These Winter Edibles Give Cool-Season Harvests While Protecting Soil from Winter Weather

Because the following cool-season crops are direct-sown as seeds, your kids can help to plant these seeds observe them as they develop all winter long.

Reader Contribution by Joshua Burman Thayer
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Photo by Joshua Burman Thayer

As the first rains dapple the landscape, we still have an opportunity to plant our (California) winter cover crops. These crops will sprout directly in place in your raised beds and grow throughout our wet-cool season.

Edible Cover Crops for Winter

Cover crops help protect the soil from the damaging winter rain drops. Further, cover crops create organic matter to turn into the spring garden for fertility. Because the following cool-season crops are direct-sown as seeds, your kids can help to plant these seeds and help observe them as they develop all winter long.

Fava beans. Wondrous source of homegrown protein and compost. Space 1 foot apart. Plant them 1 inch deep and watch them grow sky high.

Sugar snap peas. Kids love the sugary taste of peas. Space 1 foot apart. Plant them 1 inch deep and watch them climb.

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