Fall Gardening Tips: When is the best time to plant my fall vegetable garden in your area?
People tend to view spring and early summer as the best times to tend to their garden. In reality, Fall gardening is the most pleasant.
There is nothing better than being outside in the cool air and when the leaves are changing. You’d be amazed at the variety of things you can plant and harvest once the seasons change.
If you have already packed away your shears, trowels, and gloves for the season, you can grab them from the shed and spend some more time in your favorite spot. There are so many things you could do before the winter months to make the most of your time outdoors.
We are now in the dog days, no matter how carefully you staked your tomatoes and pulled weeds. The veggie garden plants will either have bolted or succumbed to various insects and diseases or been eaten or eaten by the deer. They are coming, even if they haven’t yet. The gradual decline in spring and summer vegetable plantings does not have to be the end of the food gardening season. Many people overlook the importance of planting now for the fall harvest. You can expect a 120-day cycle if you start in August and work your way forward.
What plants do well in a fall-garden?
There are many vegetables that you can grow in your garden before the winter chill hits. Growing A Greener World claims that cooler temperatures actually repel pests and other diseases which can plague summer gardens.
Even though they may require some protection from cold wintry frost damage, most plants can be grown in the fall. They just might have different growing instructions for the cooler months.
- When planning the fall harvest most people go right to the cabbages, kales, and other frost/freeze tolerant crops — the so-called cole crops.
- There are many frost-tolerant crops that you can plant right away and still get a good harvest.
- Bush beans are a great choice for fall planting, as they harvest earlier than pole beans and produce more.
- Sweet corn is another option for early August that many people are surprised by. Many of us will stand on our heads and ask the garden gods for sweet corn to be planted as soon as possible. You have to be the first one to harvest some ears. The early maturing varieties are worth trying right away. Sweet corn can be sown in warm, sunny summer soil and harvested as soon as October, with maturation times as short as 58 to 60 days.
- There are also obvious choices. You can grow root crops like carrots, radishes, and turnips late in the season.
- You can plant many vegetables late in the summer or early in the autumn. Arugula is a type of lettuce that grows well. Even in cold soil, it germinates in a matter of weeks.
- For a late fall harvest, both broccoli and cauliflower can be planted at the end of August or early September.
- Brussels sprouts require warm weather in order to germinate. However, they are super resilient so they will be fine once they sprout.
- You can still plant many vegetables throughout the year, even if temperatures drop. These include carrots which are slow growing but great for fall gardening. There’s also garlic and onions. You can easily grow garlic, but you will need to research which kind of onions you should plant based on your location.
- You can also take your shot by planting fall kohlrabi and Swiss chard.
What crops should you harvest in the fall?
If you have been gardening for some time, you know that fall harvest is the best. However, if you harvest in fall, it means you must plant them somewhere in the summer.
- June and July are the best months to plant fall harvest crops. These include parsnips, celeriac, winter squash, leeks, pumpkins, and rutabagas. They should be sown early as they can take up to 120 days for them to germinate, grow and harvest.
- In the later part of the summer, during July and August, you can plant vegetables for the fall harvest. These include turnips, endives, and winter radishes. Each one of these crops takes up to 80 days before they are fully grown and ready for harvest.
- Finally, if you have planted any of these items in August, you will be able to harvest them this fall: lettuce, mesclun greens, and mustards.
Although fall may be almost here, that doesn’t necessarily mean the end of the gardening season. It’s actually just the beginning for many.
What are cole crops? When should I plant them and what do they look like?
The cole crops are, however, the most popular fall vegetables.
- All of these vegetables, including cabbage, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, and kohlrabi, love cooler temperatures and are tolerant to light freeze exposure.
- They are all great for seeding. The cole crops have a smaller fan base than the regal tomatoes and other summer garden stars.
- Brussels sprouts are similar to the way partially fermented balsawood might taste.
The late- and early-season cole crops. What is the origin of cole? And why are these pungently flavored and aroma-ed crops being grown under?
The Latin “caulis”, which roughly translates to “stem or stalk”, is most commonly used for plants with thickened stalks. Many brassicas go to great lengths to make sure this happens. This “caulis” has evolved into the German word cole, which is the name for cabbage. Have you ever tried coleslaw?
What is a cold crop?
This term is used to describe any crop that prefers cooler weather both true cole and non-brassicas such as lettuce and peas.
The fall crops are worth trying, no matter how you view them or whether you love kohlrabi as much as summer tomatoes. It’s so much better than trying to get that last tomato from a dying vine!