Are you wanting to extend your harvest by starting a fall garden? But not sure what to plant in the fall? We’re going to help you out with all of your questions about what to plant and when to start your fall garden in this article. Whether you are new to gardening or have had a garden before doing a fall garden can feel a little overwhelming. But I promise it’s easier than you think- and a great way to try veggies that you don’t normally grow.
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Why Plant A Fall Garden
Planting a fall garden is a wonderful way to extend your harvest well into the fall when many of the plants you sowed in the spring have died back. If you live in the south like we do your growing season for plants that thrive in cooler weather is pretty short so this is the perfect opportunity to squeeze another harvest of things like brassicas.
Having a fall garden also allows you to beat some of the bugs that were out in force in the early summer.
What To Plant In The Fall
Maybe you’re new to gardening, or you just need some ideas of what to plant in the fall here are some great vegetables that you can grow in your garden.
In the Southern regions of the USA:
- Beets
- Cabbage
- Kale
- Lettuce
- Leeks
- Beans [Learn how to plant and grow beans]
- Broccoli
- Brussel Sprouts
- Turnips
- Celeriac
- Kohlrabi
- Bok Choy & Pok Choy
- Collards
- Green Onions
- Lettuce
- Parsnips
- Cauliflower
- Peas
- Radish
- Pumpkins (sow these in mid-summer for fall harvest)
- Mustard Greens
- Rutabega
- Spinach
- Chard
- Scallions
- Squash
- Zucchini
- Cucumber
- Lima Beans
- Arugula
- Fennel
- Garlic [Learn how to plant and grow garlic]
- Carrots
Check the back of your packages of seeds to find how many days they take to reach maturity when you are trying to decide on what to plant in the fall so you know if you have enough time to grow them before your first frost.
If you live in the Northern Regions of the USA now is a great time to plant:
- Carrots
- Rutabega
- Turnips
- Radish
- Greens
- Lettuce
When you are picking what to plant in the fall, choose varieties that are quick-growing and can hold up to frosts.
When To Start A Fall Garden
This is a question we hear quite a bit and it’s really going to depend on where you live. As a general rule of thumb, you should start getting your fall garden ready to go by the end of July early August. Start your seedlings, begin filling in the empty slots in your garden, or pulling out the spring crops and replacing them.
You can read more about how to start and plan a fall garden and planting a fall garden.
Growing A Fall A Garden
Once you’ve decided what to plant in the fall to extend your garden harvest, it’s important to prepare where you’re going to be growing them.
- Remove any dead, or spent plants to make room.
- Remove any weeds.
- If necessary add a bit of compost to the soil.
Star the seedlings inside where it won’t be as hot after a couple of weeks begin sitting your plants out on cloudy days or under shelter. In about 3 weeks begin transplanting seedlings out into your garden. It’s really important to keep your seedlings well watered (even a bit of drought can set your garden back and you are racing the clock with this batch of veggie).
Have a question about what to plant in the fall? Drop it in the comments and we will do our best to answer it.
Before you go, check these out!
- How To Start A Vegetable Garden From Scratch
- What To Plant In September
- Preparing Your Garden For Winter
- Gardening Essentials For The Fall Gardener
