Planting a Fall Garden with Cool Weather Crops

Because it is September many people think that the gardening season is over. Not so I say! Cool weather crops make gardening into the fall easy to do. So if you aren't tired of planting, weeding, watering and harvesting, now is the time to do some more planting.

Many cool weather crops can grow in the spring and the fall, however they tend to grow and germinate faster when the soil is warmer to begin with, so fall is going to produce a more abundant supply of your cool weather crops. What exactly are cool weather crops though? They include broccoli, kale, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, lettuce, onion, radishes, peas, and cauliflower.

Planting crops in the fall is essentially the same as planting them in the spring. You don't need to do anything different in the beginning but by planting cool weather crops you will extend your garden harvest by a couple of months. Some cool weather plants like kale can be harvested even in the snow because they can handle freezes and thrive in the cooler weather of fall and early winter.

I just planted a square foot garden box of peas and lettuce 2 weeks ago and we have already harvested lettuce for salads and my peas are more than a foot tall. These cool weather crops are growing much faster in the fall than in the spring. Many foods that can be planted in the fall are foods that can be picked again and again like lettuce and peas. Others such as radishes and onions are harvested just one time. Whatever you decide to plant in your cool weather garden now is the time to do it.