For those of you who think after you got your garden in, during May and June, that your garden was in and done for the season may be surprised to know that there is another round of gardening that you can take advantage of: Fall Gardening.
You can grow just about anything in your fall garden that you would have wanted in your spring garden. I like to think of a fall garden as my ‘second chance’ when things don’t go as planned in the spring. I think seeds and seedlings grow better because our spring weather is just so unpredictable and by now we are in a pretty regular pattern, the soil is warm, the rains aren’t so cold, and seeds and seedlings just get off to a better start. If only we could wait until now to plant our summer gardens! But alas, winter comes too quick for that – but that cooler weather is what spring crops – cool crops – prefer.
After your summer garden is winding down and bare spots appear from pulling plants, digging potatoes, etc. you can fill those spots in with your fall planting. The benefit to a fall garden goes beyond fresh food later into the season – you can also keep your soil covered with useful plants which reduces weeds and keeps your soil thriving.
Cool weather crops can tolerate a frost, some even taste better after a frost. Cool weather crops include things like peas, greens, broccoli, cauliflower, kohlrabi, beets, carrots. Root crops can actually stay in the ground longer without being affected by a frost, too.
To figure out what you have time for, calculate your first frost date and count the days from the date you want to plant, until your first frost. Then, add up the number of days to germination and maturity from your seed packet. If those days fall within the number of days until our first frost, you are good to plant. Keep in mind that the first frost date is an average and is in no way predicting when our first frost will actually happen – you may get a longer growing season than anticipated. I say if you’re on the fence about planting something – give it a shot! You can cover some plants if need be later in the season to avoid frost damage. Days to maturity may vary according to variety, so if one variety looks like it may take too long, check out another!
What can still be planted?
- Beets – in fact you can plant these in succession for a continual harvest from spring through fall.
- Beans – you can also plant these in succession!
- Brassicas – cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, kohlrabi. Because these plants are maturing in the cool weather and not rushing to finish in the summer heat, you will get bigger heads and a lovely harvest. They can handle a light frost, which extends their season when nights freeze but days are still nice. *you would want to plant these in early August or late July
- Cucumbers – pickling cucumbers are fast maturing and will grow well for the same reasons stated for zucchini.
- Swiss chard
- Kale, collards. These develop a sweeter flavor after a frost.
- Turnips
- Bunching onions
- Carrots – these will get sweeter as the weather gets colder.
- Peas – peas hate warm temperatures, but they sprout better in warm soil. August planting is perfect for a strong start! They will sprout in the warm soil, then enjoy the cooler temperatures as the season winds down. The harvest will be longer now than in spring.
- Zucchini (yep! this fast maturing plant will actually do well in milder temperatures vs. high temperatures and a fall planting can avoid many of the common issues we struggle with every summer such as powdery mildew, stress and pests!)
Later August:
- Radishes
- Spinach
- Lettuces
Happy growing!