Even as the crocuses begin emerging from the moss and leaf litter, it is time to give some thought to next fall and winter. Why? Because now is the time to plan for vegetable crops to store for the off season. Having a cellar (or other space) stocked with vegetables that keep well means you can have fresh produce during the coldest weather. While you study the seed catalogs, make sure to look for varieties that keep. We have had great luck with several.

Leeks

I am just now using the last of the summer's crop of leeks. This variety is an un-named cultivar from Mayo Seed Company here in Knoxville. We start them in January or February, transplant in April, and harvest all season. In late summer we pull them all, trim the tops and roots and store them in plastic bags in the refrigerator. This year, we are going to grow another variety, 'King Sieg'. Developed specifically for overwintering, it will grow under plastic, from which we hope to begin harvesting about this time next year.

Turnips

Turnips sown in early fall yielded a fine crop that we are still enjoying. Try substituting turnips for all or part of the potatoes in your favorite beef stew recipe, and you will see why we grow this old-fashioned vegetable. The variety we prefer is 'Purple Top White Globe', which my grandfather grew a hundred years ago. When the majority of roots have reached the size you prefer (tennis ball size, in our case), pull them all, wash off the dirt and trim the tops to 1/2 inch. Also trim off any long, hairy roots. Dry them well with a towel and store in the crisper drawer of the refrigerator, or in plastic vegetable bags.

Brassicas

Cabbage and kohlrabi both store well. Look for cultivars that are good keepers. Also consider varieties that can overwinter successfully under cover. We are going to try both broccoli ('Thompson') and cabbage ('Savoy Perfection') in the cold frames. For storage, we've selected 'Round Dutch' and 'Salad Delight' cabbages. Plants of both are growing happily under lights, and will be ready to transplant to the spring cold frame in just a few more weeks. After harvesting around Memorial Day, we will store them in the refrigerator, where they should keep until the winter crop is harvestable.

Carrots

Carrots are legendary keepers, and we have also had good luck just leaving them in the ground. I had planned to mulch the carrot bed with straw to protect the roots from freezing, but so far winter has been mild enough that I've not needed to bother. The cultivar we have is 'Danvers 126,' and we will certainly grow this carrot again. In late spring, we grew 'Kaleidoscope,' which produces carrots in an array of colors, including standard orange, yellow, white and purple. Besides being extra-tasty, Kaleidoscope keeps well in the crisper and would be a good candidate for root cellaring.

Beets

Beets, like carrots, are easy to store. Just trim the roots and tops and place them in the crisper. Most of the beets we raise go into pickles, however.

Winter Squash

Hard-skinned squashes like 'Waltham Butternut' are excellent keepers. They store best in a cool, dry, well-ventilated spot. Look for cultivars of the species Cucurbita moschata. This squash has excellent resistance to vine borers, which can be a serious problem in Tennessee. in addition, several cultivars, including 'Waltham,' can be used like summer squash. Not all of these keep well when mature, however.

Tomatoes and Peppers

Look for cultivars of tomatoes and peppers that have been selected for their keeping qualities. Besides obvious choices, such as 'Long Keeper' tomatoes, heirlooms such as 'Cherokee Purple' may have good keeping quality. When harvested before fully ripe, Cherokee Purple continues to ripen very slowly. Planted to yield a late crop in early October, it produced fruits that remained fresh for Christmas dinner. We wrap individual fruits in newspaper and store them at room temperature in shallow cardboard boxes. Wrapping prevents any that go bad from affecting the remainder.

Other vegetables with good keeping qualities include potatoes, sweet potatoes, onions, shallots, garlic, parsnips, Belgian endive and celery root. With a little advance planning, you can harvest any of them late in the season and store them for winter. Plan now, so you will have seed on hand and the space available in the garden by late summer. Most fall harvested crops need to be planted by the end of July. Crops that will overwinter with protection can wait a little longer.