by Ken Lain, The Mountain Gardener, Waters Garden Center
You can seed in August by growing your starts in a cool shady spot. Plant seeds deeper in the fall to get them down to where soil is cool and moist.
Beets, Beta Vulgaris, are best grown from seed without disturbing their roots once sprouted. Late summer too early fall is the best time to resume succession planting at two to three-week intervals.
- USDA Growing Zones: 2–11
- Sun Exposure: Full sun, partial shade
Broccoli, Brassica oleracea, grows best in cool weather; is no risk of early spring frost, and as your florets form, the cool autumn air keeps them from bolting into flowers, giving you more time to harvest.
- USDA Growing Zones: 3–10
- Sun Exposure: Full sun
Cabbage, Brassica oleracea. Autumn is perfect for cabbage because it needs cooler temperatures to form a head. Cabbage needs anywhere from 90 to 120 days to mature, so a fall crop will be most likely if you transplant seedlings in mid-to-late summer.
- USDA Growing Zones: 1–9
- Sun Exposure: Full sun, partial shade
Cauliflower, Brassica oleracea, fall is typically a better time to grow cauliflower as the cool weather keeps the heads tight and tender. Cauliflower often takes 2 to 3 months to mature.
- USDA Growing Zones: 2–11
- Sun Exposure: Full sun
Kale, Brassica oleracea, seeds quickly germinate in warm and cool soil. As fall turns to winter, kale leaves maintain great leaf texture with a flavor that sweetens and deepens.
- USDA Growing Zones: 7–9
- Sun Exposure: Full sun, partial shade
Lettuce, Lactuca sativa, can be planted pretty much all season. Most varieties take less than 50 days to mature; lettuce will require some frost protection.
- USDA Growing Zones: 4–9
- Sun Exposure: Partial shade
Spinach, Spinacia oleracea, often bolts in the summer heat. You are going to love growing spinach in the fall. Spinach only takes about 30 days to mature.
- USDA Growing Zones: 2–9
- Sun Exposure: Full sun
Swiss chard, Beta vulgaris, if you’ve already harvested your Swiss chard as cut-and-come-again, you won’t need to reseed in fall. With just a bit of cool air and water, they’ll ramp back into production.
- USDA Growing Zones: 3–10
- Sun Exposure: Full sun, partial shade