Fall Vegetable Gardens

The end of summer need not signal the end of gardening. Did you know that many vegetables are adapted to growing in fall? It's true. In fact, most vegetables actually grow better during the fall season. With cooler weather and fewer insects, vegetables, especially those that mature quickly, can flourish and retain more flavor.

Identify the first frost date in your region. Then research the days to maturity (found on seed packets and plant labels) for the vegetables you would like to grow. Count back from the first frost date to determine the most appropriate planting time. Keep in mind that planting certain vegetables too early could result in less favorable vegetables while planting vegetables too late could put them at risk for freezing, unless of course if you live in a warmer climate, such as the south. Even if you don't live in the south, you can still extend the fall growing season past the first frost date. Simply use row covers or cold frames to protect your vegetables from extremely cold temperatures. Since you want to harvest vegetables before the cold of winter, carefully choose your vegetables based on the growing requirements most suitable to your area. You'll also want to pick varieties that mature rather quickly.

There are plenty of vegetables that thrive in fall gardens. These cool-season crops range from lettuce, broccoli, and cauliflower to radish, cabbage, and Brussels sprouts. You can plant beets and peas. There's spinach, collards, and other greens for those that like them. Turnips, parsnips, and rutabagas can be grown in the fall vegetable garden too. Don't overlook the ornamental features of vegetables such as kale, Swiss chard, and ornamental peppers, which turn orange, red, and purple during fall. While others allow their gardens to dwindle down, yours will be bursting with life and color. You could even provide additional interest to the fall vegetable garden by incorporating some late-blooming flowers, like mums, and ornamental grasses alongside your vegetables.

Before sowing fall vegetables, remove overgrown weeds and other plant waste. In fact, prepare the soil as you would for spring planting, tilling the garden and working the soil with fresh compost. Most cool-season vegetables can be started indoors; however, you can also sow vegetable seeds directly into the garden. As the air is generally drier during fall, be sure to water the vegetable garden thoroughly, at least an inch or so weekly. As with any gardening, it helps to add a nice layer of mulch, which not only retains moisture but helps insulate the plants as well.

Remember, fall is a great time for planting nearly anything, including vegetables.