12 Top Vegetables to Grow in the Fall
As the summer begins to wind down, you can sense the door beginning to close on your sweet, home garden that you spent hours working on. Many might be under the impression that the growing season is over.
I’m here to share some great news – that is not the case. In fact, there are many vegetables that do best in cool climates. Planting mid to late summer can ensure that you will have a garden that continues to grow and providing you with rich nutrient veggies straight into the fall. With some planning you can have a vibrant fall garden.
Top Vegetables to Grow in the Fall
Here is a list of the twelve of the best vegetables to grow in the fall.
Radishes are a must have for your fall home garden. They are one of the easiest seeds to sow as they can be planted in early spring through late fall. Radishes have a short growing season – about 30 – 40 days, so they make for an idea vegetable to plant to get fast results. The greens of an organic radish plant will provide you and your family with some of the best nutrients on the planet. They are a perfect addition to any green monster.
There is nothing like the flavor of homegrown, organic garlic. While it is another plant that can be planted in early spring, it is best planted in fall. While you will have to wait till spring to harvest this flavorful veggie, it will be worth the wait.If you live in an area that gets hard frost, plan to plant your garlic 6-8 weeks before a potential hard frost. You can plant garlic by finding the right cloves for the area you live in. Pull them apart keeping the papery parts on. You will notice shoots coming up into the early spring as garlic takes ninety days to come to harvest.
Roasted cauliflower is out of this world, so who wouldn’t want to add this amazing veggie to the list for a fall garden? However, growing cauliflower is not for the faint of heart. So, if you are up for a challenge, then growing these amazing vegetables is a great choice. Their inability to tolerate heat or cold makes them a fickle and difficult to grow.Starting from a transplant might be a good option if you continue to find this to be the case. However, if you are anything like me, you can’t turn a good challenge down. The reward of harvesting your own homegrown, organic cauliflower out of your garden will be worth all the time it takes to grow these vegetables. Plant your cauliflower seeds six to eight weeks before the first frost. If temperatures get too hot you can shield them and provide shade. They prefer temperatures around the 60s.
Can you imagine having an instant salad from spring through fall? When timed right, you can have continuous salad harvests. This classic veggie likes cooler climates and can be planted early summer to later fall. If you are worried that it will get too hot for them you can plant them next to other plants that might provide partial shade to help protect them.
This vitamin rich vegetable grows great in both spring and fall as it prefers cooler climates and can thrive in soil temperatures as low as 40 degrees. Planting seeds in mid to late summer will provide you with a fall harvest.
Rutabaga might not get as much credit, but their great ability to grow in cool temperatures make them great for a fall harvest. Their mild but rich flavor make them a great addition to a soup or stew. Make sure to give these root vegetables time to grow as they need 80 – 100 days from planting to harvest.
Beet are another root vegetable that does great in the fall. They take about 50 – 70 days from planting to harvest. They can handle extreme cold and even frost.
These slow growing veggies will not only provide you will amazing vitamins, but are a great source of protein and are a great addition to your fall garden. Their long – bearing shape will bring a fun diversity to your garden.Their love for the cold weather makes them an ideal veggie to plant in the fall. In fact, if they are grown in weather that is too warm their taste might come out bitter and weak. Brussel sprouts’ flavor will even increase if they experience a frost or two. So no need to worry about those babies as the fall bears on.
If you are looking for a fast growing, nutrient rich, tasty vegetable, then spinach is a perfect choice. Spinach can be grown in both spring and fall, but are best suited for the fall season. They tend to bolt when the days of summer lengthen. The cool, short days of fall allow for spinach to thrive. You can plant this cold – tolerant plant up to six to eight weeks before the first frost of winter. Spinach will provide you with a great salad or a nutrient packed shake. When harvesting spinach, pick the outside leaves and leave the ones in the middle. This will allow the plant to continue to grow and produce beautiful, green leaves for you.- Cabbage
Cabbage is one of the world’s most healthiest foods. Can you imagine being able to make your own, fresh, organic sauerkraut? With rich soil, plenty of water and fertilization you will be providing cabbage with everything it needs for steady, uninterrupted growth. Cabbage is another veggie that does great in both spring and fall.
One of my most favorite vegetable to eat right off the vine in my garden is the sugar snap pea. The crunchy and crisp texture combined with their sweet flavor makes sugar snap pea an amazing addition to your fall garden. Sugar snap peas like cool, damp weather making them ideal for the fall.
Swiss chard’s glorious colors makes it not just a beautiful addition to your garden, but a nutritious one. They happen to be one of the only vegetable that can handle both cold and warm weather well and therefore can be grown all summer long.
Cabbage
Take Away
Gardening does not have to be just a summer experience, but can be enjoyed long into the fall. It is truly amazing how many vegetables not only can tolerate, but thrive in cool climates. Being mindful of when to plant your veggies will provide you with a vibrant garden that will grow right in the fall.
Over to You
What is your favorite vegetable to grow from this list? Do you grow a fall garden? We would love to hear your thoughts.
