Are you new to the fall garden idea? Have you ever thought of trying to grow garden crops when the weather turns chilly? As it turns out there are many different crops which will grow very well, even flourish, in the cold winter ground. Different varieties of lettuce and spinach will only require a light row cover to stay standing all winter long, others like leeks and kohlrabi can be in a cold frame, and carrots don’t need any cover to survive all winter (though you should cover them if you want to be able to get them out of the ground during the winter). This will be our first year to really give this a try and we’re excited to see the results. Here in Zone 4/5b it is almost past the planting dates for some fall vegetables, but we can extend the growing time for plants somewhat by adding row covers or frames over them.
There are several different resources out there to find the best possible fall planting dates for your area. The time to plant will vary place to place and year to year. Really the two things you need to know are 1) the average first frost date for your area and 2) The number of days til maturity for your given crop (approx 12 to 14 weeks before first frost date).
Mother Earth News has a nice page showing What to Plant Now that allows you to select your region and month to see what plants are good to plant now. It will even tell you if you can directly sow the seeds, transplant seedlings, or start seeds indoors.
Other things to consider are soil amendments (if needed), soil temperature (some seeds will not sprout if the soil is still too hot), moisture, and current garden pests. New seedlings can be very attractive to garden pests and will need to be protected while they grow using a light row cover or other deterrent. If your soil is still hot from the summer sun you can cool it off by wetting it down and shading it for a few days before planting. Directly sown seeds will also need to be kept moist to sprout.
That’s about all there is to fall planting! Really, in many ways, it is similar to planting in the spring. You will obviously not have the same crop types, and many garden centers will not have many varieties of seedlings or seeds to choose from, but with a little work on your part you can be enjoying fresh produce from your own yard well into the winter months.
Happy Gardening 🙂
