If heat, humidity, gnats and bugs, along with constant watering and weeding are just not your thing, then fall gardening should be pure pleasure to those who are not fans of those ubiquitous conditions of summer gardening. Most cool season crops will do fine even through frost and some freezing temperatures.
The latest time to plant for most vegetables would be the second week in June with a short harvest time. If planting crops that mature within 50 days, you could plant those as late as the last week in June, but keep in mind the weather will be turning cooler, especially at night. Cool crops are best for late plantings.
In temperate parts of the country (USDA zones 4 to 8), planting can even continue into November and December, especially crops like spinach, Swiss chard, broccoli, and kale! In colder climates, some of these same vegetables are frost-tolerant. Many crops taste better after a frost or two.
You can plant or harvest something from your garden almost all year. The two major planting periods, however, are spring (March to May) and fall (mid-July to September). The spring plantings are harvested in June and July, while the fall plantings are harvested from October to December.
From early fall through most of November is one of the best times of year to plant spring-blooming bulbs, cool-season annuals and vegetables, as well as many trees, shrubs, and perennials.
Fall is a good time for developing tomatoes because the cooler temperatures allow for better fruit set and insect problems diminish. Mid-July to the end of August is the ideal time to plant. When choosing your fall tomatoes, make sure you know if you're selecting a Determinate or Indeterminate type.
Fall is the best time to start a new garden.
Consider adding some lyme or fertilizer based on a soil test of your new spot to make sure spring starts off on the right foot.
Spading or tilling the soil in the fall allows for the winter conditions of freezing and thawing to naturally break the soil into its particles. This results in crumbly state desirable for spring planting. Soil is often damp or wet in the spring which makes deep spading more difficult.
It's never too late. It just matters what you put into that garden. It's too late to grow tomatoes in your Chicago garden in September because you'll be getting cold weather soon, but you could still grow carrots, radishes, and lettuce plants.
Our fall planting season started in September, but October is still a great time to your fall garden started. With a little protection from our occasional frosts, you'll be able to reap a harvest through the winter.
Some fast growing fall crops like lettuce and radishes can be planted into late September, but many desirable fall crops like broccoli and carrots need several months of prime-growing conditions to mature before frost and low light levels set in.
By midsummer you should be knee-deep in tomatoes, beans, zucchini, and peppers, so it can be hard to remind yourself to shop for seeds for your next season of vegetable gardening. However, July and August are the best time to get a start on fall and winter food gardening.
Mid-August to mid-October is an ideal time of year to plant new trees, though, that time frame can be stretched into November and December. To be 100% sure, measure soil temperature early in the morning for a few, consecutive days. If your soil is consistently 50° F or higher, you're good to plant.
Depending on your local climate, June or July is the latest possible date you can plant cucumbers in order for them to be able to yield any fruit. When planted in warmer weather, the plants will establish much more quickly than when planted in the spring.
Later sowings are also possible – up until late May with varieties like 'Veranda Red' – to yield a good crop in October. Larger fruited varieties are best sown in mid to late April to ensure a good crop of ripe fruit by mid-September.
Fall is the best time to prepare garden soil, says Kansas State University Research and Extension horticulturalist Ward Upham. The soil is often too wet in the spring to work without forming clods that will be present the rest of the growing season.
"Tillage turns the soil, while no-till uses disks to slice into the ground and slip seeds in the narrow slice," Mirsky said. "There is no soil disturbance of substance in no-till." In terms of labor, tillage-based systems require several field operations to prepare a seedbed.
Most experts tend to agree that two to three weeks is required between tilling and planting. This is enough time for the various organic matter to settle and once again begin producing the nutrients that your soil and plants need.
Layer fallen, shredded tree leaves, compost and fertilizer in the garden bed and turn under the soil. You could also dig trenches in the garden, pile in the leaves and compost and cover with soil. These organic soil amendments will decompose over winter and leave the soil more fertile when spring rolls around.
The fall is the best time to add compost or manure to your garden soil. There are many forms of nitrogen that can exist in compost or manure. Not all forms of nitrogen are forms that plants can use. Some forms of nitrogen need to be broken down by bacteria or other plants into forms that are usable.
Zone 8 can enjoy fall tomatoes by planting seeds in early August or transplants in late August/early September. Zones 9, 10, & 11 can enjoy fall tomatoes by planting either seeds or transplants throughout September. If you're unsure of your growing zone, you can find it here.
Well with the right level of care and thought it is entirely possible to overwinter tomato plants but unless you live somewhere with very warm winters then you're going to have to bring the plant indoors.
Planting eggplant and tomatoes together increases the chances that blight will spread to both plants, ruining your harvest. As blight can remain in the soil, it is also recommended to avoid planting eggplants in the same soil after tomatoes, or vice versa, for at least two years.