One way to prepare for the coldest months is to start planning your list of fall vegetable gardening needs early. While there is no real deadline to reach your garden planning, knowing what you need to grow will help ensure that you can keep your plants healthy through the year. Your list will also help you decide what varieties of fruits and vegetables you might want to harvest during the year.
A good way to start making your list of fall needs is to look at what kind of soil you have available. You may have an area that is especially helpful with providing certain vegetables. If you live in an area with a cool climate, you are more likely to harvest sweet potatoes, peppers, squash, cabbage, and a host of other fruits and vegetables. On the other hand, if you live in a more temperate climate, you will be more limited in the varieties you can grow. But even a relatively cool and not very humid climate can be useful for other types of vegetables, including peas, beans, broccoli, and tomatoes.
To begin your list, consider the variety of plants you have. Then, check the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map to determine the approximate temperatures of the areas you live in. If you live in a colder climate, you may want to plant your vegetables in a shade-tolerant variety like the Italian sunflower. If you live in a warmer climate, choose a variety that can tolerate the heat of the summer.
When you make your list of fall vegetables, consider the needs of each variety. Do you need to place them close to food sources? Or do you have enough room in your yard to plant them? Knowing the answers to these questions will help you decide where to plant each variety. Here is a quick list of vegetables and herbs you may want to consider for a fall garden:
- Beets
- Broccoli
- Brussels Sprouts
- Cabbage
- Carrots
- Cauliflower
- Celery
- Cilantro
- Collards
- Green Onions
- Lettuces
- Kale
- Leeks
- Garlic
- Mustard
- Parsnips
- Radishes
- Rutabagas
- Spinach
- Swiss Chard
- Turnips
- Bush Bean
- Fava Beans
- Kohlrabi
- Zucchini
- Summer Squash
- Onions
Once you have decided which vegetables you will plant, it is time to think about what season they should be planted. Different vegetables tend to do better at certain times of the year. Once you have made this decision, make a list of those vegetables that can handle being planted in various zones throughout the fall. The list will help you determine where to plant each type of vegetable.
In addition to helping you plan your vegetable garden in the fall, the fall planting calendar will keep you on schedule regarding when you need to water your garden. If you start planning too early, the weather may still be too warm for some vegetables. On the other hand, if you start planning too late, the weather may have totally turned the garden inside out! You can make a list of fall vegetables that will also be handy once winter comes.
There are several additional ways that you can use the calendar to plan your garden. For example, you can use it to decide on the best variety for a particular vegetable variety. For example, a popular variety of tomatoes only produces great tomatoes throughout the tomato’s maturity period. Knowing this information, you will know exactly when you need to water your tomatoes to prevent them from drying out. This knowledge is also important for planning your vegetable garden in general since tomatoes are a big risk for the disease during the growing season.
Your list of vegetables to plant in the fall should give you ideas for your annual garden layout. The list will also let you know what type of care you should provide for each variety, whether you plant them in the garden or in a bed. Finally, a well-prepared list will help you weed through all of the varieties of vegetables available at the grocery store or farmer’s market. With a little research, you can quickly find the most delicious varieties and save yourself time and money.