cool crop garden

The calendar may still say “Summer” but believe it or not, it’s time to start thinking about planting your fall garden!  I tend to think of planting my garden as a springtime activity but there are many plants that thrive in cooler conditions and will produce a harvest of healthy foods. Here are five green veggies that you can plant now and enjoy when sweater weather truly kicks in!

Broccoli- Broccoli is a cool weather crop that can take approximately 50-70 days to mature. It grows well in areas that get at least six hours of daily sunlight and have well-drained soil.  Broccoli does very well when it is planted in late summer and allowed to grow through the fall.

Cabbage –  Another cool weather vegetable, cabbage varieties can take anywhere from 55-100 days to grow to maturity. When choosing your variety, it’s important to look at your growing window and the predicted frost dates for your area. Like broccoli, cabbage does best in locations with sunlight and well-drained soil.

Lettuce – Lettuce is a quick growing vegetable that thrives, and often tastes better, when grown in the fall.  Lettuce plants will grow the fastest in full sunlight but unlike other fall garden vegetables, they can also tolerate shade. Lettuce can be grown in small spaces or containers but it’s important to make sure the soil is well-drained

Spinach – Spinach is another cool weather crop that does well in the Utah fall. Spinach plants prefer full sunlight but will tolerate partial shade. Spinach is a fast growing plant and will yield many leaves in the mild, cool, fall weather. 

Swiss Chard – Swiss Chard is a plant that can be left in your garden without worry when light frost begins to appear. The leaves from Swiss Chard will add interest to your fall salads. Growing the plant in cooler weather, instead of in the high heat of summer, helps the plant avoid gaining a bitter taste.

Your local independent garden centers, like Western Gardens in Salt Lake City and West Valley, Utah, will have the varieties of seeds and seedlings that will do well in the Utah climate.  Plan now and come see us.