There is something very inspiring about getting my hands dirty in the garden. It has become part of my (almost) daily routine and the kids love to help too. Not only does it help reduce stress and boost the immune system, but I get delicious, healthy vegetables too. Gardening doesn’t have to be limited to summer plants. Here’s how to extend your growing season by fall gardening!
Growing Summer Plants
When you think of a vegetable garden you probably think of watering zucchini and cucumbers in the heat of summer. Seed starts in late spring depending on your climate and what is growing. Then in the fall, after the summer squash has turned into zucchini bread, it’s time to finish it.
You don’t have to wait until next year to grow more plants though! Certain vegetables and herbs will also grow into the cooler seasons of fall and winter.
Benefits of a Fall Vegetable Garden
Our family tries to eat seasonally as much as possible. This means cold slices of watermelon in the heat of summer and pumpkin pie in October. There are plants that grow just as well (or even better) in cooler climates. For example, spinach grows best in early spring and fall. Once the summer has started, it can be boiled and not eaten.
Fall gardening has its benefits. In the summer I try to tend my vegetable garden early in the morning to avoid the heat. Fall crops grown in cooler temperatures don’t have that problem. They also get fewer insects and weeds than summer vegetables. Certain plants not only grow better in cooler climates, but also taste better.
Vegetables like Brussels sprouts and kale produce more sugar after frost. The result is a sweet vegetable. Dandelions are another plant that is delicious in the fall months, which is the perfect time to harvest them for dandelion root tea.
A List of Plants to Grow in the Fall Garden
If you want to start a fall garden, the first step is to decide what you want to (and can’t) grow. You’ll want to choose plants that have a short growing season or are specifically labeled as fall vegetables. The best vegetables are frost tolerant and cold weather resistant. Certain plants, such as spinach, do well with fall planting and may even survive the winter.
Here are some plants that do well in the fall garden:
- Beans
- Pictures
- Brussels sprouts
- Columns
- Swiss chard (protect from frost)
- Kale
- Tennis
- Arugula
- Spinach
- Bush beans (will need to be grown before or protected from frost)
- Mustard greens
- Lettuce
- Carrots
- Parsnips
- Broccoli
- Kohlrabi
- Asian vegetables
- Peas
Herbs and Flowers for the Fall Garden
Herbs not only make tasty dishes, but they are also great herbs to complement your vegetables. You’ll find basil nestled between my tomato plants and nasturtiums in my squash border. Some herbs and flowers have a short growing season, but others will survive in cooler climates.
Another tip is to plant your vegetable garden in pots to bring it inside during the colder months. Annual herbs in some climates can be grown as perennials with little care. Many pollinators rely on these plants to provide them with the nutrients they need before winter migration or hibernation.
Here are herbs that grow well in the fall garden:
- Parsley
- Chervil
- Rosemary
- Sage
- Chives
- Thyme
- Mint
- Lavender
- Cilantro
- Marjoram
Flowers:
- Nasturtium
- Calendula
- Marigold
- Joe Pye Weed (pollinator friendly)
- Black Cohosh
- New England Aster
When to Start Fall Garden Seeds
When you start seeds and your planting dates depend on your USDA hardiness zone and first frost dates. You can check your snow days here. You’ll also want to add an extra 2 weeks to the growing season since plants ripen more slowly in cooler weather. For example, if your seed packet says the plant is ready to harvest in 60 days, expect it to take around 74.
Some seeds can be started indoors and transplanted. Examples include green beans and lettuce. Some can be sown directly in the ground (like root vegetables). By starting plants indoors you can have summer vegetables in the ground while you get the start of fall. Transplants should go into the ground in late summer or early fall for fall harvest.
This is a really useful chart that tells you when to plant different vegetables for a good fall garden harvest.
Rotate Plants for Healthy Plants
It’s also a good idea to rotate your plant families so you don’t plant the same thing in the same patch of soil year after year. This depletes nutrients in the soil and causes poor plant growth. Here’s more on why. If you planted tomatoes in a garden bed in the summer (nightshade), you can plant field beans (legume) there in the fall.
Grow Long Even Again
There are ways to extend your growing season even longer (especially if you live in an area with short summers). Cold frames and row covers can protect plants from cold weather or light frost. And if you’re lucky enough to have a greenhouse, these work best to extend the harvest into winter.
Cold frames are an economical way to house plants and act as a small greenhouse. They are good for small plants. For larger spaces, row covers may be a better option. Those with heavier fabric can raise the temperature up to 10 degrees Fahrenheit.
How to Plant a Fall Garden
After determining the frost dates for your area and what you want to grow, it’s time to plant!
- Prepare your garden beds. Add organic matter and compost as needed to a healthy garden soil.
- Start any seeds indoors that will need to be replanted. You may be able to find the first plants at your local garden store, but most only sell early in the growing season.
- Consider using row covers and/or cold frames for your plants in cold weather.
- Once your plants are down, cover the soil with mulch and water/weed regularly.
- Enjoy the delicious fruits of your labor!
Gardening Tips
- Raised beds stay warmer than planting directly in the ground and can extend your growing season. It is also easy to attach striped covers or a transparent cover to the top of the bed to create a cold frame.
- Mulch around plants to reduce weeds. Mulch breaks down and nourishes the soil and helps retain moisture. Mulch also helps moderate soil temperature.
Since I live in a warm climate I can grow plants almost all year round now. When the summer crops are over for the season, they are replaced by hardy and frosty ones. Even if you don’t live in the south like me, there are many ways to extend your gardening time!
Have you ever planted a fall garden? What are your cool climate plants to grow? Leave a comment and let us know!
Source link
