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11 Best Frost-Tolerant Vegetables To Plant in October

Depending on where you live, you may be able to plant vegetables this October for harvests during the cold months! Start some from seeds and others from starts. Find out which ones to plant alongside backyard gardener Jerad Bryant.

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Written by Horticulture review by Sarah Jay Last updated: October 10, 2025 | 4 min read

Frost-tolerant vegetables with tall, deeply wrinkled dark green leaves grow in a straw-mulched garden, thriving in October conditions.

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Some areas lack frosts altogether during the winter, but that is not the case for most of the U.S. Frosts arrive like clockwork in the fall as the days shorten and cold weather returns. They make it difficult to grow vegetables.

Fear not. There are crops that need cold weather to thrive, and some grow sweeter with frosts, like root crops, leafy greens, and bulbs. Plant these frost-tolerant vegetables in October for successful harvests this season and the next. 

In frost-free regions, plant these crops from fall through winter for a harvesting season during the cool months. They appreciate low temperatures, frosts, and the ample moisture that’s common in autumn. 

Ruby Queen Beet

Ruby Queen Beet Seeds

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Ruby Queen Beet Seeds

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Rosette Tatsoi Bok Choy

Rosette Tatsoi Bok Choy Seeds

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Rosette Tatsoi Bok Choy Seeds

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Green Express Cabbage

Green Express Cabbage

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Green Express Cabbage Seeds

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Beet ‘Ruby Queen’

A fresh bunch of round, ruby-red roots with smooth skin, long reddish stems, and broad green leaves with striking red veins rests on the table.
Cool weather turns their flavor richer and sweeter.
botanical-name botanical name Beta vulgaris ‘Ruby Queen’
sun-requirements sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
height height 12-18”
hardiness-zones hardiness zones 2-11

Beets are not only great frost-tolerant vegetables for October, but they also grow sweeter with frosts. They’re frost-tolerant when mature, and they thrive under cool weather. ‘Ruby Queen’ is one of the best varieties, as it’s quick to mature and versatile in the kitchen. 

Use ‘Ruby Queen’ beets for cooked meals, or process them with pickling, canning, or preserving. They hold up well for processing and retain their flavor in long-term storage. 

Plant beet seeds consecutively every two weeks up until a month or two before your first average frost date. Mulch them thickly to protect them from the cold, and keep them moist while they grow. 

Bok Choy ‘Rosette’

Close-up of compact, overlapping, spoon-shaped leaves with smooth, glossy green tops and pale white-green stems forming a neat rosette pattern.
Hardy greens thrive even when temperatures dip low.
botanical-name botanical name Brassica rapa ssp. narinosa ‘Rosette’
sun-requirements sun requirements Full sun
height height 4-6”
hardiness-zones hardiness zones 2-11

‘Rosette’ bok choy, or tatsoi, is one tough vegetable. It grows spoon-shaped leaves with crunchy stems, and they’re packed with flavor and nutrients. Use them in stir-fries, soups, and casseroles. 

This bok choy alternative is frost-tolerant and incredibly hardy. Grow it in a cold frame for greens through the winter, or replant it whenever the weather permits. It’s a great fall or spring vegetable. 

Brussels Sprouts ‘Long Island Improved’

Several upright plants growing in a row with thick green stems covered in neatly spaced small round sprouts, topped with broad, overlapping cabbage-like leaves with textured surfaces and wavy edges.
Improved varieties make sprouts finally worthy of praise.
botanical-name botanical name Brassica oleracea var. gemmifera ‘Long Island Improved’
sun-requirements sun requirements Full sun
height height 20-24”
hardiness-zones hardiness zones 2-11

Brussels sprouts used to have a bad reputation for being bland, bitter, and not tasty. Nowadays, they’re the prize dishes of Michelin-starred restaurants. What happened?

Plant breeders found a way to breed the bitter taste out of the sprouts. Try a variety like ‘Long Island Improved’ to enjoy the crunchy texture and improved flavor of today’s Brussels sprouts. 

Plant these frost-tolerant vegetables in October if you garden in a mild climate without hard freezes in winter. Otherwise, wait until spring to enjoy Brussels sprouts.

Cabbage ‘Green Express’

Compact leafy vegetables growing in the garden with tight round heads of smooth, pale green leaves surrounded by larger, darker outer leaves that spread outward with slightly wavy edges.
Tight green heads mature quickly for tasty meals.
botanical-name botanical name Brassica oleracea ‘Green Express’
sun-requirements sun requirements Full sun
height height 1-2’
hardiness-zones hardiness zones 2-11

‘Green Express’ forms a tight, well-packed head of cabbage in little time. It takes about 50 days after planting for the heads to form. Plant starts in early October, and you’ll have harvests as early as the end of November.

Or, consider overwintering cabbage. Plant seeds, then mulch the roots with plenty of compost. Light frosts turn the cabbage leaves sweeter, making them more flavorful for sauerkraut and roasted dishes. 

