Back in April, we talked about planting crops that could tolerate cold weather. Well, we’re back to talk about it again! Most of the cold tolerant crops you planted back in the spring have probably already bolted (went to seed) because of the hot weather. As the season begins to cool down, you can plant these cold-loving crops again for another great harvest in the fall.
Some of the things you can seed for a fall harvest are spinach, arugula, lettuce, bok choy, kale, swiss chard, mustard greens, radishes, and turnips. You can also seed some herbs again, like cilantro and parsley. You may worry, will these crops be ready to harvest before the season is over? All of these crops have pretty short growing days, and are usually ready to harvest in just one or two months! The warm days of late summer will speed them along, and the cooler nights and shorter daylight hours will keep them from bolting.
All of these crops are also frost tolerant, so even when we get our first frosts in September and October, these veggies will still be going strong. They will even taste sweeter after a little bit of frost!
It may seem crazy to think of fall when our tomatoes, peppers, and eggplants are just getting going, but gardeners should always think ahead. Seeding cold tolerant crops now will lead to some amazing soups on those cool fall days!