Vegetables to Grow In The Fall

Hey, frenns! In late August, gardening season is still going strong even while the retail stores put up pumpkin spice. So yes, that means fall is on the way. Yes- already! LOL But it’s not too late for the gardening season, even into the fall. Fall vegetable gardening is rewarding but you have to time it up just right.

There are some excellent vegetables you can plant in the fall. But before you even start, you have to know your plant hardiness zone. I don’t want you all to do significant math, but it is essential to understand how many days you have before the first frost date. You can check your hardiness zone here.

First frost refers to the time when the ground is too cold to grow anything. That can vary depending on where you live. 

So just for some simple math, check your hardiness zone and then check and see when your first frost date will be. Just off the top of my head, most zones first frost are around Mid-October, or early November. Now that you know how much time you have before it’s too cold to grow outside- you can decide what you’re going to plant. In late August, I would suggest starting from plants. It’s not enough time to direct sew (plant seeds directly in the ground). If it is July, you can start a fall vegetable garden from seed.

But I have a list of some great vegetables that love cool weather. Fall fruits and vegetables are just as rewarding as the summer vegetables.

Here are a few fall vegetables to plant below: 

• Leafy Greens: Leafy greens love cool weather such as the fall and even the spring. Spinach and varieties of lettuce such as Romain and swiss chard are great for the fall. They are rewarding very early, and you can use them for various reasons, including salads and sandwiches.
• Greens (kale/collards):  Believe it or not, the coolness of the fall makes kale and collards perfect for this season. The chill affects the taste of the leaves and the toughness of the leaves as well. I prefer collards grown in the fall. People believe that collards have a “bitter” taste- and they do in the summer, but they are much sweeter in the fall. Also- the most incredible flex of all time is harvesting your fall greens and enjoying them on Thanksgiving. I have a video showing you how to make them in the instant pot.

• Root Vegetables: Root vegetables are those vegetables that grow underneath the soil and have leaves on the top. Some root vegetables: beets and turnip greens and carrots. I love all of those vegetables because you can consume the leaves on top and the vegetables below. Here’s a fun fact: the top of carrots is parsley. Parsley can be used as a garnish and as a dressing. The tops of beets are actually swiss chard and can be consumed.

• Squash and Gourds: There is some squash that you can grow right now. Pumpkin loves the coolness of fall weather. Check the dates because some pumpkin needs a much longer growing period, but you may be able to grow some more miniature pumpkin that can work for your fall pictures. 

Let me know below some of your favorite fall vegetables. And check out the video where I talk about them all. 

Stay Peachy!