If you dream of setting up a home garden to supply all of your food throughout the growing season, it's helpful to know the best times to plant fall vegetables. While this may seem like an idyllic notion, the fact is that gardening is actually rather simple once you learn the basics. Planting fall vegetables on your garden plot is a great way to load up your plate with nutritious food and save money all at once. For those who have never planted fall vegetables before, it is important to learn when it is the right time to plant each vegetable. Fortunately, planting schedules for fall vegetables are rather straightforward.
Crops that are said to be “late maturing” take approximately 90 days to reach maturity once planted. As a result, these types of crops should be planted in mid-July in order to be harvested in the fall. In terms of root crops, beets, parsnips, carrots and certain types of onions are all considered to be late maturing. For leafy crops, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, Fava beans and cauliflower are also late maturing. Ensure that these crops make it into the ground no later than the end of July in order to be harvested without issue.
Mid Maturing Crops
Mid Maturing crops take approximately 60 days to grow, and should be planted by the middle of August to ensure a successful harvest. Mid maturing root crops include leeks, turnips and kohlrabi, while leaf crops include collard greens, Swiss chard and some perennial herbs.
Early Maturing Crops
Crops that mature early can be finished in as little as 30 days after planting, and should be plated in mid-September. Root crops that mature early include chives, radishes and bunching onions. Common early-maturing leaf crops are spinach, lettuce, broccoli, cover crops and mustard greens.
Remember that growing schedules can be adjusted depending upon the climate where you live.