Fall and Winter Vegetables at Morningsun Herb Farm 2023

Broccoli Raab 

Sessantina Grossa: 35 days. Early, large buds. Leaves and buds have more of the “bloom”, and color of regular broccoli. Thick, tender shoots and buds. Good for fall, winter and spring crops.

Broccoli

De Cicco: 48 days. Favorite multi-cut Italian variety. A traditional variety producing small, 3-4 inch main heads projected well above the foliage followed by a large yield of side shoot spears. Nonuniform in maturity, resulting in a long harvest period. Harvest main head when 3 inch in diameter or less to encourage heavier side-shoot production.

Marathon (F1): 68 days. #1 variety for fall and winter production. This late, cool weather variety is widely planted in California. Highly tolerant to cold.

Purple Sprouting:  220 days. Easier to grow than annual broccoli, the extremely cold hardy biennial must overwinter before heading in March. Two to 3 ft tall plants are covered with small, sweet tasting purple heads that turn green when cooked.  English heirloom.

Veronica (F1): 78 days. Romanesco type. Heads are lime green with pointed, spiraled pinnacles. Very decorative and mild flavored, a real taste treat for cauliflower/broccoli lovers. Best planted in late summer for harvest in the fall.

Brussels Sprouts

Long Island Improved: 100 day. The standard open pollinated variety since the 1890’s. Heavy yields of delicious sprouts.

Red Bull: 95 days. Open pollinated variety. Consistently produces uniform, savory, 1 inch red sprouts. Red Bull is a wonderful addition to fall and winter meals. The color of the sprouts actually becomes more vibrant in cooler weather.

Cabbage

Alcosa:

Farao: 65 days. Delicious early cabbage. Attractive deep-green, 3-lb. heads are filled with tender, thin, crisp, peppery-sweet leaves. Holds well in the field and is slow to split.

Omero Super Red (F1): 73 days. The average 3-lb heads are a vibrant bright red and are round to slightly oval. Good, slightly sweet, and peppery flavor. Suitable for planting at close spacing to produce mini heads.

Premium Late Flat Dutch: 100 days. The standard, giant flat cabbage that is good for storage. 10 to 15 lb heads are of high quality with delicious flavor. This heirloom was introduced by European settlers in the 1860’s.

Rubicon (F1): 52 days. Napa Type Chinese. Slow bolting and disease resistant.  Firm, 11-12 inch tall heads, weigh 5 to 6 lbs and blemish free, deep green leaves and broad white ribs with a creamy yellow, blanched interior. The flavor is sweet, tangy, juicy and delicious.

Savoy Purple:

Cauliflower

Amazing (F1):  62 days. Best early, white cauliflower. A favorite with growers due to dependable production and adaptability to different soils and weather. Uniform maturity. Self blanching. Bishop is a variety that is slightly sturdier, and a few days later.

Purple of Sicily: Beautiful, brilliant purple heads weigh 2-3 lbs and are of a fine, sweet flavor. The heads cook to bright green. Insect resistant variety that is easier to grow than many white varieties; rich in minerals. Colorful Italian heirloom.

Vitaverde (F1): 75 days. Heads are a beautiful green! Very uniform grower with excellent yields and a uniform shape. Very beautiful in a salad, and very tasty.

Collards

Champion: 60 days. Slow bolting Vates selection. Selected out of the popular Vates variety for a more compact and longer standing habit. Same rich, dark green color with long, broad, wavy, tender leaves.

Top Bunch (F1): 50 days. Georgia type hybrid with savoyed leaf. Earliest to harvest. Tall plant produces medium green, slightly savoyed leaves.

Greens and Lettuces

Arugula ‘Astro’:  35 days.  This arugula is frost hardy and easy to grow.  Long, dark green broad arrow shaped leaves form a loose, open bunch.  Grows 12-18 inches tall before bolting.  This salad green has a spicy, distinctive flavor.  Not bitter.

BUTTERCRUNCH:

Deer Tongue:  28 days.  Baby leaf lettuce, attractive smooth buttercrunch type.  Heirloom variety.

