the ultimate FALL vegetable garden guide

a practical, crop-centered growing guide for fall

Happy (almost) fall!

If you need help knowing what to plant, when to plant it, and all the nuances of how to plant each crop for an abundant autumn, I’ve got you covered.

This Fall Vegetable Garden Guide is a download of all the growing information and lessons stored in my head after 15+ years of growing vegetables, and it is JAM PACKED with practical, crop-specific information that will help you have a thriving garden this fall.

This Fall Vegetable Garden Guide will teach you:

1. The difference between a frost and a freeze

2. Tips for using frost cover to protect your plants (including links to the exact frost cover we use on our farm)

3. Which crops are best to plant for the fall (and whether they should be direct seeded or transplanted)

4. When to plant each crop (based on the first fall frost date in your area)

5. Ideal spacing for each plant

6. My favorite varieties for each crop (including links to purchase seeds for the specific varieties... not sponsored!)

7. Additional pro tips that I’ve gained from over a decade of gardening and farming

   

A few important notes:

• This guide is very crop specific! If you’re still working on getting your garden established, start with my 4-Part Guide to Start a Garden, and then come back to this post when you are ready to dig into the nuances of each crop.

• Knowing *when* to plant your fall veggies revolves around your estimated first fall frost date. If you don’t know the last frost date in your area, here’s a handy frost date calculator, customized by your zip code.

• Regarding plant spacing and # of rows per bed – in this guide, I share spacing recommendations based on a standard 30” bed (which is a common width for in-ground garden beds). If your beds are a different width and you need help figuring out spacing / ideal number of rows for certain crops, just leave a comment and I’ll respond with the best spacing for your beds.

• Okay, one last important thing. The detailed, crop-specific growing information contained in this guide comes from over 15 years of experience gardening and farming, and I believe this knowledge has real value. So for that reason, the majority of this post is only available to paid subscribers. My hope is that if you find this information to be useful, that you will consider supporting my work as a paid subscriber.

PS – If you’re in a tough season and would benefit from a comped subscription, I’m happy to help, no questions asked. Just send an email to michelle@farmbelly.com and we will work it out.

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Alright, let’s dig into the Fall Vegetable Garden Guide!

Keep reading for a comprehensive, crop-by-crop (organized alphabetically) run-down of ALL the details you need to grow an abundant fall garden.

Also! If you’re more of a spreadsheet person, I’ve also compiled this information on a spreadsheet, which paid subscribers can find linked at the end of this post.

UNDERSTANDING FROST vs FREEZE

When it comes to fall growing, it’s important to understand the nuances of a frost vs a freeze, and how to properly protect your plants when cold temps start to arrive. Here is a helpful breakdown:

• Frost Advisory - When the temperature is expected to fall to 36°F - 32°F.

• Freeze Warning - Issued when there is at least an 80% chance that the temperature will be 32°F or lower.

• Light freeze - temps of 29°F to 32°F, which can kill tender plants.

• Moderate freeze - temps pf 25°F to 28°F, which can be damaging to most plants.

• Severe or hard freeze - 25°F or colder, which causes damage to most plants.

NOTES ABOUT FROST COVER

• The best way to protect your fall plants from frost/freezes is frost cover! Frost cover is kind of like a blanket for your plants, and it traps warmth from the soil under the cloth and keeps the air around the plants warmer than the actual temperature outside.

• My go-to frost cover is called Ag-30, which provides protection down to 26°F/-3°C. If you live in a mild climate with only occasional light frosts, Ag-19 is lighter and may be a better option. And if you live in an especially cold climate, go with Ag-50, which is thicker and provides protection down to 24°F/-4°C.

• Frost cover should not physically touch your plants, so use some kind of hoop (like this) to support the weight of the frost cover over your garden bed.

• Be sure to weigh down the frost cover to keep it from blowing away! Bricks, sand bags, and heavy rocks all work well.

• Frost cover will block some sunlight from reaching your plants, so it’s recommended to remove any frost cover during the day (so long as long as temperatures return to above freezing). Yes, it’s a bit annoying to cover, uncover, and recover your plants each day – but it’s the best way to help them thrive in the fall + winter months!

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FALL VEGETABLE GUIDE

ARUGULA

• Direct seed vs transplant: Direct seed

• When to plant: Direct seed outside up to 3-4 weeks before first fall frost (and as early as 10-12 weeks before first fall frost)

• # rows (per 30” bed): 4

• In-row spacing: Broadcast (ie generously sprinkle) seeds by hand (or if using Jang seeder, use Y-24 roller with sprockets set at 9-14)

• Favorite variety: Astro

• Pro tip: For continuous harvests, seed a new succession starting in mid-August every 2 weeks until 3-4 weeks before first fall frost. is typically ready to harvest about 5 weeks after planting. Arugula loves chilly weather and it is surprisingly frost hardy!

BEETS

• Direct seed vs transplant: Direct seed

• When to plant: Direct seed outside 8-10 weeks before first fall frost

• # rows (per 30” bed): 4

• In-row spacing: Directly plant seeds 2” apart

• Favorite variety: Red Ace

• Pro tip: To aid with germination, soak beet seeds for 4-6 hours before direct seeding. Don’t forget that beet tops are edible and delicious! (Beets are in the same family as swiss chard, so treat the greens like you would chard). Beets are quite frost hardy – even if the greens get frost damage, the roots are more tolerant.

BROCCOLI