, can spice up the kitchen. However, since nothing grows back in winter, it should not be harvested too rigorously. It is also advisable to only harvest individual leaves, as cutting off entire shoots would create entry points for the frost.
In general, when plants overwinter, it is important to pay attention to how much cold they can tolerate. If necessary, additional protection may be necessary to bring them alive through the winter. You can read more about this a little further down, where we describe a protective cover for the raised bed.
Tip: Next to the raised bedyou should also winterize the rest of your garden. We'll show you what's important.
Winter vegetables in the raised bed
Even in a raised bed with winter protection, (almost) nothing can be sown during the cold season in order to grow over the winter: All vegetable plants simply lack light and warmth in the cold season. But there are many vegetables that can be sown in summer or early autumn and then simply left on the bed over the winter. If the sun shines for a few days, these winter vegetables will continue to grow very slowly, and they also keep fresher much better and take up less space than if they were harvested and stored.
Tip: Frost-tolerant winter vegetables are usually leafy greens. When harvesting, you should note the following: If the plant is to sprout again after harvesting, the harvest may only take place on frost-free days. This is the only way to ensure that the plant is not damaged by low temperatures and will sprout again so that it can be harvested again after a few weeks.
- Lambs lettuce: In some places, lamb's lettuce (Valerianella) is already referred to as a winter lettuce - even frosty temperatures cannot harm it. Cold even improves its taste. During the cold season, however, it takes a long time to grow, which is why it makes sense to grow lamb's lettuce indoors. If sown in September or October, lamb's lettuce can be harvested from November to December. For even later sowings, you should pay particular attention to using a frost-resistant variety such as 'Vit' or 'Verte de Cambrai' - depending on the weather conditions, these can be harvested without any problems until March of the following year. A special feature of lamb's lettuce is its ability to regenerate: If you only cut off the upper leaves and leave the roots and base of the plant undamaged, the plant will regenerate and can be harvested again in a few weeks without any problems.
- Endive: Like lamb's lettuce, endive (Cichorium endivia) is a leafy vegetable with a certain degree of frost tolerance. At temperatures down to -5 °C, endives are not damaged, which is why they are also well suited for winter planting in raised beds. If the endive is sown by the end of August, it can easily be harvested in November and December. The entire head of lettuce is just above theLeaf rosette separated - so the individual endive plants can be harvested one by one.
- Kale: The kale (Brassica oleracea var. sabellica) is a famous selection of cabbage and very closely related to Brussels sprouts, kohlrabi and the like. Depending on the region, it is also known as brown cabbage. In order to be able to enjoy the characteristic aroma, the kale is only harvested after the first frosts. Temperatures down to -10 °C do not pose a threat to it. This winter cabbage must be cultivated from spring to be able to enjoy it during the cold season, as it takes up to 6 months from planting to mature. The main kale season begins between November and January: During this time, the kale can be harvested without any problems. If you want to enjoy a lot of kale despite a small raised bed, you can use an old trick: If you carefully strip off the individual leaves during harvest and leave the stalk standing, the kale can sprout again in mild weather and can then be harvested again.
- Pasnipak: For parsnips (Pastinaca sativa), the garden year begins as early as May with sowing. Harvest can begin as soon as the leaves fall in the fall. However, you can harvest the root vegetables throughout the winter as needed and use them fresh: Since the delicious roots are protected from frost by the soil, they can easily remain in the bed and only be harvested when they are needed.
- Winter Spinach: Spinach (Spinacia oleracea) is one of those plants that should not be missing in a winter garden. For winter cultivation in the raised bed, spinach is sown directly in the raised bed between mid-September and mid-October. It is advisable to use particularly frost-hardy and fast-growing spinach varieties such as 'Matador' or 'Redbor'. The plants are then ready for harvest from mid/late November. If you carefully harvest individual leaves from the spinach, they can sprout again at mild temperatures and can be enjoyed several times. The last harvest of winter spinach typically occurs in early April.
- Winter hedge onion: The name winter hedge onion is actually just another name for the well-known spring onion (Allium fistulosum). The leek plant has good winter hardiness and can be sown in early autumn and then throughout the winterto be harvested. But be careful: If you really want to enjoy the perennial winter hedge onion, you don't pull the entire plant including the bulb out of the ground, but only cut off the green part, similar to chives.