BUTTERHEAD:

Continuity:  75 days fall sown. This popular variety is one of the most widely grown lettuces in the world. A real beauty, it features bronze-red outer leaves that encase a tightly packed, light green head measuring 12-16 inches across. The thin-leaved head has a divine flavor. Good for winter growing.

Drunken Woman Frizzy Headed:  55 days.  A unique butterhead forms a savoyed head.  Robust 8 inch plants have mint green leaves that are tinged in mahogany red.  Very late to bolt.

Marvel of 4 Seasons:  68 days.  Large ruby tipped leaves, tight green hearts, with a very crispy, fine flavor.  Does well almost year round in the garden.

New Red Fire:  51 days.  Heat tolerant butterhead.  Large, dense heads with creamy yellow centers.  Very heat tolerant, mild flavored, with no bitterness.

Red Cross:  48 days.  The large, fancy, bright red butterhead lettuce make a stunning presentation.  Excellent for fall growing.

LEAF:

Grand Rapids:  28 days baby, 45 days mature.  Traditional dark green leaf lettuce.  The green leaf lettuce most widely grown for market.  Great for fall harvest.

Green Salad  Bowl:  28 days baby, 49 days full size.  Delicate, tender, lobed leaves (oakleaf).  Forms large, lime green rosettes of delicate, lobed, oakleaf like leaves.  Good resistance to bolting and relatively good heat tolerance.

Lollo Rosso:  60 days.  A truly lovely leaf lettuce.  Appealing magenta leaves with a light green base, deeply curled edges, very crunchy mild flavor.  Excellent for fall harvest.  A ‘cut and come again’ variety.

Minutina:  A cold-hardy salad plant for fall, winter, spring, and summer production. Small plants with rosettes of slender green leaves. Adds a crunchy texture to salads without fiber. Flower buds are edible. Re-grows after cutting.

Mignonette Bronze:  60 days.  Excellent for hot and tropical weather, slow to bolt; frilled leaves, bronze green heads.   A superb type for the hot parts of the country.  Heirloom introduced in 1898.

Oaky Red Splash: 48 days. Somewhat upright grower to 8 inches with copper tinged green leaves also sprinkled with a bit of red. Deeply lobed leaves keep a fresh look hours after harvest. Sweet flavor.

Red Sails:  30 days.  Standard Red baby leaf lettuce.  Attractive, ruffled, fringed leaves of deep burgundy red over green.  Flavor stays mild for a long time without bitterness.

Red Salad Bowl:  28 days.  Oakleaf type.  Radiant burgundy red, deeply lobed, delicate oak like leaves.  Matures early, holds its mild, non bitter flavor for a long time, and is slow to bolt.

Rouge d’Hiver:  35 days.  An old heirloom French variety with medium-red tinted leaves and excellent flavor. Good regrowth. Tolerant to cold.

Tango:  28 days baby, 45 days mature.  Standard green oak for salad mix. Interesting shape and intensely frilled leaves add loft and texture, making this a standard salad mix ingredient.  For mature head production, plant only in fall and winter.

Tropicana:  52 days.   Best heat and bolt tolerance of standard dark green leaf types.  Plants produce full heads with heavy leaves.

MIXES:

All-Star Gourmet Mix:  Selected varieties yield darker reds and greens even under low-light conditions. Ruffled edges and unique leaf shapes provide loft, interesting texture, good shelf life, and fancy appearance. Includes Green Oakleaf, Red Oakleaf, Green Romaine, Red Romaine, Lollo Rossa, and Redleaf lettuces.

Encore Lettuce Mix:  28 days.  An all organic mix of :  green and red oakleaf, green and red romaine, lollo rossa, redleaf and bibb lettuce.

Mild Mesclun Mix:  21 days.  Green and red colors.  A custom mix of mild leafy greens and lettuces.  Includes international ingredients such as Kyona mizuna, black summer pac choi, tatsoi, red Russian kale, Red sails, saladbowl and Brune d’Hiver.

Wildfire:  28 days.  High contrast salad mix with a high percentage of red leaved varieties. Beautiful to look at, and even prettier on the plate.

ROMAINE:

Flashy Trout Back:  28 days baby, 55 days mature.  Attractive speckled leaves on a red romaine.  This striking salad mix addition looks like festive confetti in the salad bowl.  Also makes a dashing full-sized head.  Spots darken from red to maroon as the lettuce matures.

