Growing End-of-Season Fall Vegetables

Edible Plants for Autumn Gardens and Harvest

The fall season means it's time to turn vegetable plantings into produce in less than 60 days. Here are some ideas as outside temperatures signal an end of the season harvest.

Primarily, cool season vegetable seeds or plants will grow and mature before the first day of frost hits. If light frost does arrive early, these vegetable plants, along with simple garden strategies, will extend the harvesting season.

Last Frost-Free Date for Growing Vegetables

Before choosing cool season vegetables, calculate how many growing days are left for seeds or plants.

• Find the last frost-free date in the garden's region. Contact the local university extension for guidance.

• Count backwards from the last frost-free date to the current date.

• Use this as the maximum number of days for a vegetable to mature before harvesting.

Gardeners will have better harvests by selecting seeds or plants that will mature in less than the allotted time. A collection of early maturing vegetable varieties is the best choice.

Cool Season Vegetables for Autumn Harvests

The hybrid 'Baby's Leaf' is spinach that can be harvested 30 - 41 days after planting. Like most leafy greens, spinach can also be planted in containers during early spring and late summer outside or indoors all year. Asian greens prefers cool season growing, with some types able to withstand early frosts or mild winters.

More vegetables better suited to cool temperatures include kohlrabi, which matures within 45 days, and radishes, which take approximately 25 days. Radishes are especially easy to grow and take up little space in a garden.

The garlic cultivar 'Early Italian' was hybridized to adapt to summer heat better than other plants, but it is the plant's ability to withstand the cold in northern gardens that is a useful garden strategy in autumn. Add 6 inches of mulch for the garlic plant to thrive and it will yield a harvest early next spring.

Late Season Garden Strategies

Vegetable gardeners should be prepared for early frosts or freezing temperatures, even snowfall in some climates. Two popular garden strategies for protecting vegetable plants from early frosts are using floating row covers or cold frames. Each are useful for gardeners to have on hand at the start and end of the season for edible or ornamental plants.

Floating row cover is a lightweight cover made of polyester that allows sunlight and rain in, but keeps frost or insects out when properly used. Organic gardeners use row cover to prevent insect damage to plants during summer as well.

Cold frames built from new materials or put together using old windows made of wood frames and glass are a reliable strategic tool for all gardeners. Like row cover, cold frames can be used throughout the season, but are especially useful for extending the plant-growing season.

There are many strategies and vegetable plants for end-of-the-season gardening. This allows gardeners one more harvest of edible plants before winter sets in.