It’s Time to Plant Your NY Fall Garden

Ah, Fall. I know, know. We've still got 4 more good weeks left in summer. But any gardener (or want to be gardener) knows that a good fall garden starts in summer. Once your spring and summer veg teeters out, it's time to plant for fall.

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Why plant a fall garden you ask?

According to Alamac.com:

"Fall gardening is much less stressful for many crops—as well as shrubs, trees, and perennials. There are less weeds, less pests, and it’s often rainier so less need to water as often.

• In temperate parts of the country (USDA zones 4 to 8), planting can even continue into November and December, especially crops like spinach, Swiss chard, broccoli, and kale!
• In colder climates, some of these same vegetables are frost-tolerant. Many crops taste better after a frost or two."

Ok. So what can you plant in late summer for a cute fall harvest?

Garden Auntie suggests the following:

For New York growing zones 3, 4 and 5, fall gardening is a race against the cold... you’ll want to plant short season fall crops during July or August, to ensure ample harvest time before the season’s first frost hits.

Cold hardy produce are the most viable fall crops for New York growing zones 3, 4 and 5. Some of our favorites for New York are kale, spinach, collards, green peas, carrots, iceberg lettuce, and romaine lettuce. Not only can these type of plants withstand a bit of cold, but they’ll be great roasted or thrown in soups and stews during the New York winter months.

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Alamanac.com even has a handy dandy planting calendar that you can input your zip code and get a fabulous list of veg to plant in your fall garden and when.

Happy Fall Gardening!