As the excitement of the Summer Olympics is winding down, so are our summer gardens. But that doesn’t mean it’s the end of the gardening season. If you have never grown a fall garden you are in for a treat. The cooler, less humid weather is perfect for many vegetables, keeping them healthy and stress-free. With fewer pests around, your crops have a better chance of thriving without getting damaged. Plus, you get to enjoy fresh, homegrown produce well into late autumn, and even beyond, by extending your harvest season. And let’s not forget, fall is the perfect time to grow those vegetables that just can’t handle the summer heat.
Many fall vegetables are quite hardy and can tolerate frosts, making them ideal for cooler weather. Here are some that are particularly frost-tolerant:
- Kale – Kale’s flavor actually improves after a light frost, becoming sweeter.
- Brussels Sprouts – Brussels sprouts can survive even after several frosts and continue to grow.
- Spinach – Spinach can handle frosts and continues to produce tender leaves.
- Carrots – Carrots can be left in the ground and harvested even after the first frost.
- Broccoli – Broccoli is resilient to light frosts and can continue to produce.
- Cabbage – Cabbage can withstand frost and may become sweeter as a result.
- Collard Greens – Like kale, collard greens are hardy and frost-tolerant.
- Beets – Beets tolerate frost and can be harvested even after a light freeze.
- Cauliflower – While more sensitive than others, cauliflower can still handle light frosts.
- Turnips – Turnips can survive light frosts and continue to grow well into fall.
These vegetables not only survive the cold but often taste better after a light frost.
Seeds or Transplants?
Growing certain fall vegetables from seed rather than transplants can be beneficial, especially for crops that either don’t transplant well or have fast growth cycles suited for direct sowing by seed. These vegetables have short maturity days, are frost-tolerant, and often do better when directly sown, allowing them to establish strong roots and adapt to the cooler fall weather.
- Carrots – Carrots do not transplant well, so they should be direct-sown.
- Beets – Like carrots, beets prefer to be direct-sown to avoid disturbing their roots.
- Turnips – Turnips grow quickly from seed and are best direct-sown.
- Radishes – Radishes mature quickly and are typically direct-sown for fast harvesting.
- Spinach – Spinach can be direct-sown and often does better this way in cooler fall weather.
- Arugula – Arugula grows rapidly and is best direct-sown for continuous harvests.
- Peas – Peas can be direct-sown in the fall for a quick, cool-weather crop.
- Mustard Greens – Mustard greens are fast growers and thrive when direct-sown.
- Cilantro – Cilantro prefers cool weather and can be direct-sown in the fall.
- Lettuce (loose-leaf varieties) – Loose-leaf lettuce varieties are direct-sown and can be sown every 14 days for successive harvests. Stop planting 1 month before frost.
Other fall vegetables are best either started indoors several weeks before your first frost or purchased as transplants and then moved into the garden. Here are some fall plants that benefit from being grown by transplant:
1. Broccoli- Broccoli thrives in cooler weather, making it perfect for fall planting. Starting it indoors about 6-8 weeks before the first frost and then transplanting it into the garden ensures it has enough time to mature before the cold sets in. If you are a beginning gardener, or do not start your own plants, purchase at a garden center.
2. Cabbage- Cabbage needs a long growing season, so starting it indoors and transplanting it into your fall garden gives it the head start it needs. The cool weather helps it form tight, sweet heads.
3. Collard Greens-By using transplants, you can often harvest collard greens sooner than if you started them from seed directly in the garden.
4. Kale-Kale is incredibly cold-hardy and can be grown from seed, but starting it indoors and transplanting helps ensure a quicker harvest. Transplants also handle the cooler nights of fall better, leading to robust growth.
5. Brussels Sprouts-Brussels sprouts require a long growing season, so starting them indoors and transplanting is crucial for a successful fall harvest. They develop best in cooler temperatures, which makes fall the ideal time to grow them.
6. Lettuce-While lettuce can be direct-seeded, transplanting can give you a head start on your fall salads. It allows you to avoid the hottest part of summer and ensures a quicker harvest as the weather cools. I like to purchase transplants when growing head lettuce such as Buttercrunch,Bibb or Romaine. They have a longer growing period and do better when grown as transplants.
Don’t think your gardening season is over just because you picked the last tomato! Fall is actually a great time to grow vegetables that can’t tolerate the summer heat and allows you to keep enjoying fresh produce well into cold weather.
Happy Gardening,
Karen