Plant Mid-Summer for a Fall Vegetable Harvest

The middle of the summer in the vegetable garden has a lot of harvesting, weeding, and watering. Gardeners can also do planting! Some of the cool-season crops like lettuce, peas, and broccoli can be planted in mid-summer for a fall harvest to fill the holes left in the garden by the spring crops that have melted away with the hot summer temperatures.

Many of the vegetables that have the best success with a second crop are tolerant of cool, sometimes freezing temperatures. In fact, some gardeners swear the flavor of Brussels sprouts, spinach and other cool-season veggies is better when they are hit with a light frost! Other vegetables, like beans or basil, may not tolerate cold temperatures but grow very quickly from seed allowing you to “squeeze” them in before the end of the growing season.

To determine the latest you can plant a fall crop and still expect a harvest, simply count back the days of maturity from the typical first frost date. At Reiman Gardens the typical first frost date is October 10^th.

Keep in mind, this is an average – you may be able to go longer or get cut shorter depending on the weather. Utilize row covers or other season-extending techniques to plant a little later or try something that takes a little longer.

Below is a list of vegetables well suited for mid-summer planting and fall harvest.

Prepared by Aaron Steil, Assistant Director  |  photo caption: Brassica oleracea ‘Flat Dutch’