- Postelein: A real insider tip for winter in raised beds is Postelein (Claytonia perfoliata), also known as Cuban spinach or known as winter purslane. Postelein can be sown directly into the bed from September to October, in a raised bed with a cold frame attachment even from September to March, because they germinate at a temperature of 4 - 12 °C. When fully grown, the Postelein is incredibly robust and frost-resistant, so that it can even withstand temperatures as low as -20 °C. If the leaves are not cut off too low, the Postelein can easily be harvested several times. The fleshy leaves are wonderful in a fresh salad, but can also be prepared like spinach.
Prepare raised bed for winter
Of course, the question also arises as to whether you should prepare the raised bed yourself for a harsh winter in order to protect the material. Of course, this is not a disadvantage - and with just a few simple steps, you can even promote the growth of perennial plants and winter vegetables in the raised bed with a few simple steps.
Wrap the raised bed in bubble wrap or garden fleece
As you do with potted plants, the raised bed can also be wrapped in bubble wrap or garden fleece. The extra protection keeps the cold out. The frosty temperatures cannot penetrate the roots of the plants so quickly. In extreme sub-zero temperatures, this is a protection and on warmer winter days, growth may even be promoted by the measure.
Cover raised bed in winter
A natural way to protect the plants in the raised bed is to mulch with garden waste such as leaves, fir branches or brushwood. This has the advantage that soil and plants are protected and insulated from the cold in winter.
However, the rainy weather in winter in particular worries many garden lovers. The question quickly arises: Do I have to protect my raised bed from rain in winter? If the raised bed is not drained well enough, i.e. rainwater cannot drain off well, the answer is a resounding "Yes!". But also permeableBeds can benefit from a proper roof as protection against rain and cold wind: If only partially hardy plants such as some types of vegetables and lettuce are to be grown in winter, a cover serves to extend the harvest period. Because the bed stays warm longer with the protection in autumn and also warms up faster in spring.
A cold frame attachment for the raised bed is best suited as rain protection, as this allows enough light to reach the plants, can be ventilated if necessary and reliably keeps out the rain. A simple foil tunnel that is stretched over the raised bed is also practical. Self-made covers made of double-wall sheets or grid foil for greenhouse construction are an option for all hobbyists with a little manual skill. The cost of materials is often small compared to purchasing ready-made structures.
Whatever construction method you choose, it is always important to ensure that the plants do not hit the cover, because where they come into contact with condensation, it can quickly begin to grow mold. In addition, especially when growing vegetables, care should be taken to ensure that regular ventilation is possible in order to avoid excessive humidity.
Tip: Mobile raised beds can be placed in a sheltered spot in winter to improve growth conditions. Even storing in a frost-free, bright little shed, a carport that is closed on one side or in the conservatory is conceivable.
Prepare raised bed for next season
If you think ahead when looking after your raised bed, you can save yourself a lot of work in the spring. If the raised bed is completely cleared in autumn and has no winter greenery, the winter can be used wonderfully to prepare for the new season.
Mulch and New Fill
Care in autumn and winter can be worthwhile, especially if the vegetable patch has sagged due to rotting processes. All plant residues (including roots and weeds) are removed from the raised bed and this is filled with compostable material and mature compost. With the first frost, the raised bed is covered with mulch material (e.g. spruce and fir branches). The material begins to decompose over the winter. Towards the beginning of April, when temperatures start to warm up again, the raised bed is stripped of its layer of mulch and covered with a new layernutrient-rich potting soil, like our peat-free Plantura organic universal soil. Prepared in this way, the first plants can soon move into the raised bed and look forward to the replenished supply of nutrients.
Green manure and pre-sowing
If, on the other hand, you don't want your raised bed to be empty in winter, you don't have to do without the care of your raised bed. Green manure in autumn is ideal for doing something good for your stressed raised bed. Before the first frosts sweep over the country, it is time to sow cover crops such as winter vetch, crimson clover, Italian ryegrass or a mix of hardy cover crops. Not only do they look decorative in the raised bed, they also improve the soil structure and protect the soil from the weather. In addition, these plants loosen up the substrate with their roots and fix atmospheric nitrogen, which later serves as fertilizer for the vegetable plants.
In parallel or instead of green manure, it is possible to sow the first seeds in the raised bed in late autumn and winter, which should germinate in spring: early radishes, carrots, lettuce and cut lettuce and herbs such as chervil, borage or parsley can can also be sown in October or November instead of in early March. Covered with a layer of mulch or protected by green manure, they survive the winter there and, when temperatures rise in spring, often germinate much earlier than plants sown in March.
Would you like to grow herbs in your raised bed in addition to vegetables? We will show you how to successfully plant a raised herb bed while taking into account the individual needs of the individual plants.