Crops to plant for Fall and Winter Harvest

This week’s 5-minute Friday Video is all about what crops to plant for fall and winter harvest.

On YouTube this week I cover what crops to plant for fall and winter harvest. We also talk about when you should be planting those crops.

Here’s the video:

When should you plant?

All crops to plant for fall and winter harvest should be planted roughly 6 to 8 weeks before your area’s average first frost date. A simple Google search should get a rough estimate of when to expect your first frost. Take that date and count back 8 weeks to get a starting point for your fall and winter planting.

3 Broad groups for fall planting

There are 3 broad groups of vegetables that you can plant for fall and winter harvest from your backyard garden.

Root Crops
Leafy Greens
Brassica Family Crops.

Root Crops

Root crops you can plant for fall and winter harvest include:

Carrots
Beets
Turnips
Radishes

Most root crops that you plant for fall and winter harvest will be the last to be ready for harvest. Beets, turnips, and carrots will take a solid 3 to 4 months to mature in the waning light of fall. Radishes are quick growers and should be ready in 4 to 6 weeks.

Leafy Greens

Leafy Greens you can plant for fall and winter harvest include:

Lettuce
Spinach
Arugula
Mizuna
Asian Greens
Bok Choy
Tatsoi
Swiss Chard
Claytonia
Dandelion
Mache
Endive
Sorrel

Leafy greens will be the base plants for your fall and winter garden. They grow very well in the fall and will produce some of the best-tasting greens you have ever grown.

Brassica Family Crops

Brassica Family Crops you can plant for fall and winter harvest include:

Broccoli
Cabbage
Cauliflower
Brussels Sprouts
Kohlrabi
Kale

All of these plants must be planted by seedlings, not seeds if you live in Garden Zones 3 to 7. Those of you in warmer climates can try tackling planting by seed outdoors if you like.

Crops to plant for Fall and Winter Harvest are all part of your Year-Round Garden efforts. If you would like to learn more about Year-Round Gardening please consider buying my Year-Round Gardening Video course.