The Fall Garden – Cold Weather Crops To Plant And Harvest

Just because summer is drawing to a close doesn’t mean that you can’t still plant and grow some of your favorite fall vegetables in your garden this year! In fact, there are several crops that you can plant as late as September and still harvest before the first frost arrives – or later with some crops!

Around the time that late August hits here in Illinois (Zone 5), the summer garden is starting to wind down. Some of the plants have produced all they can for the season while others have succumbed to pests and diseases (probably more plants than I’d like to count).

As you start to pull those plants from your garden, don’t leave the soil empty! Instead, there are plenty of cold-weather-loving crops that you can plant in their place. Even if you are knee-deep still in harvesting and preserving tomatoes, peppers, zucchini, cucumbers, and all other sorts of warm-weather crops, you can still get a few seeds germinated for late fall harvests.

In addition, there is one crop that you want to get in the ground during the fall to allow it time to overwinter and prepare for growing and harvesting next year. (Here’s a hint: it’s one of my favorite crops to grow!)

Most of these crops take as little as 50 days to go from sowing to harvesting. They are perfect options if you are like us and trying to hang on to any last thread of summer you can before the cold sends you hibernating inside for months at a time.

5 Vegetables To Grow In Your Fall Garden – And One To Plant For Summer Harvests

Leafy Lettuces

Lettuce is one of those crops that just tastes so much better when it is picked fresh from the garden as opposed to bought from a grocery store. In addition, you can grow it almost anywhere, including in containers or raised beds.

There is a whole host of different leafy lettuce varieties that can be planted in early fall and harvested through the first few light frosts. By adding a plastic lid or covering, you can sometimes even harvest well past fall and into the colder winter months.

To help cool down the soil for fall planting, water the soil well and cover it with a thick layer of grass clippings, straw, or cardboard. The goal is to prevent the sunlight from heating up the soil. When you are ready to plant, simply cast seeds onto loosened soil. Keep the soil moist by misting to avoid disturbing the tiny seeds.

Lettuce seeds germinate quickly, in as little as one to two weeks. After just 4 to 6 weeks, you can start harvesting young lettuce leaves. Also, consider succession planting lettuce for even longer harvests.

Peas

Some crops only get sweeter in cooler weather, and peas are one of those. Whether you want to grow regular shelling peas, sugar snap peas, or snow peas, all of these varieties are perfect for planting in the fall and harvesting before winter arrives.

Peas do not do well in the heat. That’s why they are one of the best crops to get in the ground as soon as the ground is workable in early spring. However, they are also great for sowing in late summer to grow during the cooler months of fall.

Create a narrow trench about an inch deep and however long your growing space is. Add about half an inch of finished compost into the trench. Plant seeds about 1/2 an inch deep, spacing them about 2 inches apart. Cover with soil and water well.

Seeds should germinate in about 6 to 14 days. Pre-soaking seeds can help speed up germination. You can expect to start harvesting peas in about 6 to 8 weeks.

Radishes – The Fall Garden

These cold-weather vegetables can go from sowing to harvesting in as little as 3 to 4 weeks! Because of their fast growth, radishes are an excellent crop to plant in the fall. Like lettuce, consider succession planting to help space out harvesting even more.

Since they take up such little space, you can grow several radishes in a small area. In fact, more than a dozen plants can be grown in as little as one square foot!

Aim to get radishes in the ground at least 4 to 6 weeks before your first expected frost. Directly sow seeds about 1/2 an inch deep in the same way you planted pea seeds. Cover loosely with soil and water well. Space each seed about an inch apart.

Seeds will germinate in around 5 to 12 days. Succession plant seeds about every two weeks apart for continual harvests.

Kale

Kale is one of those versatile crops that can be used in several different ways in the kitchen. From adding a bit of nutrients and vitamins to smoothies to cooking down in soups to dehydrating into chips, kale is one useful crop!

In addition, it is also an excellent cold-hardy crop that can handle even a bit of frost or snow. In as little as 60 days, you can go from sowing to harvesting. Just be sure to choose a variety that has a short days to maturity for best results.

Directly sow seeds once the weather starts to cool down a bit. Create a hole that is about an inch deep and fill halfway up with compost. Plant the seeds so they are around a quarter to half an inch deep. Cover the seeds with soil and water well. Space additional seeds about an inch apart.

Seeds should germinate in around 5 to 10 days. Once seedlings are a few inches tall, thin so plants are between 8 inches and a foot apart. You can continue to grow kale with temps as low as 25º Fahrenheit without damage.

Green Onions – The Fall Garden

Whether you call them scallions, bunching onions, or green onions, this crop is perfect for adding to your fall garden. Even though it is way too late to plant onions in order to get big bulbs, you can still plant onion seeds to get green onions.

Green onions feature tender, edible green stalks and tiny white bulbs with a milder onion flavor compared to mature bulbs. They take around 50 to 60 days to mature and are a great crop for succession planting. Thankfully, most varieties are frost tolerant so they can handle a bit cooler temperatures than some crops.

To plant green onion seeds, direct sow seeds into loosened soil. The seeds are so tiny that spacing isn’t really important at this point. Water with a light mist, being careful not to disturb the tiny seeds.

Seeds will germinate in around one to two weeks. You can thin seedlings once they are a few inches long. You can start harvesting green onions when they are around 8 inches tall.

Plant Your Garlic Now!

Lastly, while this crop won’t be ready for harvesting anytime soon, it’s one you don’t want to forget to plant in your fall garden. It’s garlic!

Garlic is a crop that requires a cold period in order to successfully produce large bulbs by the summer months. To accomplish this, you need to plant garlic about 4 to 6 weeks before your first expected frost date. This allows the cloves to set a few roots before the ground freezes.

If you want to read step-by-step information about planting garlic, head over to my article, “Planting Garlic In The Fall For A Huge Summer Harvest.” Garlic has become one of my favorite crops to grow (and eat!). That’s why it’s a “must include” crop for this fall garden article, even if you can’t harvest it in the fall.

I hope you take advantage of extending your gardening season this fall by getting a few cool weather crops in your garden now before Old Man Winter arrives!

Until next time, thanks for stopping by!
– Chelsea

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