10 Fall Vegetables You Can Plant Now—But Do It ASAP
These fast-growing veggies will give you a last-season burst of produce!
It's September! And that means that soon enough the temperatures will be dropping, we'll be able to use our backyard fire pits again, and it'll be time to put the garden to bed for the winter. But don't rush that last one! Depending on where in the country you live you've still got a few weeks or even a few months of good growing season left, and this is just the time to get a few fast-growing cold-weather-loving crops into the ground to harvest in October and November.
To determine exactly how much time you have, you'll want to figure out when your likely first frost date is for your region. This can easily be done by looking up the expected first frost date for your area using this calculator from the National Gardening Association.
Once you have a good sense of when to expect some frost, you can get a sense of how many weeks you have to grow in. Keep in mind that some plants, such as brassicas like kale, collards, and Brussels sprouts will sweeten after a first mild frost, and can keep growing for a few days or even weeks after. Other, more delicate plants like lettuce and spinach won't.
Here are ten of our favorite fall vegetables you should plant ASAP, along with a few ideas for what to do with your harvest!
Kale
Kale is a great cold-weather crop, and it tends to take about 60 days to mature, so if you get it in the ground in September, you should hopefully have a harvest in November. In fact, harvesting after a first frost tends to result in a sweeter crop. And if you're in a relatively temperate part of the country, the plants can survive the winter and yield an early crop next spring.
Brussels Sprouts
Brussels sprouts take about 90 days to mature, so if you're in the northern states you may want to purchase seedlings or small plants rather than try to grow them from seed. But the cool weather is exactly what these tiny cabbages need to get absolutely delicious. Cut off the top leaves about 3 to 4 weeks before harvest to encourage them to mature, and begin harvesting sprouts when they're about 1 inch around.
Radishes
Radishes are an ideal fall-weather crop. They grow fast, maturing in as few as three weeks—so you may be able to get a couple crops before frost sets in! And they do best in cool weather, so spring and fall are the best. Don't forget to save and eat the tops, which are nutritious and packed with flavor. (We recommend chopping them up and stirring them into an omelette.)
Spinach
Spinach is another fast-growing fall favorite. Baby spinach especially grows to harvestable size in just a few weeks and the cold weather is essential for keeping the greens sweet and palatable.
Try it in: Farro and Quinoa Salad with Spinach and Peas
Carrots—And Parsnips!
Both carrots and their highly underrated cousin, parsnips, are excellent fall weather crops! Both do much better in cooler weather, and parsnips actually need the freezing temps to develop their flavor. Plant them ASAP and plan to harvest them several weeks after the first frost.
Herbs
There's still plenty of time for growing or maintaining crops of many fast-growing, soft-stem herbs, such as parsley, cilantro (pictured), tarragon, basil and dill!
Lettuce
Lettuce—in all its many varieties—is possibly the most classic cool-weather crop. Because these leafy greens tend to wilt in hot weather, home gardeners grow them most successfully in the spring, and again in the fall when the temperatures begin to dip.
You can plant and grow mature lettuces as well as baby lettuces, and go with one variety—such as Boston, Bibb, or Butter lettuce—or grow a mix for all your salad needs. It also grows well in pots and can even come indoors as long as the soil stays relatively moist.
Collard Greens
We like to think of collard greens as kale's less trendy cousin. It's just as easy (or easier) to grow. If anything it has better yields, and it absolutely adores the cold weather. You can plant it up to 6 weeks before the first fall frost. Be sure to save some for the Thanksgiving feast!
Swiss Chard
Swiss chard's stalks comes in a variety of colors from bright red to striking yellow. It's pretty enough to be grown for its looks alone, but it also happens to be delicious!
It takes about 60 days to mature and will sweeten slightly after a first frost.
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