Now that we are in the midst of summer, it is a good time to begin planning your fall garden. If you thought spring was the only season for blooming, think again! Your garden can remain colorful and vigorous with some vegetables fitting or fall harvest. While most of the vegetables we’ve listed below can grow in any season, the cooling temperatures of the fall bring out their best flavors and healthiest qualities—planting them during different seasons can cause botched appearances and bitter tastes. Before you begin, use an online almanac to calculate when the first frost will be in your region; knowing when the first fall frost will occur will help you better arrange your plantings.
Beets
For fall harvest, plant beets 10 to 12 weeks before the first fall frost. Keep seedlings in moist soil during the last days of summer, but take care to not overwater, as it may cause the soil to crust at the surface and impede the beets’ growth.
Broccoli
The best time to plant broccoli is ten weeks before the first frost, and seedlings take about 70 days to mature. This makes the end of summer the perfect season for planting. Because it is still hot around this time, make sure to keep the soil cool and moist for your broccoli seedlings.
Brussels Sprouts
Start planting brussels sprouts now during mid-summer to bring out their best taste! These leafy greens take about 90 days (or 3 months) to emerge from the soil, and are ready to harvest during autumn when they are green and rigid. Their high tolerance to fall frosts makes them an ideal plant to keep in your fall garden.
Cabbage
Cabbage can be planted 6 to 8 weeks before the first frost. If temperatures are still high in your area at this time, simply make sure the seedlings are protected from the sun and always embedded in rich, moist soil.
Lettuce
Lettuce loves growing in cool temperatures! Propagate lettuce seedlings sometime during the last few days of summer. They will be ready to harvest between 45 to 60 days after planting depending on they type of lettuce. Like cabbage, lettuce feeds heavily and should be kept in moist soil away from direct sunlight.
Peas
These fast growers thrive in cooler temperatures! You can select a short-season variety of peas to plant now and harvest in the beginning of fall. Most varieties are ready to harvest between 4 to 6 weeks after sowing.
Pumpkins
We are so used to seeing pumpkins during the fall that it hardly occurs to us that during that season, pumpkins are being harvested, not grown. Depending on the type, pumpkins mature somewhere between 90 to 120 days, meaning they should planted now during the mid-summer because of their long growing season.
Radish
You can plant radish 4 to 6 weeks before the first frost, a little later in the year in comparison to other veggies on this list. Be sure to plant them in rich, well-drained soil, and check on them regularly as they tend to mature fast. Harvest them when they are of edible size in the early fall.
Spinach
Fall is spinach’s favorite season due to its short days and cool temperatures— it can survive temperatures as low as 20 degrees Fahrenheit! Sow spinach seeds in fertile soil about 5 weeks before the first frost. The leaves should be ready to harvest 45 days or more after sowing.
Do you have other tips for planning a great fall garden? Let us know in the comments!
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[Source: hgtv.com, pallensmith.com]
