ABOVE THE DIRT

You still have time to plant for your fall vegetable garden. Summer is here, but fall is near. As our spring/summer harvest is in full swing, we have the option for an additional harvest as the weather begins to cool - if we plant for it.

Many cool-season vegetable seeds can be planted directly in the garden this summer. The goal for a fall/autumn vegetable garden is to utilize the warmth of the summer to sprout your seeds (or support your seedlings), and aim your planting so that you can harvest before frost, freeze, or hard freeze kills your chances.

Average dates in the Louisville, KY area for frost, freeze, and hard freeze:

frost (36 degree) is October 20th

freeze (32 degree) is November 1st

hard freeze (28 degree) is November 12th

Remember these are averages. My birthday is November 14th, and I remember years where I was wearing shorts and years when we had snow! Just picture yourself trick-or-treating; sometimes you’re hot, and sometimes you’re freezing. Once mid-October hits, the avid gardener needs to check the forecast daily.

Most cold season vegetables can handle a frost easily if covered overnight with row covers or light-weight sheets. This protects the tender plants from the overnight frost, and they can keep growing during the warmth of the day.

Garden vegetables for July Planting:

Arugula (7-10 days of germination, Harvest 40 days after seeding)

Beets (5 days of germination, Harvest 49-56 days after seeding)

Bok choy (7-10 days of germination, Harvest 45-60 days after seeding)

Broccoli (7-10 days of germination, Harvest 80-100 days after seeding)

Cabbage (7-10 days of germination, Harvest 80-120 days after seeding)

Carrots (14-21 days of germination, Harvest 70-80 days after seeding)

Lettuce (7-15 days of germination, Harvest 30 days after seeding or when reaches desired size)

Turnips (7-10 days of germination, Harvest 35-50 days after seeding)

Garden vegetables for August planting:

Garlic (Harvest 42-56 days after planting cloves)

Kale (7-10 days of germination, Harvest 60 days after planting, or 30 days for baby kale)

Okra (2-12 days of germination, Harvest 60 days after seeding)

Radish (10 days of germination, Harvest 21-35 days after seeding)

Plants that can last over winter. If garden-luck is on your side, the following plants can be left in the garden overwinter for an early spring harvest:

Okra

Beets

Carrots

Potatoes

Brussel Sprouts

Kale

Lettuce

Turnips

Radishes

I have personally been surprised by carrots, brussel sprouts, and kale popping up in my raised bed garden in early spring. Mostly this was due to lazy gardening as winter arrived, and just leaving the clean up of my garden until spring. Every-once-in-a-while luck and lazy gives us a helping hand!!

Want to know more? Check out our in-person gardening classes here: