Fall is a prime time for planting many cool-season vegetables in this area. The cooler temperatures and longer nights provide ideal conditions for certain crops to thrive. By planting now, you can enjoy a bountiful harvest of fresh,homegrown produce throughout the fall and even into winter.
This article is a comprehensive guide on what to plant in a fall vegetable garden, authored by Margaret Roach and published on A Way To Garden (Northeast zones; specific advice for Zone 5B). The guide suggests various vegetables and herbs suitable for planting in July and August for a fall harvest, including arugula, bush beans, beets, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, chard, cilantro, collards, cucumbers, dill, kale, lettuce, mustard greens, peas, radishes, scallions, spinach, squash, turnips and rutabaga. It also emphasizes the importance of preparing the soil by cooling and moistening it to improve seed germination. It advises selecting varieties with a shorter maturity period and being ready with insulating fabric to protect plants from early cold. The document includes links to regional planting calendars and guides for various states, which are particularly helpful for adjusting planting times according to local climate conditions.
Another article from “Grow, Create, Sip” details the author’s experiences and lessons learned from their fall garden in 2018. The author reflects on the challenges faced, such as pest-infested broccoli, slow-growing cabbage, and areas of the garden that failed to produce, admitting that they did not achieve their goals for food preservation and planting. The blog post also discusses the author’s approach to gardening, including planting flowers between vegetable rows to attract pollinators and using the flowers in tea blends. The author mentions specific plants and their outcomes, such as marigolds being used in tea and zinnias providing both beauty and potential for tea ingredients. The cabbage, which took an exceptionally long time to mature, is earmarked for sauerkraut and kimchi. The author also reflects on the greenhouse, which was neglected and overrun with weeds, and the barnyard, where new kittens and chickens bring joy despite the challenges of managing them.
https://www.growcreatesip.com/blog/how-we-failed-in-our-fall-garden
For in person learning opportunities with VINES, keep an eye on https://vinesgardens.org/events/.
