Why Garden in Fall?

Fall is a great time to grow vegetables, fruits, and plant trees and shrubs. In the fall the soil temperature is still warm, but the nights are cooler and encourage more growth. Water is not evaporating as fast and in many areas there is more rain falling. The cool weather also keeps leafy greens tender and sweet, so no more bitter kale!

What can be grown in fall?

Many garden veggies become ready to harvest in the fall like pumpkins. Some plants can be started in late summer or early fall for another harvest. Most of these late plantings are leafy greens like Kale, Lettuce, Spinach and Chervil.

Perennial fruit plants like berry bushes and fruit trees can also be started in the fall so they can establish to make flowers and fruit the next spring.

And don’t forget about ornamental plants. Getting plants in the ground during the fall gives them a head start compared to spring planting. This means more blooms and bigger plants next season!

When should I plant?

Fall starts at different times in different areas. Most garden vegetables need about 4-6 weeks to grow before the frost. In my area I’ll start Kale and Lettuce in late July or early August. My first frost is around September 15th. I want my plants to have some time to get roots before they have to go through freezing weather. To find out your first frost date from your zip code I suggest this website.

Starting seeds indoors tends to be easier than starting seeds outdoors in July. Though you may not have an issue with it if your area gets cloud cover and rain. It is just too hot to keep the soil watered well enough for sensitive seeds in much of the western US. I recommend growing transplants indoors for a few weeks before planting them out, if possible.

Do I need to protect my garden from the cold?

Yes! your plant roots are sensitive to both the heat and the cold. To protect them as they go into the winter, use an organic material for mulch. Straw, shredded leaves and bark are all great options. Layer the mulch about 3 inches thick around your garden veggies, trees and shrubs. If you have early frosts coming, lay a frost blanket or extra greenhouse plastic over your smaller plants. Your plants will thank you for the extra insulation.

Garden Extenders

Your vegetable garden can continue to be harvested farther into the fall and winter than you would expect. Mature kale can be buried in snow but still be intact for a late harvest. To harvest more than just kale later in the season I definitely recommend using season extenders. Row covers, hot beds, and high tunnels can all extend your season by months in both spring and fall. Season extenders also open up the possibilities of winter gardening and give time for slower veggies like carrots to grow out of season.

Final Thoughts

Fall feels like a time to be cleaning up the garden, not planting. In fact, it is a perfect time to pop in some hardy leafy greens or to plant some fruit bushes. In cold climates especially we have a short season. This makes it even more important to take advantage of all the growing season days we have.