you’re able to start many autumn crops while the weather is still hot.
That way, therell be enough time to harvest them before the snow flies.
Still, plenty of fall garden vegetables can be planted to keep your plants productive.
Credit: Andre' Baranowski
For example, try sowingfast-growing salad cropsto quickly fill the most unkemptsummer vegetable beds.
These tips will help you fill your table with plenty of homegrown goodness long beyond the heat of summer.
Its All About Timing
The secret to growing abundant fallgarden vegetablesis timing.
Credit: Laurie Black
That means thinking a little differently because you have to plan backward.
Start with your areasaverage first fall frost date.
Then look at the number of days to harvest the fall garden vegetableyou want to grow.
Credit: Cameron Sadeghpour
Youll find it on the seed packet or in the catalog description.
Use the days to harvest number to count back from the first frost date.
Then add two weeks because many fall vegetables grow more slowly as days shorten in fall.
Credit: Cameron Sadeghpour
Get the Garden Ready
Get your yard prepared for fall garden vegetables.
Start From Seed
Youll probablygrow most fall garden vegetables from seed.
Use the extra seeds you didnt plant in the spring or purchase new ones.
Credit: Karla Conrad
Many do better in air-conditioning than in the heat.
Generally, most fall garden vegetables do best with about an inch of water a week.
Once your seedlings or transplants are established give them one deep watering a week rather than several lighter waterings.
Extend your growing season later into fall byprotecting your plants from frost.
Cover the garden with an old sheet, blanket, tarp, or row cover when frost is forecast.
The hardiest fall vegetables, spinach andkale, oftengrow well into early winter.
Stopharvesting leaveswhen freezing weather arrives.
Best Fall Garden Vegetables
Plenty offall garden veggies thrive in cool temperatures.
Count on them to survive light frost if given some protection.
When shopping for seeds for fall garden vegetables, select varieties with the shortest seed-to-harvest time.
In Zones 8-9, where temperatures rarely dip below 20 F, many fall vegetables will grow all winter.
