Several vegetables can be planted in late summer for a fall crop. For a fall crop, plant beets, carrots, Swiss chard, kohlrabi, and kale in early to mid-August, plant leaf lettuce and spinach in late August to early September, plant radishes from mid-to late September, and plant garlic from October to early November.
Seeds germinate fast when the soil is already nice and warm. For delicious, picture-perfect fall crops of spinach, lettuce, peas, kale and broccoli, now's the time to plant. Here are four easy steps to ensure your success.
Fall is a great time to plant another crop of spring greens such as spinach, leaf lettuce, arugula, mustard greens, and mâche because they require cooler soil for seed germination and they mature quickly.
Growth Rate: Buckwheat, Berseem Clover, Austrian Winter Pea, annual ryegrass, and oats are all fast-growing crops ideal for providing quick cover between crops or on sensitive sites.
Autumn is a great season for annuals, low-maintenance perennials and evergreen shrubs to shine. In fact, some of the most popular flowers, like colorful mums, roses, dahlias, purple pansies and yes, even bright yellow sunflowers, all bloom around September and October.
Fall is Good for Root Growth
In the fall, the perfect combination of warm soils and milder weather create ideal conditions for newly planted trees, shrubs, and perennials. Warm soil temperatures encourage root growth – more so than in the spring when the soil is still warming up.
Grass seed, trees and vegetables can all be planted as summer days shorten. AMES, Iowa – Seeds germinate fast when the soil is already nice and warm, which makes late summer a good time to rejuvenate lawns and plant fall vegetable crops of spinach, lettuce, peas and kale. Or plant a new tree.
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.
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.
Late Summer begins around the third week of August and runs through the Fall Equinox.
"Fall is an excellent time to plant almost any perennial, with the exception of many ornamental grasses, which are better planted in spring," says Erin Schanen, Troy-Bilt's gardening partner, a master gardener volunteer and creator of The Impatient Gardener blog and YouTube channel.
Tip. Mid- to late-August is often an excellent time to plant fall flowers, as long as the weather isn't still so hot that the plants will suffer heat stress.
September is a great time to plant those fall flowers. There are many varieties that can be planted this fall to start blooming early spring.
Brussels sprouts, broccoli, cauliflower and cabbage are brassicas (also called Cruciferae) and the plants in this species are wonderful for the fall/winter garden. In fact, you can continue to harvest Brussels sprouts even after a snow. Broccoli, cauliflower and cabbage are tolerant to about 26°F.
Another option is to plant a mix of cover crops like ryegrass and clover at the same time. The ryegrass will improve the soil while the clover is adding needed nitrogen. These mixes are readily available for purchase, or you can mix your own. Another good choice for clay soil is daikon radishes.
Early fall is the best time to plant cool-season grasses, such as Fescue, Rye and Bluegrass. These grasses grow best when the temperature is between 60-80 degrees Fahrenheit, and benefit from the shorter days and cooler nights. There is also less competition from crabgrass and foxtails.
1 • Winter-killed cover crops: Killed by cold, but have sufficient biomass to protect the soil. Depending upon growing zone, the peas, clover, and ryegrass in the mix are winter-killed, while the rye and hairy vetch regrow in spring. Oats are an prime example of this first type.