Want to extend your growing season? Get too late of a start this year for a summer harvest? Fall gardening is a great way to keep that produce coming all the way to the first frost and beyond! And yes, there are A LOT more things to grow in the fall besides pumpkins! If you want to be harvesting full loads of crops in late October and November, July is the time to start.
There are many advantages to a fall garden. First, it provides gardeners an opportunity to be outside longer. While others huddle inside in hoodies earlier than needed before the long winter, fall gardeners get to be outside in the garden! Secondly, it allows growers to see growth and life when everything else is winding down. Watching the growth of a thriving garden every day is a great juxtaposition to everything else dying around you. Next, it allows people to diversify their crop. Planting in different seasons allows gardeners to grow more types of vegetables and become more well-rounded. Fall gardening is also easier for gardeners to grow their crops from seed because a greenhouse or other heated location is not necessary. Most seeds will do just fine in a sunny location in the yard. An most obviously, it allow for more vegetable growth in the same space. The same square foot of land can provide more than one type of harvest. Get more from your soil in one year!
Just as in a spring or summer garden, you will want to start your planning with what you would like to grow. While some of your summer vegetables will continue to produce to the frost, others will die during late summer. Use that garden space to plant an entire new round of crops! Different vegetables thrive in the summer garden that don't grow in the spring. Likewise, fall gardening works best with specific types of produce. You will want to shy away from anything that requires lots of heat, like tomatoes, pepper and cucumbers. However, since this is your chance for a second (or even third?) crop of the year, why not take advantage of the opportunity to grow something you never have before and add it to your list of accomplishments. Here are some relatively easy produce to grow that thrive in autumn conditions along with the best planting date from my perspective in Long Island, New York.
- Butternut Squash: July 20th
- Carrots: July 25th
- Peas: August 20th
- Beets: August 15th
- Brussel Sprouts: July 25th
- Broccoli : July 25th
- Cabbage: July 15th
- Cauliflower: July 25th
- Kale: September 1st - Spinach: September 1st
Please remember to check your own frost dates and adjust your planting schedule accordingly.
HAPPY GROWING!!!
There are many advantages to a fall garden. First, it provides gardeners an opportunity to be outside longer. While others huddle inside in hoodies earlier than needed before the long winter, fall gardeners get to be outside in the garden! Secondly, it allows growers to see growth and life when everything else is winding down. Watching the growth of a thriving garden every day is a great juxtaposition to everything else dying around you. Next, it allows people to diversify their crop. Planting in different seasons allows gardeners to grow more types of vegetables and become more well-rounded. Fall gardening is also easier for gardeners to grow their crops from seed because a greenhouse or other heated location is not necessary. Most seeds will do just fine in a sunny location in the yard. An most obviously, it allow for more vegetable growth in the same space. The same square foot of land can provide more than one type of harvest. Get more from your soil in one year!
Just as in a spring or summer garden, you will want to start your planning with what you would like to grow. While some of your summer vegetables will continue to produce to the frost, others will die during late summer. Use that garden space to plant an entire new round of crops! Different vegetables thrive in the summer garden that don't grow in the spring. Likewise, fall gardening works best with specific types of produce. You will want to shy away from anything that requires lots of heat, like tomatoes, pepper and cucumbers. However, since this is your chance for a second (or even third?) crop of the year, why not take advantage of the opportunity to grow something you never have before and add it to your list of accomplishments. Here are some relatively easy produce to grow that thrive in autumn conditions along with the best planting date from my perspective in Long Island, New York.
- Butternut Squash: July 20th
- Carrots: July 25th
- Peas: August 20th
- Beets: August 15th
- Brussel Sprouts: July 25th
- Broccoli : July 25th
- Cabbage: July 15th
- Cauliflower: July 25th
- Kale: September 1st - Spinach: September 1st
Please remember to check your own frost dates and adjust your planting schedule accordingly.
HAPPY GROWING!!!