Fall Vegetables Planting Guide for the Midwest

Cabbage is one of several vegetables that thrive in the fall.

Fall in the Midwest, when temperatures are more moderate, moisture more abundant and insects less predatory, is an excellent time for planting vegetables. With USDA hardiness zones ranging from 4a in parts of North and South Dakota, Iowa and Nebraska to 7b in parts of Missouri and Indiana, the Midwest fall climate supports a variety of produce and an extended growing season for a gardener.

Planning

Keep the fall garden in mind when planning in the spring, advises the Purdue University Cooperative Extension. Garden centers cater to spring planting; they might not have seeds or transplants in the fall. Order extras of your favorites and plan on starting inside your own transplants of those varieties that don't take well to direct seeding. To calculate when to start seeds, determine the approximate date of the first hard freeze of fall in your area, when temperatures reach 28 degrees F. (Your extension service will be able to tell you.) Look at the seed packet to figure out how long the seeds need to reach maturity, and sow them outside at least that many days before the first hard freeze. Start seeds inside for transplants at least 6 weeks before planting outside.

Preparation

Remove all weeds and remnants of earlier crops from the garden bed. Till or spade the soil to a depth of 6 to 8 inches. If the ground was fertilized for a previous crop, it might not need more fertilizer, especially if you are planting light-feeding vegetables such as greens. If you are planting heavy feeders such as Brussels sprouts and cabbage, work in a complete granular fertilizer, such as 12-12-12, for every 100 square feet of soil.

Picking Your Plants

Long-season heat lovers such as tomatoes and cucumbers are not an option for a fall vegetable garden, but many other varieties are. Spring greens such as lettuce and spinach that bolted and set seed in the heat of early summer can be sown to sprout in the warmth of late summer and reach maturity in the cool of early fall. Early fast-growing root crops such as turnips, radishes and beets that already have been harvested and eaten can be sown again for a second crop. Cool-loving transplants such as broccoli, cauliflower and Brussels sprouts will taste even sweeter after a kiss of frost.

Planting

Seed germination can be a little tricky in a fall garden. Heavy soils can form a crust in the heat of late summer, which can hinder sprouting. Keep soil moist. The seeds of peas, lettuce and spinach are reluctant to germinate if temperatures remain above 85 degrees F. A temporary shade cloth and a light mulch of compost or vermiculite will help, or start the seeds inside the cool house and plant outside later. It also helps to plant seeds slightly deeper than recommended on the seed packet, because the soil is cooler.

Protection

Fall vegetables vary in their tolerance of cold. Beets, green onions, radishes and greens can stand a light frost (temperatures to 30 to 32 degrees F). Cabbage, broccoli and cauliflower can take temperatures even lower. But be prepared to act if a freak early freeze is predicted for your area. Early frosts often are followed by several weeks of mild weather, so be ready to cover your fall vegetables with a blanket or several empty milk jugs if unseasonably freezing weather threatens.

References

• Purdue University Cooperative Extension: The Fall Vegetable Garden
• Iowa State University: Planting for a Fall Harvest
• University of Nebraska-Lincoln: Fall Vegetable Gardening

Resources

• University of Missouri Extension: Vegetable Gardening