The 15 Best Fall Vegetables To Plant Right Now
It's not too late for pumpkins, carrots, and more.
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While summer is the season for corn on the cob and heirloom tomatoes, it's also the time to look ahead to fall vegetables. That's right, as the weather cools squash, kale, radishes, and other hearty vegetables begin to hit their peak. Fall is historically harvest season, and there's an abundance of root vegetables, herbs, and beans that can add a seasonal flavor to meals, side dishes, and more on your holiday table. Thanks to varying climates, most if not all fall produce is available all year round, but peak seasons are when the food hits its ultimate best in terms of freshness, flavor, and even appearance.
Of course, the freshest way to enjoy fall vegetables is to grow your own. When planting fall or late-season produce, try to get a start during the peak heat days of summer. In most regions, this means planting in the heat of August to give your crops time to size up while growing conditions are still good. If you're running late, don't worry. You can still plant fast-growing crops in early September as long as you ensure ample heat can get to the soil and you can harvest before the first frost.
Whether you're planning to start a vegetable garden or just looking to browse your local farmer's market selection, shopping seasonally is the best way to eat better, fresher, and more natural produce. So, if you want to enjoy the bounty of autumn harvests and add some seasonal veggies to your family meals, read on to find 15 favorite fall vegetables to plant or simply enjoy.
The trick to making sure that carrot seeds germinate at all is keeping them moist after they're planted. That means not letting those little sprouts dry out before you put them in the ground.
You can grow onions from seed rather than sets or plants, but they'll take three to four months to mature. Plant in them in the early spring for fall harvest.
The key to growing juicy celery—a third of the mirepoix base at the heart of so many fall stews and soups—is to plant the seeds in rich, well-drained soil.
Eggplants thrive in rich soil. Add mulch, and compost routinely.
Cauliflower should be grown in a spot that gets full sun (that means six to eight hours of sunlight per day).
Plant garlic between late September and November, and you'll have a mature crop next year. It takes nearly nine months to fully mature for harvest.
Beets can tolerate a little frost and near-freezing temperatures, so plant them right at the turn of spring to harvest in the fall.
Plant fava bean seeds in a row with plenty of room on either side—this plant loves to spread out.
Plant radish seeds in full sun. If radishes are planted in too much shade, or even where neighboring vegetable plants shade them, they will put all their energy into producing larger leaves rather than delicious bulbs.
Romaine lettuce is a cool-weather crop that thrives in well-drained yet still moist soil. It should be planted in an area that receives full sun to partial shade.
While kale can tolerate shade, plants that receive fewer than six hours of sun daily will not be as stocky or leafy as those that get ample sun. But they will still be plenty edible!
Standard broccoli prefers cooler temperatures and grows best in the spring and fall. Long periods of hot weather can cause heat stress.
Pumpkin plants need a bunch of water to thrive—we mean daily watering, especially throughout July and into August.
Give your native soil a nutrient boost by mixing in several inches of aged compost or other rich organic matter for the best-tasting crop of squash.
Growing Brussels sprouts is a long, slow process. Plants should go in the ground in the early spring or mid to late summer for a crop that matures in the fall.
Kate McGregor is the former Digital Editor at House Beautiful, where she wrote countless stories on home renovation costs, design inspiration, and plant care. After years of experience writing commerce and search-optimized content for brands like Domino, Real Simple, and Architectural Digest’s Clever, Kate developed a passion for uncovering the personal stories that often inspire people’s spaces. She previously worked as the Assistant Market Editor at ELLE Decor where she identified top products and brands in the industry and interviewed emerging designers on their thoughts on the latest interior design trends. Kate holds a bachelor’s degree from Belmont University. When not researching the specificities of begonia plant care, you can find Kate scouring vintage markets for the ideal wrought-iron chair, knitting yet another cardigan, or reading historical nonfiction.
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