Fall/Winter Vegetable Gardening in West Texas

For many of us, gardening has become one of those hobbies that offers stress-release and a means to develop greater sustainability. No doubt with the shortage of produce and general grocery items recently, learning to develop a thriving vegetable garden was at the top of the garden projects list.

However, the Midland area is not necessarily a center for agriculture, making vegetable gardening somewhat of an uphill battle in the Spring and Summer. New gardeners in the Midland might have felt defeated after these past months trying to keep young veggie plants alive while battling the bugs and the heat from the sun. The good news is that we are approaching one of the best times of the year in Midland, and it also happens to be the best time for vegetable gardening. 

Benefits of a Fall/Winter Veggie Garden

The Fall and Winter climates in Midland are perfect for an extended vegetable growing season.  The minimal number of hard freezes throughout the Winter allow for cold, hardy vegetable crops to continue growing where they would otherwise be wiped out in more northern regions. The cooler weather offers added benefits; far less pests to contend with, cooler temperatures provide more pleasant working conditions and less intensity from the West Texan sun prevents scorching and frying of the vegetables. And with less heat, the watering requirements dramatically decrease. 

Crop Selections for the Fall/Winter Garden

When planning your Fall and Winter garden you should choose plants that prefer cooler growing temperatures. There is a long list of cold-tolerant vegetables, but the most popular include:

• Collard Greens

• Swiss Chard

• Cauliflower

• Brussel Sprouts

• Broccoli

• Cabbage

• Lettuce

• Turnips

• Carrots 

• Beets

• Garlic 

• Onions

• Spinach

• Cilantro

• Rosemary (perennial)

• Mint (perennial)

• Radishes

• Turnips

When to Start Your Fall/Winter Garden

Midland’s average soil temperature trends place the first freeze is  November 6th, so the most productive time frame to plant most Fall vegetables is between September and October. Some of the listed vegetables are easier to start by directly sowing seeds in the garden soil, and some are easier to start from plant starts. As a rule of thumb, root vegetables (such as carrots and beets) and leafy greens should be started directly from seed, but all other listed vegetables benefit from starting from actual plants. Plant starts can either be purchased from a nursery or you can start them yourself indoors four to six weeks before their planting date. 

Where to Buy Local Vegetable Gardening Supplies in Midland

The best places in Midland, Texas to buy local vegetable gardening supplies for the Fall are Alldredge Gardens and La Casa Verde. Both are a great source for organic soil amendments and seeds suitable for growing crops for consumption.

Midland (West Texas) Gardening Resources

There is a vast wealth of knowledge on gardening in Midland through the West Texas Vegetable Gardeners group on Facebook. The group offers access to helpful PDF files with detailed recommendations for exact planting dates, vegetable varieties and troubleshooting vegetable gardening woes.

The members of the group are also eager to answer questions you might have about vegetable gardening in our unique region. Also, take a look at our post on the best plants for west Texas gardens.

Another excellent resource for vegetable gardening in Midland is the Permian Basin chapter of the Texas Master Gardeners. Their website has a vegetable plant list that contains recommended vegetable varieties, planting dates, days to germination, and days to maturity.

Candice Pettijohn

Candice Pettijohn is a geologist by day and an avid gardener by night. She was an Army brat and has lived all over the country, but as of 2014, she and her family finally put down roots in Midland when an oil and gas company recruited her for employment as a petroleum geologist. She lives in Midland county with her husband and two kids on 9 acres of largely untouched West Texas pasture, which they have dubbed Pettijohn Preserve. You can follow her indoor and outdoor gardening adventures and advice on her Instagram @chlorophyll_and_chill.