Little Gem:  50 days.  Very small, green, romaine type.  One of the very best tasting lettuces.  A superb heat tolerant variety that is sure to please!

Parris Island:  65 days.  A classic romaine, with large thick green leaves and a 9 inch head.  Very heat tolerant.

Winter Density:  28 days baby, 54 days mature.  Romaine.  Unique, specialty bibb-romaine type.  Compact, extra-dark green heads average 8 inches.  Very tightly folded.  Even the outer leaves take part in the head formation.  Can be best described as a tall Buttercrunch.  Good salad quality.  Can be grown spring, summer or fall and is very tolerant to frost.

Kale

Black Magic:  61 days.  An improved lacinato type kale.  It is uniform, bolt resistant, cold tolerant, and tidy and uniform in its growth habit.  Easy to harvest rosettes of deeply savoyed and pigmented leaves.  Growing to 15 inches tall, Black Magic yields an abundance of flavorful greens for continuous picking.

Bolshoi:  55 days.  A very sweet flavored kale, Bolshoi provides early harvest of baby greens, or enjoy the more robust, substantial mature greens.  Deeply serrated, fleshy leaves are silvery green with vibrant magenta veins and stems.  Frost and cold temperatures make this kale even prettier and sweeter.

Casper: 60 days. Tasty, sweet, crispy kale that looks like an ornamental with frilly sage green margins and snow white veins. Up to 32 inches tall, very productive for continuous cutting.

Curly Roja:  55 days.  Ruffled edges, deep red with dark purple stem, very cold hardy.  Grows to 18 inches.  Great choice for cold winter climates.

Dwarf Siberian:  50 days.  This is a very long lasting kale, with delicious flavor even at the end of a long winter.  Frilly, dark green leaves form a cold tolerant, 24 inch rosette at maturity.  Can anyone say ‘kale chips’?

Nero di Toscana:  50 days.  This eye catching lacinato type kale is also known as ‘black palm’, as it resembles a little palm tree.  The dark green leaves are 3 inches wide and 10 inches wide, and have a blistered appearance.  It is yummy to eat and a striking ornamental.  A melding of cabbage and kale, it is extremely winter hardy, becoming especially sweet after a frost.

Red Russian:  50 days.  Smooth red leaves for baby leaves and bunching.  Stems are purple; leaves are deep gray green, purple veined, flat, non curled and tooth edged.  The plants mature medium tall and leaves are tender compared to other kales.

Red Ursa:  50 days.  Red stem, with a heavily veined upfacing leaf, very frilled edges.  Very cold hardy, grows to 24 inches.  Very sweet flavor.

Scarlet:  80 days.  Stalks and petioles ruffled reddish purple, tightly curled leaf, 36″ tall, lots of harvestable foliage.  Beautiful in the garden and on the plate!

Seabor (F1):  55 days.  Fresh market growers endorse this extra productive kale.  The plants are tall, growing up to 18 inches, with greater yield and better cold hardiness than competitive varieties.  Additionally, it has a much higher percentage of well curled, blue green, ruffly leaves and regrows vigorously for successive harvests.  Very cold hardy.

Toscano:  30 days baby, 65 days mature.  Dark green, blistered leaves.  Lacinato or “dinosaur” type.  Unique leaf type:  extra dark green, noncurled but heavily blistered (savoyed).  Tolerant to hot and cold weather.

Tronchuda:  60 days.  Sea kale.  Blue green sea color, with large flat broad leaf; very tolerant to heat and cold.

Wild Garden: 30 days. A mix of Siberian kales with light green, blue-green, purple, and red leaves and a variety of leaf shapes, delicate waves to tight frilly curves. Very cold tolerant.

Winterbor:  60 days.  A standard dark green, curled kale.  Tall plants, growing 2 to 3 feet, with excellent yield and cold tolerance.  Leaves are well curled, blue green, and ruffled.  Vigorous plants will continue growing to produce leaves for successive harvests as the lower leaves are harvested.

Kohlrabi

Kolibri (F1):  45 days.  The best purple variety.  Large bulbs with uniform, deep purple skin, and nearly fiberless white flesh.

