How to plant a fall garden

Getting my hands dirty in the garden is so invigorating. It’s become a part of my (almost) daily routine, and my kids love helping out. Not only does it reduce stress and boost the immune system, it also gives me tasty, healthy vegetables. Gardening doesn’t have to be limited to summer crops. Here are some ways to extend your growing season with fall gardening.

Growing summer crops

When you think of a vegetable patch, you probably picture watering zucchinis and cucumbers during the hot summer months. Depending on your climate and what you’re growing, seeds will germinate in late spring, and then in the fall, when all your summer squash have turned into zucchini bread, it’s time to wrap things up.

But you don’t have to wait until next year to grow more plants: certain vegetables and herbs will also thrive in the cooler months of fall and winter.

Benefits of an autumn vegetable garden

As a family, we try to eat as much in season as possible, which means cold slices of watermelon in the heat of the summer and pumpkin pie in October. Some plants just thrive (or even thrive better) in cooler climates. For example, spinach thrives in early spring and fall, but by summer, it can become so overflowering that it’s practically inedible.

Fall gardening certainly has its advantages. In the summer, we tend our vegetable gardens early in the morning to avoid the heat. Fall crops, which thrive in cooler temperatures, don’t have that problem. They also have fewer pests and weeds than their summer counterparts. Not only do certain plants grow better in the cooler weather, they taste better, too.

Vegetables like Brussels sprouts and kale have more sugar in them after a frost, which makes them sweeter. Dandelions are another plant that turn sweet in the fall, making this the ideal time to make dandelion root tea.

List of plants to grow in your fall garden

If you want to get started on your fall garden, the first step is to decide what you want (and can) grow. Choose plants that have a short growing season, or that are specifically listed as fall vegetables. The best vegetables are those that can tolerate frost and cold weather. Some plants, like spinach, do well when planted in the fall and can even survive winter.

Here are some plants that are great for your fall garden.

Beets
radish
Brussels sprouts
Collards
Swiss chard (protect from frost)
Kale
Turnip
arugula
spinach
Bush beans (must be grown before frost or protected from frost)
Mustard greens
lettuce
carrot
White carrot
broccoli
Kohlrabi
Asian Green
beans

Recommended herbs and flowers for your fall garden

Not only do herbs make delicious dishes, they also make great companion plants to vegetables: basil among tomato plants, nasturtiums around squash plants. Some herbs and flowers have short growing seasons, but others thrive in cooler climates.

Another tip is to keep your herb garden in pots so you can bring it inside during the coldest months. Some herbs are annuals in some climates, but with a little care they can be grown as perennials. Many pollinators rely on these plants for the nutrients they need before their winter migration or hibernation.

Here are some herbs that grow well in the fall garden.

parsley
chervil
Rosemary
Sage
Chives
time
mint
lavender
coriander
marjoram

Flowers:

Nasturtium
Calendula
Marigold
Joe Pye Weed (good for pollinators)
Black Cohosh
New England Aster

When to start sowing seeds for your fall garden

Sowing time and planting times vary depending on your USDA hardiness zone and first frost date. Frost days are hereCold temperatures will slow plant growth, so you’ll need to add an extra two weeks to your growing season – for example, if your seed packet says it’s ready to harvest in 60 days, expect it to take closer to 74 days.

Some seeds can be germinated indoors and then transplanted. Examples include green beans and lettuce. Other seeds can be sown directly in the ground (such as root vegetables). Germinating plants indoors allows you to grow fall vegetables early while still having summer vegetables in the ground. For a fall harvest, transplants should be planted in the ground in late summer or early fall.

this is Really useful charts It tells you exactly when to plant different vegetables for a fall garden harvest.

Rotate crops to grow healthier plants

It’s also a good idea to rotate plant types so you don’t plant the same ones in the same spot year after year, as this depletes the soil of nutrients and plants don’t grow as well. Here’s why: if you planted tomatoes (a type of plant in the nightshade family) in a particular flower bed in summer, you can plant bush beans (a type of plant in the legume family) there in the fall.

Grow longer

There are a few ways to extend the growing season even further (especially if you live in an area with short summers): Cold frames and row covers can protect your plants from cold and light frosts, and if you’re lucky enough to have a greenhouse, you can use them to extend your harvest into the winter.

Cold frames are an economical way to insulate your plants and act as a mini greenhouse. They are great for small plants. For larger spaces, Ridge cover It may be a better option. A thicker fabric can increase the temperature by up to 10 degrees Fahrenheit.