Early lettuces in my garden last year. I like to plant a lot of lettuce in the fall, as it's so easy to grow.
Even though it’s hot as heck outside and you’re not yet sick to death of zucchini, if you want cool weather veggies, you need to start planning now, as most of your fall garden needs to be started in June and July. Plants like lettuces, broccoli, cauliflower, endive, kale, spinach, carrots, beets, and chard are just some of the veggies you can grow without too much effort and, even better, there tend to be fewer pests around to wreak havoc on your edibles.
And, if you have a cold frame or use hoops with row covers, you should be able to continue growing some of your fall crops well past the first frost. One of my neighbors gardens in raised beds and she simply covers one of them with an old glass window and then harvests lettuce well past Thanksgiving and into December.
Even though I’m usually exhausted with gardening by the time fall rolls around, I really enjoy gardening in September and October because it’s just so much easier and less intense. I plant lettuces and greens and then enjoy them well past the first frost. Since my tomatoes are still growing well into October, I’ll enjoy some pretty amazing salads as the days turn cooler. Best of all, since apples will b e coming in, I’ll make a lot of salads that consist of lettuce, chopped apples, some toasted walnuts, and a drizzle of balsamic vinaigrette. Delish.
What are some of your favorite fall veggies?
