Plants for the Fall Vegetable Garden

Posted by Jamie McIntosh Sep 4, 2009

I think most gardeners can agrees that the vegetable garden looks pretty shabby at the end of August. An errant zucchini hiding under a leaf was inadvertently left to grow to the size of a breadbox. Fungal diseases have had their way with the aid of hot, muggy nights. It’s tempting to rip everything out and set up an early scarecrow display in anticipation of harvest celebrations. However, it’s not too late to grow an entirely new vegetable garden before the snow flies.

Part of the success a gardener has with fall vegetables is knowing what to plant. Some plants that thrive in cold weather mature too slowly to start from seed in the fall, so if the gardener didn’t start transplants at the beginning of July, he’ll need to buy transplants.

You can grow these plants quickly from seed in early fall; if they don’t mature by first frost, they’ll be hardy enough to withstand a light freeze:

For best garden success, start these from transplants: