Finally, it’s garden time again.
I’ve mostly been stuck sitting around twiddling my thumbs for the last month or so while people in lower USDA zones have gotten into their fall gardens. I got my cabbage, broccoli, and brussels sprouts starts established in early August, but that didn’t scratch the itch. Finally, with time for September crops coming, I can really dig in and get started.
Let’s take a look at one I’m planting over the next few weeks.
Parsley
I have a parsley plant in my garden already, but the summer sun has been brutal on the poor plant and we’ve been using his leaves pretty liberally. Otherwise, he’s very easy to take care of, though, so I have a lot of affection for him.
I moved his grow bag to a nice shady spot, but I’m looking forward to seeing if he really takes off in the cooler weather.
I’m also giving him a few friends to spread the burden. I’m opting for a curly-leafed variety because it’s easier to chop for cooking, but you could plant flat-leaf varieties around now too.
The new plants will be grown from seed, which can take a while to germinate. I’ll be soaking them overnight the night before they go in the ground. This should speed up the germination. Once they’re established, I’ll be able to continuously harvest from them for a constant supply of fresh parsley.
Hopefully, I’ll have enough that I can freeze and/or dry some for use in the off-seasons.
Dill
Dill is another addition to my herbs this fall. I planted some in the spring, but rabbits got to the sprouts before they could take off. So now we’re trying again. This time, I’m putting it in herb jail (chicken wire wrapped around some posts with some pavers around the edge to prevent tunneling) to keep it safe from rabbits.
I’ll be growing the Mammoth variety because a single plant can get quite tall. This makes it a more space-efficient option for my small garden.
The main thing I want is fresh dill for cooking and maybe enough to dry some for winter seasoning. There’s nothing quite like fresh dill with new potatoes or in a creamy pasta salad. It’s also a great addition to my favorite yogurt sauce and fridge pickles.
Chives
I’m adding chives to my herb collection this fall by direct seeding them in a grow bag near my other herbs. They’re supposed to be perennial in my zone, which means this could be a plant-it-once-and-forget-it situation. I’ve had some mixed results with overwintering herbs, though, so we’ll see what happens.
If they survive the winter like they’re supposed to, I’ll have fresh onion flavor available all season long.
Plus, their purple flowers are super pretty and edible too, so that’s a bonus. I’ve never tried the flowers myself, but I’m looking forward to that opportunity.
The seeds are tiny and take their sweet time to germinate, sometimes up to three weeks. Once they’re established, though, they’re practically bulletproof. I’m planning to harvest them like a cut-and-come-again crop. I’ll let them bolt towards the end of the season for those pretty flowers and seeds for next year.
Sugar Snap Peas
These are going to be one of my experiments this year. I’ve never tried fall peas before, but I’m hoping they do better than the beans that I tried to grow over the summer. Those started strong but ended up frying in the summer heat.
I’m planting my sugar snap peas along my northern fenceline so they can use the fence as a trellis. They should get a good bit of sun there. In fact, I’m anticipating needing to add some shade cloth if they start to get crispy before the weather cools down more.
One thing to keep in mind about fall planting peas is that they take about 10 days longer to mature than spring plantings, so factor that into your own planting schedule.
Carrots
I love root vegetables, and fall is when I can really get serious about them, starting with carrots.
I’m direct seeding Nantes carrots, which are a nice medium-length variety that should work well in my raised beds. I chose Nantes because they’re sweet and crisp with that classic carrot flavor, plus they’re forgiving about soil conditions.
Carrot seeds need consistent moisture to germinate properly, so I’ll need to stay on top of watering and might opt to cover them with shade cloth to help keep them moist.
I’ll be succession planting every two weeks through the coming months because fall carrots store so well in the ground. Apparently, they also get sweeter after a few light frosts as the starches convert to sugars. My goal is to have carrots to harvest fresh from the garden well into December, maybe even longer if I can keep them warm enough.
Romaine
This will be my salad green workhorse through fall and early winter. If I’m being totally honest, I might be starting it a little early. Romaine handles temperature swings better than more delicate lettuces, though, so I’m optimistic. Plus, I’m direct seeding a heat-tolerant variety that should establish well in September and then thrive as temperatures drop.
Regardless, I’ll be planting in a few waves. That way, if my first few plantings don’t turn out due to the heat, I’ll have more opportunities later on as temperatures drop.
Romaine also handles cold better than most lettuce varieties. I’m also planning to protect it with row covers once nighttime temperatures start dropping below 40 degrees.
If I time it right, I should be harvesting fresh romaine heads right through Thanksgiving, or even later.
Crisphead Lettuce
I know, I know; iceberg (aka crisphead) lettuce gets a bad rap. But I do love adding some into my salads for the crunchiness. Plus, homegrown iceberg lettuce has significantly more flavor than store-bought.
I’m direct seeding a variety specifically bred for fall growing that’s supposed to be more cold-tolerant than typical iceberg types. The challenge with crisphead lettuce is getting the heads to form properly. They need consistent moisture and steady, cool temperatures. Too much heat and they’ll bolt, too little water and they’ll be bitter and tough.
I’m planting them in grow bags, so that I can easily set up irrigation and move the bags around if they’re getting too much or too little heat or sun.
Arugula
I’m not a huge fan of arugula, but I’ve heard that arugula’s peppery flavor is actually milder and less bitter when grown in cool weather. Plus, it’s very fast and easy to grow, and with so many risks in my garden this fall, I could use a win.
I’m also letting some of my spring plants go to seed so I can save seed for next year – arugula flowers are edible too and add a nice peppery bite to salads. I’m planting it alongside the lettuce since they have similar water and light requirements.
I’ve already been planting arugula starting in August, but I’m doing succession plantings every two to three weeks to keep tender leaves coming for salads.
Spinach
I love spinach, and it’s incredibly cold-hardy, so my spinach should keep me covered well into the cold months. I’m hoping to even overwinter some under row covers.
The key to success with fall spinach is to establish it with a good root system before the cold weather really sets in.
With any luck, I’ll be harvesting fresh spinach leaves all winter long, and come spring, these same plants will give me an early harvest before bolting.
Cabbage
I’ll admit, I’m not a cabbage girlie myself, but my husband likes it, so I’m growing it for him. Cabbage does preserve well, though, so we can keep pulling it out well into the winter months more for coleslaw, soups, and salads.
I actually started my cabbage seeds indoors early in August, but now it’s time to transplant them out into my garden. If you live somewhere cooler than I do, you could still go ahead and plant, either indoors or out.
I’m planning to hill soil up around the stems as they grow to give them extra stability, but I also need to be sure to give them plenty of space, as good air circulation is essential for preventing disease.
Broccoli
Fall broccoli rocks compared to spring plantings because there’s significantly less risk of bolting from surprise warm spells. Similar to the cabbage, I started my broccoli indoors a few weeks back, but I need to transplant it in the coming weeks.
I’m planting them with plenty of compost worked into the soil because broccoli is a heavy feeder. I’m also planning to succession plant with more transplants in two weeks to extend my harvest window. The variety I chose should produce both a main head and good side shoots after the main harvest, so I should be getting broccoli well into November, maybe even later if I can protect them from frost.
Brussels Sprouts
This is my first time growing brussels sprouts, and I’ve heard they’re a challenge. They need a long season to develop properly (about 100 days), they’re prone to pest issues, and they take up a lot of space for what you get. Four plants are going in my 4’x4′ raised bed.
But I love brussels sprouts and allegedly frost makes them even tastier, so I’m hoping it’ll be worth it. Planting them in my raised bed makes them easier to protect, and I’m already planning my pest management strategy. The variety I’m growing, Long Island, is supposed to be more compact than traditional types, which should help with both space usage and wind protection.
If everything goes right, I’ll be harvesting sprouts through December, maybe even into January with some protection.
Growing Forward: September Crops
As I look at this ambitious fall planting list, I’m reminded why September is actually my favorite month in the garden. The oppressive heat is finally breaking, but the soil is still warm enough for good germination.
Sure, some of these plantings are experiments that might not work out, but that’s half the fun of gardening. Even if I only get success with half of what I’m planting, I’ll still have fresh vegetables well into winter and a head start on next year’s growing season.
Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a lot of seeds to get in the ground before this perfect planting weather disappears. Fall gardening waits for no one, and I’ve got some serious catching up to do.
