Fall Garden

Every successful fall vegetable garden begins with one question: When should I plant? Plant too early, and cool-season crops struggle in hot soil and scorching afternoons. Plant too late, and they may never mature before freezing weather arrives. The good news is that nature provides reliable clues. Soil temperature, average first frost dates, historical weather…

The transition from summer to fall is one of the busiest—and most rewarding—times in the vegetable garden. While tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, and squash may still be producing, it’s already time to prepare for broccoli, carrots, lettuce, spinach, kale, and other cool-season crops. Successful gardeners don’t wait until summer crops are finished before thinking about fall….

Many gardeners think the vegetable season winds down as summer ends. In reality, fall is one of the most productive—and enjoyable—times to grow vegetables. Cooler temperatures, shorter days, and fewer insect pests create ideal growing conditions for many crops. In fact, vegetables grown in autumn are often sweeter, more tender, and less susceptible to stress…

Choosing the right vegetables is only half the equation for a successful fall garden. Choosing the right varieties can make the difference between a disappointing crop and weeks—or even months—of dependable harvests. After growing vegetables for decades in Iowa, Massachusetts, Florida, and California, I’ve learned that not every variety performs equally well in autumn. Fall…

One of the biggest challenges in vegetable gardening is starting cool-season crops while summer is still in full swing. It can seem contradictory: you’re sowing seeds for broccoli, spinach, lettuce, and carrots while tomatoes are ripening, peppers are coloring, and afternoon temperatures still reach the upper 80s or even the 90s. Yet this overlap is…