Date of this Version
This NebGuide discusses the possibilities for and needs of a fall garden.
Though often overlooked by the gardener, planting vegetables in July and August for fall production is an excellent practice. Late plantings of cool- and warm-season vegetables can extend the harvest long after spring-planted crops have ceased production. Most cool-season vegetables grow as well as or better than those planted in the spring as they mature during shorter, cooler days. Flavors of vegetables maturing in the cool, crisp days of autumn are often sweeter and milder than those grown during hot summer weather. This is especially true for cole crops such as broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower and kale. Plants such as lettuce and spinach which tend to bolt (develop flower stalks) in late spring, stay productive due to the shorter day lengths. For those who love to garden, extending the harvest as long as possible helps ward off the dreariness of cloudy autumn days.