Gardening in the Fall

This week will be extremely hot in Kansas City. The forecast shows temperatures reaching 105°F (40°C) before factoring in humidity. That’s really hot. Despite the intense heat, it’s also time to start thinking about the fall garden.

Let’s explore the why, the how, and the what of fall gardening.

Why start a fall garden?

The smart answer is: why not!?! A fall garden is an excellent opportunity to grow another big harvest of cool-weather vegetables. It extends your gardening season, allowing you to grow until the first frost and beyond. The cooler temperatures make it very pleasant to be outside and garden. Pest pressure is often reduced in the fall, and so are the weeds! Plus, the variety of cool-weather vegetables you can grow is truly fun and rewarding. I love growing our own lettuce, and the fall is the perfect time for that! The plants in the Brassica family (cabbage family) thrive in cooler weather as well. Feeding my family as much organic food as I can produce is important to me, and the fall garden helps with that!

How do we start a fall garden?

First, consider what you and your family enjoy eating. It’s also a great opportunity to experiment with some garden novelties. For example, I grew kohlrabi for the first time this year, and I will definitely grow it again in the fall! This sweet and crunchy vegetable was a delightful addition to my cool-weather crops. If there are certain vegetables you don’t enjoy eating, don’t plant them—unless they serve as a pest deterrent in the garden.

Second, prepare the garden for the next crop. Once you know what you want to grow, plan your space and prepare the soil. I leave long-lasting plants like tomatoes as long as I can because I want to keep harvesting from them until the frost. I harvest other vegetables that are ready or too diseased to continue producing well. Today, I harvested some beets and removed dying cucumber plants that had succumbed to cucumber beetles. I amended the soil, and now it is ready for planting.

Finally, work with your frost dates. In addition to choosing cool-weather crops, it’s crucial to know how long your plants will take to mature. Check your seed packets to determine if you have enough days until the first frost. If not, consider using seedlings to ensure you can still grow that crop. Remember, some plants don’t like being transplanted. For example, I’ll direct sow my beets and carrots, but I’ll buy Brussels sprout seedlings this year. Supporting local growers is a great way to save time and ensure success with crops that need a longer growing period. Here in Kansas City, our average first frost is October 17th, and the last frost is April 15th. Since these are average dates, it's important to monitor the weather and be ready to cover your crops if an early frost is predicted.

What can we plant in a fall garden?

There are so many exciting things to plant in the fall garden! For our family, our fall garden includes curly Scotch and Tuscan kale, carrots, beets, a variety of lettuces, sugar snap peas, kohlrabi, broccoli, Chinese cabbage, Brussels sprouts, cilantro, dill, and Swiss chard. This year, I’m also looking forward to trying Bok Choy.

I’ll use the succession planting method for cilantro and lettuce to ensure a steady harvest throughout the season rather than all at once. The fall garden can be incredibly productive and nutritious!

This beautiful kohlrabi thrives in the cooler weather.

Need guidance for your fall garden? Schedule a coaching session below!