Autumn Vegetable Gardens

For gardeners in the Northeast, fall may as well be a second spring. As the days cool and shorten the soil retains more moisture, and the stresses that made spring crops bolt or wither become a distant memory. Fall root crops in particular are sweet and juicy and can be left in the soil for weeks or even months given protection from wintery weather. Sow these seeds in late July through August to harvest in the cool of autumn.

Our Favorite Autumn Vegetables

Beets can be sown throughout the season. Old selections like Flat of Egypt are particularly easy and forgiving and were reliable for us even in soils that were little more than shattered shale and are likewise among the easiest in clay. But beets sown for fall are the best of all: golden Boldor is bigger and brighter and the shimmering tops of Bull’s Blood and Craupadine are the most spectacular they will ever be. Beets rarely become woody in cool weather, and in soils that drain readily the roots can be harvested as needed until the ground freezes.

Chard is the same species as beets, Beta vulgaris, just selected for tender tops. The best chard is Erbette, an Italian selection that produces perpetually and is a three-or-four season alternative to Spinach. But we have a wandering eye and the bright petioles of Canary Yellow Chard charm and delight and look especially amazing in the edible fall landscape with purple pansies beneath.

Similarly amazing are the steely blue squiggles of Spigariello Riccio, the fine fringe of Golden Frill Mustard and Bear Necessities Kale, and the crazy wild hypercolor of Dragon Tongue Mustard and Purple Peacock Broccoli.

Turnips have a terrible reputation but they are one of the easiest and tastiest autumn crops. The flavor is sweeter and texture finer when grown and harvested in cool weather. Boule d’Or is particularly useful as an alternative to potatoes, and the starchy chestnut texture of old French Noir de Pardailhan will have you wondering how these weird black roots ever fell out of favor. When harvested in late autumn both of these can keep for several weeks or even months in a cellar or packed in damp sand in the barn or basement.

If you grow Carrots for keeping or juicing you should know that autumn crops are best for both. In particular the little round Paris Market Carrots become uniform and sweet and are easily kept when grown and harvested in autumn. Violet Carrots are thicker and juicier, and the uniquely beautiful Dragon Carrots are the most colorful and flavorful when grown in autumn.

When sown into gardens that are hot and sunny, Carrot and Beet seeds will benefit from a light cover of loose straw or cut tall grass to shelter and shade the soil while seeds germinate. Run a sprinkler morning and evening in dry weather to help maintain consistent soil moisture and hasten germination.

Radishes are often overlooked in autumn but are just as easy if not easier than they are in spring. Furthermore there are varieties that can only be grown in autumn: Green Winter, which is sweet and juicy, and Black Spanish, which is spicy and crisp and the perfect accompaniment to beer. In Hungary they are in all the winter market stalls!

The greens that can be grown in autumn include those that can be grown in spring, most notable of these are heading salad plants because they invariably head better in autumn. Marouli Lettuce, Variegata di Lusia Chicory, and little Red Acre Cabbage are remarkably quick to head in cool weather, and lovely Grumolo Rossa Radicchio will overwinter to form beautiful rosettes in early spring! For more discussion of autumn salad plants see this old newsletter.

Peas are the sleeper crop of autumn. Most peas germinate best in warm soils but prefer to grow and mature in cool weather, making them perfect for growing in the fall. In lieu of using supports we grow short sturdy bushes that need no fuss: Parsley Peas feature tender edible tendrils with tiny leaves ideal for salad and soup, and produce crisp snap peas! Petit Pois are super sweet little shelling peas for fresh eating and freezing, just in time for Thanksgiving! Best creamed peas ever.

Biennials to Sow Now

Biennials bloom in the second year. In nature these plants drop their seeds in summer and often these seeds will germinate almost immediately. The seeds that do not germinate immediately will wait until very early the following spring. Either way, bloom in the following year is typically assured. Sow these seeds now for healthy vigorous plants and easy abundant blooms in 2027.

Moonwort is sometimes listed as “money plant” thanks to its flat translucent round seed capsules, for which this plants is primarily grown. The flowers of the species are an obnoxious pink but we sell and grow a far superior white-flowered selection. Black Mallow is an elegant and ancient selection of the species beloved by Midwestern grandmas. The seeds can be strewn now and will begin to germinate as the days becomes cooler, as will seeds for the beautiful ‘Berggold’ Foxglove. All of these are reliable self-sowers and the latter two are virtually perennial if sometimes short-lived and are very easy to please in the Northeast.

Some of our favorite medicinal species are biennial and can be sown now: Clary Sage has soft foliage and our current (and favorite) selection has lovely spires of lilac flowers with persistent rose pink bracts. Evening Primrose is a nutritious North American “weed” with seeds that can be pressed for an oil rich in gamma-linolenic acid. If that sounds like more trouble than it is worth consider that all parts are edible and the fragrant flowers unfurl in the evening to attract hawkmoths and rare vespertine hummingbirds. Spotted Bee Balm is a relatively uncommon but extraordinary native species that is easy from seed and beloved by our native bees. Brew leaves and flowers for a fragrant tea!

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