Get your vegetable garden ready for fall harvests. It’s not too late. Labor Day is six weeks from the average first frost date for our area, Oct. 15. That means a quick turnaround for fall vegetables.
I’ve done a roundup of plants that don’t mind cooler temperatures and some that tolerate frost. Many fall veggies are the same as spring veggies going in reverse. Instead of germinating in cold soil that warms up, they germinate in warmer soil that grows cooler. This can affect the flavor in good ways, with the sugar content rising.
How to prepare
Plants can be started from seed or as transplants. Many nurseries have fall vegetable starters now. Read the label and pay attention to these details:
Days to Maturity — This number indicates how quickly you can harvest the produce.
Germination Temperature — This range shows the minimum and maximum at which the seeds can begin to grow. The range is for soil temperature optimization. Air temperatures can go warmer or cooler by at least 10 degrees. Skip the peppers, tomatoes and cucumbers, which thrive in hotter temperatures. Also, skip plants that need longer to reach maturity, such as squash and melons.
While Oct. 15 is our first average frost date in this area, it can vary within microclimates based on altitude, sun exposure, rocky areas, proximity to a body of water and other variables that make your site warmer or cooler than the average.
Be aware of warnings as fall advances. These range from frost (which can cause minor damage at 33 degrees, with wind gusts influencing the impact), freeze (below 32 degrees, which will damage plants that aren’t protected) and hard freeze (below 28 degrees, which will kill plants that aren’t protected).
To extend the growing season into late fall and maybe winter, set up a row cover or hoop house. Supplies are available from nurseries. You’ll need a special cloth that allows light, water and air to filter through, a structure that holds up the fabric and gives the plants room to grow and fasteners that create a seal by pinning the fabric to the soil. This protection holds in heat, keeping the soil warm for an extended period. It’s possible to find kits that contain all the supplies.
What to plant
Note: I used the Fedco seed catalog and made myself both hungry and eager to plant the garden.
Spinach: With six weeks to maturity, you can enjoy it by mid-October. It prefers cooler temperatures and won’t bolt in the fall like in summer.
Beets (Early Wonder): These sweet and large beets are ready to pick in 48 days. Cooler temperatures make them sweeter.
Cabbage (Murdoc): This cabbage is best grown in the fall and, like beets, the cool temperatures make it taste sweeter. This variety is ready to harvest in 40 to 60 days.
Chard: Fall cooking means hardy greens in my house and this chard is ready in around 55 days.
Kale: Crinkly kale leaves are ready to harvest in 55 to 62 days and will grow through November in the right conditions.
Arugula: This is my favorite salad green, and it delivers in five weeks. It’s by far the easiest and quickest turnaround for fall growing.
Lettuce: There are so many good choices for salad greens, including red leaf, butter and oak leaf. Try a few for variety. Lettuce will tolerate a hard frost and is ready to start harvesting in a month or two, depending on what you plant.
Scallions: This onion cousin will spruce up fall dishes. Look for a hard variety that might overwinter and begin growing in the spring, too.
Radish: Add some to that salad; they’re ready in three to four weeks. Although they are not as pungent in cooler weather, the speedy return is worth the space.
Snow peas: The best time to plant was a few weeks ago, but it’s still worth a try. It’s typically 60 days to maturity but frost will stop production. The vines are nitrogen-fixing for the soil and a good compost addition if the weather doesn’t cooperate. With our warmer climate, fall pea harvests will become more common.
Carrots: Harvest times can vary from six to 10 weeks. Fortunately, there are flavorful options with shorter growing needs. Look for those labeled as “early season” rather than “main season” for the best luck this fall.
