Wondering if there are still a few vegetables you can plant in early fall to get a little more harvest from your garden before winter arrives? Guess what? The answer is yes – but you need to get planting now!
When summer is winding down and cooler air begins to creep in, many gardeners think the growing season is almost over. The truth is, early fall is one of the best times to plant a few more vegetables. While some crops won’t have enough time to mature before frost, there are plenty of fast-growing, cool-loving vegetables that thrive when the days are shorter and the temperatures are mild.
By taking advantage of the early fall planting window, you can enjoy fresh harvests well into autumn. In fact, with just a little planning, you can extend your harvest season by three to four more weeks. With that in mind, here’s a look at five vegetables you can still plant in early fall!
Five Vegetables You Can Still Plant In Early Fall
1. Spinach – A Cold-Hardy Favorite!
Spinach is one of the hardiest leafy greens and is an excellent choice for fall planting. Not only does it tolerate cool temperatures, but it actually prefers them. In fact, spinach can survive light frosts without damage. Some varieties can even overwinter in mild climates and start growing again in spring.
Spinach takes about 40 to 50 days to reach maturity. However, you can start harvesting young leaves much sooner. Baby spinach is tender, flavorful, and perfect for salads, omelets, or sautéing.
To plant spinach, scatter the seeds directly into the soil and cover them about a half-inch deep. Keep the soil evenly moist for good germination. Spinach grows best in rich soil with plenty of organic matter. Adding compost before planting will help produce lush, green leaves.
When growing spinach in early fall, try varieties known for cold hardiness, such as Winter Giant. These types can handle the chilly nights better than some of the more heat-tolerant varieties. Affiliate Link: Organic Spinach Seeds (Bloomsdale Long Standing)
2. Radishes – A Great Vegetable To Plant In Early Fall
If there is one vegetable made for fall planting, it’s the radish. Radishes are one of the fastest-growing vegetables around. Some varieties are ready to pick in as little as 25 days. That means you can still plant them in September and harvest before the first frost arrives.
Radishes love the cool weather of early fall. Unlike summer, when hot soil can cause them to become woody or spicy, fall-grown radishes are crisp and mild. The cooler nights help them form tender roots with great flavor.
To plant radishes, loosen the soil a few inches deep and sprinkle the seeds directly into the garden. Cover them lightly with soil and keep them watered. In just a few days, you’ll see green shoots popping up.
For the best results, plant small patches every week or two. This method, called succession planting, ensures a steady supply of fresh radishes all the way through fall. Popular quick-growing varieties for fall include Cherry Belle, French Breakfast, and White Icicle. Affiliate Link: Cherry Belle Fast Growing Radish Seeds.
Radish greens are also edible. If you thin your seedlings, you can toss the young greens into salads or sauté them like spinach. This gives you two harvests from one planting.
3. Leaf Lettuce – Salad Greens For Fall
Leaf lettuce is another vegetable that thrives in cool weather and is perfect to plant in early fall. Many gardeners struggle to grow lettuce in the heat of summer because it bolts, or goes to seed, too quickly. But in early fall, lettuce grows slowly and produces tender leaves with excellent flavor.
The best part is that lettuce doesn’t take long to mature. Most loose-leaf varieties are ready in about 35 to 45 days. If frost comes earlier than expected, you can still harvest baby leaves in as little as 20 days.
To grow lettuce, sow seeds directly into the soil or into containers. Cover them lightly and water gently. Lettuce needs consistent moisture, so keep the soil damp but not soggy. Because fall days are shorter, choose a spot that gets at least 5 to 6 hours of sunlight each day.
There are many types of lettuce to try. Leaf lettuce varieties like Black Seeded Simpson, Red Sails, and Green Ice are all fast-growing and perfect for fall. Romaine varieties such as Parris Island Cos take a little longer but are still possible if planted in early September. Affiliate Link: Black Seeded Simpson Seeds.
For a continuous harvest, plant new rows of lettuce every two weeks. You can cut leaves as they grow, or harvest whole heads once they mature. Lettuce grown in fall often tastes sweeter because of the cool nights, making it a real treat for late-season salads.
4. Green Onions – Who Knew You Could Still Grow Onions In The Fall?
Green onions, also known as scallions, are another vegetable you can easily plant in early fall. While they won’t form large bulbs like regular onions, their tender stalks are perfect for adding flavor to soups, salads, and stir-fries.
Green onions are quick growers, reaching harvest size in about 50 to 60 days. But you don’t have to wait that long. You can harvest them earlier as baby onions when the shoots are still small and mild.
Plant green onion seeds directly into the garden or into containers. Sow them about a half-inch deep and keep the rows moist until the seeds sprout. For a steady supply, plant a new row every two weeks through early fall.
Another trick for fall gardening is to plant sets or leftover onion bulbs from the grocery store. Even small onion bottoms can sprout new green shoots in just a couple of weeks. This gives you a quick crop of onion greens before the weather turns too cold.
Because green onions are so cold-tolerant, they can often withstand the first frosts of the season. This makes them an ideal choice for fall gardeners who want something reliable and easy. Fall also happens to be the ideal time to plant onion and garlic sets for next year! See our article: How To Plant Garlic In The Fall – And Why Fall Is The Best Time To Plant It!
5. Kale – The Fall Powerhouse
Kale might be one of the best vegetables of all to plant in early fall. This leafy green not only grows well in cool weather but also becomes sweeter after a touch of frost. The plant’s natural sugars increase as temperatures drop, giving kale a richer flavor than when grown in summer.
Kale takes about 50 to 65 days to reach full size, but you can start picking young leaves in as little as 30 days. The smaller leaves are tender and perfect for salads, while the larger ones can be cooked in soups, stews, or sautéed as a side dish.
To plant kale, sow seeds directly in the garden about a half-inch deep, or start them indoors and transplant seedlings outside. Kale prefers full sun but can also grow in partial shade, which is helpful during the shorter days of fall.
Some of the best kale varieties for fall planting include Red Russian, and Winterbor. These varieties are cold-hardy and continue producing leaves even as temperatures drop. Affiliate Link: Seed Needs Red Russian Kale Seeds for Planting – Non-GMO Heirloom
With a little protection from row covers or a cold frame, kale can keep producing well into late fall and sometimes into early winter. In milder regions, it can survive all winter long, giving you fresh greens until spring.
Making The Most Of Early Fall Planting
To succeed with fall planting, it’s important to know your average first frost date. Count backward from that date using the days-to-maturity listed on seed packets. This will tell you which crops still have time to grow.
Fast-maturing vegetables like radishes, lettuce, spinach, green onions, and kale are excellent choices because they can reach harvest before cold weather shuts the garden down completely.
Adding a little extra care, such as row covers, cold frames, or even a layer of straw mulch, can stretch your season further. These simple protections keep soil warmer at night and shield plants from sudden frost.
Here is to planting a few more vegetables early this fall – and to enjoying a late season harvest like never before!
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This Is My Garden is a garden website created by gardeners, for gardeners. Jim and Mary Competti have been writing gardening, DIY and recipe articles and books and speaking for over 15 years from their 46 acre Ohio farm. They publish three articles every week, 52 weeks a year. Sign up today to follow via email, or follow along!