Fall Gardening Vegetables

Plant winter squash in the summer for harvest in the fall

Vegetable gardens growing season extends into the cool autumn weather. Fall gardening vegetables, often referred to as cool-weather crops, include winter squash, a variety of greens, brassicas and root vegetables. Start planning and planting for your fall garden vegetables in midsummer, as some fall vegetables require several weeks to mature and need the summer heat to germinate.

Winter Squash

Winter squash; including butternut, spaghetti, acorn and pumpkins; require warm soil and full sun to germinate and develop foliage. They have a long growth period before flowering. It is as long as eight to 12 weeks for certain varieties. It may be another four to five weeks before the fruit is ready for picking. It's during the cooler months of autumn that winter squash flowers and the fruit matures. Plant winter squash in June and July for harvest in October, November and December.

Root Vegetables

Plant carrots and potatoes during the warm summer months. Plant potatoes in early summer and stop watering them after the flowers bloom to harvest large, starchy potatoes in early and midautumn. Plant carrots in July and August for harvest the throughout the first few weeks of fall. Onions and beets may be planted at the end of the summer for mid to late fall harvest. Add parsnip seeds to the garden at the end of summer and allow them to mature up to the first frost. Parsnips germinate in warm soil but grow and mature in the cooler weather. The first frost gives them a crisp, clean flavor.

Greens

The same greens that may be planted in early spring may be planted in early fall. These include Swiss chard, mustard greens, kale, spinach and leafy greens, such as Romaine and red leaf lettuce. These greens mature quickly and leaves may be harvested as early as 30 days after planting. Use successive planting methods to enjoy greens throughout the cool autumn weather, but greens, with the exception of spinach, may lose their crisp flavors if exposed to frost. Add seeds or seedlings to the fall garden up to one month before the average frost date in your region.

Brassicas

Broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower and Brussels sprouts are cool-weather crops that may be planted in late September and early October for early December harvest. In colder regions, plant brassicas as early as July if frosts come in October. They are cold hardy and can withstand the colder temperatures, but early frosts may damage the plants. These vegetables need 60 to 80 days to reach harvest, so plant two to three months before your region's average frost date.

References

• University of Illinois: Winter Squash
• North Carolina State University; Growing a Fall Vegetable Garden; Erv Evans; January 1999
• Utah State University; Summer and Winter Squash in the Garden; Rick Hefelbower et al.; May 2004
• University of Tennessee; Fall Vegetable Gardens; David W. Sams
• "Garden Gate" magazine: Hot Potatoes-Planting Potatoes:

Resources

• "Old Farmer's Almanac"; Frost Chart for the United States