Autumn plantings are best for vegetables that can tolerate a temperature range of 55 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit and slight frost. Make sure you research tolerance of weather and vegetable types with the soil needs and the time from seed to harvest. You will enjoy your autumn vegetables; they are known to be sweeter than summer vegetables. Consider the joy of growing a fall garden; it makes up for not having flowers throughout the winter.

Autumn and Winter Vegetables

Choose vegetables that have a short growing season. This gives them time to grow before the frost gets too hard. Broad beans are a perfect plant for autumn because the soil does not allow leaching of nutrient that could affect your beans earlier. Asparagus planted in the fall works well. Be prepared that it will not bear fruit for two years. Sow peas in October. Garlic is one of the easiest fall vegetables to grow. Onions love fall growing especially hardy varieties like Meraviglia d Inverno San Martino. Spinach sown in by the end of October reduces chances of bolting. Bolting is when the growth goes from leaf to mostly flower and seed, this can be due to warm weather. Spring cabbage and sugar snap peas enjoy fall planting. Turnips harvest in less than two months, you can enjoy their edible leaves and the roots. Kale and collard greens you pick as other leaves keep growing. Radishes are not only easy to grow, but you get to eat them in less than thirty days. Brussel sprouts prefer cool temperatures. Fennel, mustard tops, turnip greens, kohlrabi and mesclun are fall pleasers.

Tips for Growing in Autumn

Fall seeds have the extra boost of planted in your soil that was warm from the summer months. This helps to quicken germination and lessen the probability of rotting. To make sure you will grow enough during this season; gardeners suggest sowing twice as many seeds. If you have to you can always thin the plants later. Autumn seeds do better in raised beds. Compost for your winter garden is better if it is a year old. That way you will not have to worry about weeds growing. Fall growths still like water, one inch per week. Do not forget to cover your garden with heavy mulch or straw. The purpose of the mulch is to hold in the heat of your soil.

Source:

GooGo Bits

Jacks Garden Store

University of California