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Not too late for fall vegetables

© Arzeena Hamir

We have yet to see the signs of the weather cooling off here on the West Coast but it's already way past the time to put out most fall & winter vegetable plantings. You may be a bit too late to plant Brussels sprouts but now is a great time for fall lettuce, spinach, kale, many types of oriental vegetables, and cornsalad.

Many of the vegetables that grow well in spring also do well in fall, with fewer pest problems. The cooler days mean that lettuce stays sweet and doesn't go to seed quickly. My favourite fall lettuce is Winter Density. This romaine X butterhead cross is a regular in the fall garden and you can get the seeds from Johnny's, West Coast Seeds, and many other seed companies. It withstands many a light frost and keeps the fresh salads coming late into November.

This year, I'm trying Rouge d'Hiver, an heirloom variety which is also meant to be cold hardy. The cinnamon-bronze leaves will look amazing when combined with the Winter Density. Other cold hardy lettuces include Arctic King, and Marveille de Quatre Saisons (also sold as Continuity). Both are butterheads but while Arctic King is buttery-green coloured, Continuity is a red-bronze.

We don't usually get a heavy frost here until the end of October. Close to Halloween, I start protecting my lettuce and oriental greens with a row cover like Reemay. It provides just an extra couple of degrees but seems enough to ward off heavy frost damage. If you're in a colder area, you might consider using a cold-frame with glass or heavy plastic covers. This while provide even more protection for your plants and will extend your season.

Spinach also grows really well at this time of the year. When days are getting shorter, there is less likelihood that the plants will want to go to seed quickly. Try cold hardy varieties like Bloomsdale Savoy or, my favourite, Tyee. Remember that spinach does like the soil to be a bit sweeter so if you haven't limed the soil in a while, add some extra lime before planting.

Kale is another great leaf crop that can be planted now. Try not to harvest, however, until the plant has undergone a good frost. Most winter vegetables like kale, winter cabbage and collards use sugar as an antifreeze. As the days get colder, the leaves pump more sugar into their cells to prevent the water in them from crystallizing. Thus, after a good frost, kale leaves taste much sweeter.

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