Fava Bean

Upright green plants with sturdy square stems, broad oval leaves with smooth edges, and clusters of white flowers marked with dark purple-black spots blooming along the leaf axils.
Leafy plants protect the soil while offering spring beans.
botanical-name botanical name Vicia faba
sun-requirements sun requirements Full sun
height height 2-6’
hardiness-zones hardiness zones 2-11

Fava beans are dual-purpose vegetables in the garden. They work as cover crops to insulate the soil through winter, and they produce edible beans in spring. Plant them in October as cover crops, then sow seeds again in spring for the legumes.

Fava beans planted after the summer solstice will not flower. They need lengthening days and shortening nights to flower. When you plant these frost-tolerant vegetables in October, they’ll stay leafy, working like cover crops. 

Garlic

Rows of upright green plants with tall, slender, strap-like leaves that taper to pointed tips, growing closely together in neat lines in the garden bed.
Frosty months encourage cloves to multiply before spring.
botanical-name botanical name Allium sativum
sun-requirements sun requirements Full sun
height height 1-1.5’
hardiness-zones hardiness zones 4-9

October falls in the ideal planting range for garlic. Unlike other vegetables, this root crop needs frost to thrive. It uses the cold weather to split into multiple portions. Then, in spring, the portions swell into cloves. 

Get garlic in the ground this fall for harvests next summer. Grow hardneck types up north, and softneck types in mild climates. 

Dinosaur Kale

Rows of tall leafy greens with elongated, deeply wrinkled, dark blue-green leaves that have a pebbled texture and prominent central veins, standing upright in the garden bed.
Baby greens or full leaves satisfy every craving.
botanical-name botanical name Brassica oleracea ‘Lacinato’
sun-requirements sun requirements Full sun
height height 2-4’
hardiness-zones hardiness zones 2-11

Dinosaur kale is a fall favorite. Plant these frost-tolerant vegetables this October for tasty leaves through early winter. They may overwinter in regions without hard freezes. 

Harvest kale seedlings for baby greens, or let the plants mature for full-size leaves. Add plenty of compost on top of the plants’ roots to insulate them through the cold months. 

Mini-Romaine Lettuce ‘Little Gem’

Compact leafy greens with small, tightly packed heads of crisp, upright leaves that are bright green with slightly ruffled edges, growing neatly in the garden bed.
Small romaine grows fast, ideal for cold seasons.
botanical-name botanical name Lactuca sativa ‘Little Gem’
sun-requirements sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
height height 6”
hardiness-zones hardiness zones 2-11

‘Little Gem’ forms tight, small heads full of romaine leaves. It’s quick-growing because of its small stature, making it ideal for planting in October. 

‘Little Gem’ matures in as little as 20 days. Pick young leaves for baby greens, or let the heads mature for up to two months before harvesting. 

Onion

Upright green plants with long, tubular leaves and partially exposed round bulbs growing in neat rows in a sunny garden bed.
Winter planting gives early starts for growing success.
botanical-name botanical name Allium cepa
sun-requirements sun requirements Full sun
height height 1-1.5’
hardiness-zones hardiness zones 5-10

Onions form bulbs when they grow properly. They need short or long days to mature, depending on the variety. Short-day onions grow best in southern areas, while long-day types grow better in the northern states. Intermediate onions grow well in between the two regions. 

Plant these frost-tolerant vegetables in October for seedlings that overwinter. You won’t have bulbs to pick this year, but you’ll have a head start on the growing season next spring. 

Shallot

A large, freshly harvested bunch of shallot plants with smooth, elongated, reddish-purple bulbs, long green stems, and slender, tubular leaves lying together.
Early seedlings grow slowly, bringing kitchen delight later.
botanical-name botanical name Allium cepa
sun-requirements sun requirements Full sun
height height 1-1.5’
hardiness-zones hardiness zones 5-10

Shallots are like mini onions. They have a soft flavor that many prefer when cooking, especially in fine dining. Most varieties have purple skin, though there are shallots of all kinds and colors. 

Shallots, like onions, will overwinter under cover. Plant seeds this October for seedlings next spring.

If you can’t wait to harvest, plant seedlings now to use as green onions. Trim the seedlings when they appear, and use the fresh clippings in your meals. 

Swiss Chard

Leafy plants with large, crinkled dark green leaves and thick, vibrant stems in shades of red, yellow, and green growing upright in the garden.
Vibrant shoots appear, surprising in every corner.
botanical-name botanical name Beta vulgaris ssp. vulgaris
sun-requirements sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
height height 1-2’
hardiness-zones hardiness zones 2-11

Swiss chard grows whether you want it to or not! It’ll reseed itself readily in the home garden, and you’ll find colorful seedlings throughout your beds. Grow some seedlings this October and you’ll never have to plant chard again. 

Chard is a biennial. It grows leaves in its first year. Then, it bolts to produce flowers and seeds the next year. Harvest it in the first year to prevent it from reseeding. Or, let it flourish if you’d like it to continue growing in your garden.

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