Best Vegetables to Plant for a Fall Garden

Late summer is the perfect time to plant cool-weather vegetables. Whether you call them fall garden vegetables, cold-hardy crops, or just your second chance at fresh food, many of the best vegetables to plant for a fall garden actually taste better after a kiss of frost.

Why Bother With a Fall Garden?

Every year at the farmers’ market, I do my best to talk folks into planting a fall garden. And every year, I get that same skeptical look, like I’m trying to sell them magic beans.

These are the gardeners who go all-in Memorial Day weekend—one big planting session, then done for the year. But here’s what I try to tell them: summer might be winding down, but the garden sure doesn’t have to. Some of the best crops of the year are planted after the Fourth of July.

In many ways, fall gardening is easier than spring:

• The soil’s already warm, so seeds sprout in a flash.
• Insects have quieted down.
• Weeds slow their takeover.
• You don’t sweat through your shirt just trying to water.

The University of New Hampshire Extension sums it up nicely:

“From late July through August is actually a great time to sow many vegetables for a fall harvest. In some ways, it’s easier than growing in the spring because there is less annual weed pressure, and many pest insects have already completed their lifecycles.”

So, What Can You Plant?

In my neck of the woods (New Hampshire), our growing season is short—but we squeeze every last bit out of it. As soon as the garlic comes up in mid-July, we have trays of seedlings waiting in the wings: lettuce, bok choy, Chinese cabbage, kale. 

Quick-Grow Greens

• Lettuce – Sow every 10 days or so for a steady harvest.
• Spinach – Fall is its season. Spring-planted spinach bolts. Fall spinach thrives.
• Swiss chard – A real trooper and just plain pretty.
• Bok choy and Chinese cabbage – Grow fast and taste best in cool weather.
• Kale – Keeps going after frost and actually tastes better for it.

Roots and Quick Picks

• Radishes – Blink and you’ll miss the harvest—some are ready in just 25 days.
• Carrots, beets, turnips – These take their time, but reward your patience with sweet, crisp roots.
• Bush beans, summer squash, and cucumbers – A bit of a gamble, but worth it if frost holds off. Just have row covers handy.

If you live farther south, lucky you! You might be able to sneak in a second round of tomatoes, peppers, or even melons. Fall gardening is less about starting over—and more about making the most of what the garden’s already given you.

What Makes a Good Fall Crop?

In general, look for:

• Vegetables that mature quickly
• Crops that can handle (or love) the cold

Here’s a cheat sheet for frost tolerance:

Can take a light frost (30–32°F):
Beets, Chinese cabbage, cauliflower, celery, collards, green onions, Bibb and leaf lettuce, mustard, parsnips, radishes, spinach, Swiss chard

Can survive harder freezes (down to 20°F):
Broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, carrots, kale, leeks, rutabagas, turnips

Some vegetables—like parsnips and collards—get even sweeter after a hard frost. That’s nature’s version of seasoning.

When to Plant Fall Crops

This part takes a little counting—but nothing you can’t do on a seed packet and a calendar. Here’s the rough math:

1. Find your first fall frost date using our Frost Date Calculator.
2. Count backwards from that date based on your crop’s “days to maturity.”
3. Add 7 to 14 days as a buffer—plants grow slower in cooler weather.
4. Add 7 to 10 days for harvest time.

Example: If your seed packet says 60 days to maturity and your first frost is October 10, aim to plant by early August.

Bonus: If you’re starting from transplants instead of seed, add another 3–4 weeks to account for that indoor time.

If you’re using row covers or cold frames, you can often plant 2 to 3 weeks later and still get a good crop.

Fall Garden Tips From the Field

• Mulch your root crops before the ground freezes solid. Even if the tops die back, the roots stay protected.
• Succession plant fast crops like lettuce or radishes every 10–14 days.
• Refresh your soil with compost or a touch of fertilizer. Second crops still need good nutrition.
• Water deeply—but less often. Roots will go deeper in fall.
• Row covers help hold in warmth and keep critters out.

Watch Out for Fall Pests

Of course, it isn’t all as rosy as some of the gardening books would like you to think. While most garden pests slow down in fall, a few stubborn stragglers remain. Keep an eye out for pests that eat tender sprouts and leafy greens.

• Slugs (especially after a rain)
• Cabbage worms
• Cutworms hiding in the mulch

A quick walk through the garden every morning goes a long way in catching trouble early.

Be sure to protect your young plants! One method is to make little plant collars out of aluminum foil or to cover the seedlings with cloches at night. Or just pick off any pests you see and drop them in soapy water (check the undersides of leaves, too). See our advice on slugs, cabbage worms, and cutworms. 

That said, there are definitely fewer pests in the cool fall than in the summer, so that’s another advantage!

The Garden Isn’t Done Yet

There’s something special about harvesting a bunch of rainbow chard or baby carrots when everyone else has packed up their tools for the year. Fall gardening may not be flashy, but it’s peaceful, productive, and—dare I say—delicious.

So don’t hang up your hoe just yet. There’s still time. Still warmth in the soil. Still a second spring waiting to bloom.

One more planting. One more harvest. One more reason to love the garden.

Garden Planning Tool

Need more help planning a fall garden? Try the Almanac’s online Garden Planner, which lets you draw out beds right on your computer and select the right vegetables with the right spacing. The Garden Planner offers a 7-day trial (ample time to plan your first garden).

Good luck with your fall garden! What will you be planting?