Winner (F1):  45 days.  Midseason.  Freshest, fruitiest taste.  Holds well in the field without splitting.

Leeks

King Richard:

Asian Greens (includes Mustard and Choi)

Carlton:

Dragon’s Tongue:  40 days.  A beautiful mustard green.  Frilly, crinkled leaves are vibrant green with purple veins and thick, brilliant white midribs.  Full flavored and succulent without being overly spicy.

Green Wave:  21 days baby, 45 days full size.  Slowest to bolt mustard green.  Heavily curled, frilly, bright green leaves are great for salad mix or full size bunches.  Mustardy hot taste mellows when cooked.

Li Ren Choi:

Mei Qing Choi:  45 days.  Baby green stem Pac choi.  Flat, pale, misty green stems form a thick, heavy base with broad, oval, rich green leaves. The compact, vase shaped plant at full growth is about 8-10 inches tall, but perfectly formed at “baby” size when young. One of the most bolt resistant and uniform varieties.

Red Giant:  40 days.  Purple red leaf type, large leaf, smoothly pungent, ornamental or salad or garnish use.  Great for a little punch to your salads.

Rosie (F1):  45 days.  Versatile Pac choi adds a touch of red.  Excellent at micro mix, baby leaf, and full size. Red Choi changes from dark green leaves with maroon veins at micro size to dark maroon leaves with green undersides and thin green petioles at full size (12 inches).

Ruby Streaks:  40 days.  Leaves are finely serrated when young, oak leaf shaped when mature.  Leaves range from dark green with red veins to dark maroon leaves.  Leaves turn redder with cold temperatures.  Sweet flavor, just a touch of heat.

Scarlet Frills:

Southern Giant Curled:  Heavily curled, frilly, bright green leaves are great for salad mix or full-size bunches. Mustardy hot taste mellows when cooked.  Very cold tolerant.

Tatsoi:  21 days baby, 45 days mature.  Standard salad mix ingredient.  Leaves form a compact, thick rosett.  Long harvest period.  Mild taste for salads, stir fries, etc.  Thin to 6-8 inches apart for full sized rosettes.  Unique and easy to grow.  Excellent for fall and early winter harvests.

Onions

Bianca di Maggio:  80 days.  A classic cipollini Italian specialty.  Averages 2-3 inches in diameter and 1 ½ inch depth.  Great both young for green tops, or mature in braids.  Very mild flavor.

Cabernet:  100 days. Early yields of red onions. Cabernet produces medium large, globe shaped onions with deep red color. Great for our latitudes for fast production.

Evergreen Hardy White:  65 days. The most winter hardy bunching onion.  Sow in the fall for good overwintering.  May be handled as a perennial by dividing the clumps the second summer to produce a new crop.

Expression:  105 days.  Attractive, large, slightly flattened yellow bulbs with light brown skins.  Expression’s mild flavor was preferred in our trials.  Will store for approximately 4 months.  Excellent disease resistance.

Pearl Onion Eclipse:

Red Bunching:

Sweet Spanish White: 

Vidalia:

Walla Walla:  300 days fall planted. Juicy, sweet, regional favorite. In the Northwest, which has normal low winter temperatures above -10°F/-23°C, seed is sown in late August, and a crop of very large, flattened, ultra-mild onions is harvested early the next summer. Tends to be larger and sweeter than when spring sown.

White Lisbon:

Peas

Avalanche:  60 days. Fancy dark green pods. Pods are typically harvested at 3-4 inches but for extra fancy snow peas harvest at 2 inches. Plants are high yielding.  The vines average 36 inches and are of the semiafilia type, which produces more tendrils than typical peas. Tendrils make for excellent garnishes.  Grow with or without supports.

Sienna: 55 days. Shelling pea. Short 2 ft vines, huge crops of sweet flavorful peas.

Super Magnolia:  70 days. This violet podded snap pea is more than just a looker. The 4 inch pods are deliciously sweet, flavorful and most tender prior to plumping out fully. An absolutely spectacular addition to salads or veggie plates, the emerald green interior contrasts with the vibrantly colored pods. Climbing plants produce beautiful, bicolor, purple blooms and unique, extra vigorous tendrils to support vines that can stretch up to 7 feet tall.

