Fall Vegetable Gardening

Radishes are another root crop that grows well in the fall. They can be started late - only 7 weeks before your first frost. They're a pretty easy vegetable to grow, so they're great for the kids to tend. As an added bonus, they germinate quickly, so you have some immediate positive feedback.

Carrots taste sweeter in the fall. Plant them 13 weeks before the first frost and wait until after a good hard frost to harvest them. Last year I left my carrots in the garden over the winter and they were fine. It's an easy storage method. In really cold climates you might have to mulch them.

Turnips only need to be started 6 to 8 weeks before the first fall freeze. They're a good choice if you don't have a lot of time before the frost. Turnips can also be mulched and left in the garden - a plus if you don't have root cellar to store them in.

Beets need to be started a little sooner. Plant them 8-10 weeks before you first frost. I like roasted beets and carrots warm on a cool fall night. Plus the color of beets really perks up the dinner plate. Like the other root crops, you can mulch heavily and leave in the garden until you need them. Or you can harvest them this fall and freeze or can them.

Plants from the Brassica family can also be planted for fall crops. They generally have to be planted sooner than root crops or greens. But with a little care you can extend their harvest until after the first frost.

Plant cauliflower 14 weeks, cabbage 13-14 weeks, broccoli 14-17 weeks, kohlrabi 10 weeks, and Brussel sprouts 17 weeks before the first frost. This leaves a lot of us in the upper latitudes out luck for the Brassica family. Cauliflower is the most sensitive of these plants to cold, so you might want to skip the it if you're already late. Both cabbage and broccoli can be covered at night if it's going to frost and uncovered in the morning when it warms up.

Fall is also the time to plant garlic. Now, I've never actually planted the stuff, but if you want to try it, plant it now. The bulbs grow larger if you plant in the fall. Mulch well so the ground doesn't freeze.

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