When is the best time to plant a winter garden & what do you plant?

Hello Ann! Louisiana grows a great winter garden — especially root vegetables. Click on the link below to get specifics!

http://www.nola.com/homegarden/index.ssf/2015/11/winter_vegetable_planting_tips.html

Congratulations! You will have lots of fun! Here are a couple links for you.

https://www.ufseeds.com/learning/planting-schedules/Zone-9-Planting-Calendar

https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/garden-how-to/gardening-by-zone/zone-9-10-11/zone-9-vegetable-planting-guide.htm

Ann - my maiden name is Goodwin! I live in Western NY; but know people who live in Louisiana. I've had great luck with lettuces, kales, chard, all kinds of peas. All this stuff will take a light frost, too; but I planted mine right near the house. Have fun with it!

When starting your garden in fall/winter, I have discovered that my favorite method is to do a sandwich compost bed with a few inches of soil on the top. Start by lying down cardboard directly on the ground where you want the garden bed to be, then layer some green nitrogen rich compost (leaves, grass shavings, any season plants that you need to dispose of) etc. If you can, add a layer of manure from cow, horse, chickens, rabbits, or whatever is available (no carnivore droppings), then add another layer of cardboard. repeat until you have used up all of your yard clippings. Top with the soil.

Preparing your soil this way is my favorite option because it give your new compost garden several months to decompose so that you have an amazingly fertile garden bed the next spring!

Ideal fall/winter frost friendly plants are usually dark green leafy veggies like any kind of lettuces, kales, brussel sprouts, broccolis, cauliflowers, and spinach. There are also certain medicinal herbs that do well. I think echinacea is one of them.

When deciding what to plant, the first thing you need to do is find out your grow zone. It looks like Louisiana is mostly 8 and 9.

When looking at seed packets, the backs will tell you the best times to plant them for your area. If you intend to do seeds, a lot of them might need to be started indoors early spring. If you are buying already grown plants, then kales tend to be the prettiest for winter. If you want this garden to be a flower garden, you should plant your spring bulbs (daffodils, tulips, crocuses, hyacinths) now.

Good luck and have fun!