Super Sugar Snap:  60 days.  A very powdery mildew resistant variety. Short 5 ft vines need trellising. This variety produces plump, seed, stringless pods, great raw or cooked.  Very early and vigorous.

Royal Snow: 

Radicchio

Castelfranco:  85 days.  Italian chicory. Produces loose heads, 3-4 inches, no need to cut back leaves for production. Creamy green and red spotted foliage is ruffled. Heads are quite stunning to look at. All the rage now in salads. Great for fall production.

Fiero:  90 days. Treviso style radicchio.  Colorful, tangy salad vegetable, the leaves are green to pink to red with white veins, cabbage sized heads.

Indigo:

Leonardo:  65 days.  A terrific choice for fall and winter harvest.  Very uniform 5 inch diameter, dense heads.  A bright purple color and flavor are enhanced in the cooler fall weather.  High bolt resistance.

Pallo Rosa:

Spinach

Bloomsdale:  30 days.  Dark green savoyed (crinkled) leaves are very sweet in salads.  Bounces back quickly after harvest.  Strong vigorous grower, very fast grower, and mildew resistant.

Space Spinach (F1):  50 days. Medium dark green leaves are upright and smooth to slightly savoyed. Resistant to downy mildew races 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 8, 11, and 12. Intermediate resistance to cladosporium leaf spot.

Swiss Chard

Bright Lights Swiss Chard:  28 days baby, 55 days bunching.  Multi colored chard – 1998 All America Selections winner.  Stems of many colors including gold, pink, orange, purple, red and white – with bright and pastel variations.  Lightly savoyed, green or bronze leaves.  The taste is milder than ordinary chard, with each color a bit different.  A favorite for home growers!

Fordhook Giant Chard:  60 days.  Introduced in 1924 by Burpee Seed, large green leaves with white stems.  Delicious and tasty.

Peppermint Chard:  53 days. Standing alone as the only two-toned Swiss chard, Peppermint’s clean white stems sport blazing fuchsia streaks, making it one of the most eye-catching varieties, but its coloration also reveals a potent antioxidant content. Topped off with wide, rumpled, lustrous, green leaves, Peppermint provides ample harvests of wholesome fresh greens for both warm and cool weather plantings.

Rhubarb Chard:  60 days. Large, thick and fleshy red stalks are 2 inches across at the base. Rhubarb’s deeply savoyed, rich dark green leaves contrast beautifully with its burgundy-red veins. Beautiful in omelets and mixed vegetable dishes. Grows to 24 inches tall.

Other Fall Vegetables and Herbs

Calendula, Alpha:  60 days.  Most plants produce 1 1/2-3″ yellow flowers and a small percentage produce orange blossoms with light-colored centers. Also known as pot marigold, common marigold, and Scotch marigold. Petals of the flowers can be used fresh or dried in “flower confetti,” soups, soufflés, rice dishes, baked goods, and to garnish desserts. Calendula is a popular choice for brightening up salad mix. Flavor is tangy and slightly bitter. Oil content is high, making this selection excellent for medicinal use.

Calendula, Cantaloupe:

Calendula, Flashback:

Calendula, Neon:

Celeriac Root:

Celery, Utah:

Cilantro:  Once daytime temperatures cool, cilantro can once again successfully grow and thrive, generally from September – December.

Dill:  Another leafy herb that performs much better with cooler temperatures.  September- November is best for good production.

Italian Parsley:  The preferred leaf parsley for winter growing, with flat leaves that are excellent fresh or cooked.   High in vitamin C, it is a good supplement to the winter salad mix.

Red Veined Sorrel:  Bright green leaves with contrasting dark maroon stems and veins add color and taste to salad mix. Same sharp, tangy lemony flavor as regular sorrel.  Best eaten when leaves are young, or harvest frequently to keep the leaf flavor best.

Rhubarb:

Romanesco Fennel:

Rutabaga:

Sorrel:  60 days.  Produces some of the earliest greens of spring and the latest of fall. The tender, fresh green leaves grow to about 8″ long and have an intense lemony flavor. Use sparingly in salads or generously in soups and sauces, especially with fish. French type. Perennial in USDA Zones 4-9.

Turnip: