Autumn is here and with it ten great types of vegetables that thrive in the bed even in stormy weather and colder temperatures.
The summer harvest is slowly coming in, the beds are getting emptier and winter is getting closer. For many gardeners, autumn is already the end of the gardening season. It can only really get going in autumn. Countless types of vegetables are ready to move into the bed and use the last warm days before winter. We will show you ten types of vegetables that are particularly worth growing in the fall.
1. Growing lettuce in fall
Salad is a typical spring and summer vegetable, isn't it? Not only, the lettuce is also wonderful for cultivation in autumn. Sown until the end of August, the plants also grow outside without any problems. Endive or frisée lettuce have proven to be particularly good for autumn cultivation, but classics such as lettuce or lamb's lettuce also find their place in the autumn bed. In fact, there are advantages to growing in the fall: the lower temperatures minimize the risk of the lettuce "shooting", i.e. starting to bloom.
2. Growing Pak Choi in Fall
The Pak Choi (Brassica rapa subsp. chinensis), which comes from Asia, is not only he althy and delicious, but is also suitable (like almost all types of cabbage) perfect for autumn cultivation. August or early September is best for growing pak choi outdoors, preferably after the hottest days have passed. Asian vegetables do not tolerate too much heat and quickly start to shoot. The Pak Choi is then ready for harvest just six to eight weeks after sowing.
3. Growing Cauliflower in Fall
Cauliflower (Brassica oleracea var. botrytis) is also a cabbage and therefore well suited for autumn. Since cauliflower is particularly susceptible to pests in summer, cauliflower cultivation is even more profitable in autumn. Kick offPrepare the seeds indoors as early as August, as it can take around 30 days to get a ready-to-plant seedling. The plant then finds its way into the bed in the first week of September. The cauliflower harvest can take place well into October, around eight to twelve weeks after sowing.
4. Growing turnips in the fall
Although not as popular anymore, the swede (Brassica napus supsp. rapifera) is one of the classic winter vegetables. No wonder, after all, the swede is not only extremely robust, but also tolerates frosts down to -6°C. The swedes should be in the bed at least eight weeks before the first frost, but sowing at the end of July or beginning of August is best. Depending on the time of cultivation, the swedes can be harvested from September, but at the latest before the first, longer frost period.
Tip: For an aromatic harvest and he althy plants, it is worth using high-quality organic soil. Our peat-free organic tomato & vegetable soil is recommended for vegetables.
5. Growing chard in autumn
Chard (Beta vulgaris subsp. vulgaris) is not only very tasty, but also very robust - chard tolerates light and medium frost therefore without problems. The chard should be sown by the beginning of August at the latest so that the plant can develop sufficiently before the onset of winter. Incidentally, Swiss chard grows particularly well as a follow-up culture to peas or beans, as these store valuable nitrogen in the soil. Stick chard can be harvested after ten to twelve weeks, leaf chard even after eight weeks. In mild regions, a thick layer of leaf mulch can get the chard through the winter unscathed - so it can be harvested again in spring.
6. Growing Carrots in Fall
Carrots (Daucus carota subsp. sativus) are probably better known to us as spring and summer vegetables. In fact, the orange roots can be grown almost all year round - if you don't want to do without your crunchy carrots in autumn and winter, simply sow the carrots again in August. But not only the supply of fresh carrots throughout the year is an advantage of autumn sowing: the late harvested carrots also taste sweeter than their comrades in spring. The reason for this is that in cold temperatures the carrot begins to convert its starch into sugarto convert.
7. Growing beets in autumn
Whether red, white or yellow, the beetroot (Beta vulgaris subsp. vulgaris) is a classic vegetable that probably everyone knows from grandma's kitchen. The last time to sow beetroot is mid-August, after all, the beetroot needs some time to develop its delicious tuber. Just before the first frost, as soon as the leaves start to spot, the beets are ripe. The beetroot harvest is now possible, the beets can be dug up. What is particularly practical about the beetroot is that it can be easily stored in winter. Boxed without their leaves in a dark, cool place, the bulbs will keep well into spring.
8. Growing Radishes in Fall
Radishes (Raphanus sativus subsp. sativus) also belong to the late bloomers - radish sowing is possible until September Outdoors easily possible. However, you should note a few differences to growing radishes in spring and summer: Choose a fast-growing radish variety so that the vegetables are also ready to harvest in autumn. Ideally, you can harvest the radishes after just four weeks. And instead of a place in the semi-shade like in summer, radishes prefer a sunny spot in autumn where they get enough light. This way they can still thrive in autumn without much effort.
9. Growing kale in fall
Kale (Brassica oleracea var. sabellica) is and will always be the number one winter vegetable. It is therefore not surprising that the vitamin C bomb finds its way into the home garden quite late. However, the kale should be sown in August at the latest. But kale cultivation is also the perfect choice for autumn in other respects: the vegetable is persistent, robust and only slightly disease-prone. It is also very frost-resistant and can be harvested throughout the winter. Many gardeners even swear by not harvesting kale until after the first frost. The reason for this: The frost reduces the bitter substance content in the leaves and the plant tastes twice as good. Learn more about harvesting kale in this article.
10. Growing Spinach in Fall
Spinach (Spinacia oleracea) does not tolerate one thing in particular: heat! So what would be better than sowing spinach in the cool autumn? For harvest in autumn and winter, spinach can be sown from the end of August to the beginning of October. The first leaves can be harvested after just six to eight weeks. Since spinach is very frost tolerant, nothing stands in the way of a harvest in winter and the spinach provides us with many he althy vitamins and its delicious taste.
Even though some types of vegetables can still be grown in autumn, the gardening season is slowly coming to an end. With a green manure in the fall, however, you can already make preparations for the next year. You can read what this is all about in our article.