Keep Your Garden Growing Through Fall

Think it’s too late to plant a garden? Think again. Late summer is a great time to pick up your gardening tools and get your hands into the soil.

Whether you’re having a late start to the gardening season or want to extend your garden’s growing output, planting in late summer can pay off in a big way. Here are some varieties to plant now to keep your garden growing through fall.

Cucumbers

Cucumbers take very little work to seed and can be grown in beds, containers, or on trellises. Some varieties are ready to harvest within 50 days of planting, making them a fantastic addition to your late summer garden.

Mint

Though spring is the best time for planting mint, this perennial herb grows quickly, so you’ll have a bounty of mint well into the fall if you plant now. Plant them in a container or bucket to prevent them from taking over your garden bed.

Black-Eyed Susans

Add a pop of color to your garden with these drought-resistant flowers. They bloom well into November and are great for pollinators. Once growing, black-eyed Susans like moist to dry soil, so if you forget to water them here and there, they’ll likely be fine.

Kale

Kale is known for its hardiness, and grows well into winter. It’s easy to grow as long as the soil is kept damp. A little frost isn’t a bad thing either, since it helps improve kale’s flavor. Give it a nitrogen-rich fertilizer once it’s established for best results.

Radishes

Planting radishes at the tail end of summer produces a late fall harvest, offering you a root vegetable that you can store fresh for up to 2 months. They love cooler conditions and need rain or regular watering for maximum flavor.

Asters

Members of the daisy family, asters add a burst of life to a garden bed that’s slowing down. These lovely blooms last weeks to months, depending on the species and the climate. They like full or partial sun, moist, well-draining soils, and a bit of mulch to keep them from becoming too warm in the late summer heat.

Cleomes

Also known as the spider flower, cleome adds elegance to any garden. Add established cleomes to your garden in August and they’ll remain beautiful well into the cool season.

Marigolds

While considered spring flowers by some garden enthusiasts, marigolds thrive when planted at the tail end of August because they establish themselves quickly from seed, perform wonderfully, and last until the first hard freeze. Plus they are excellent for companion planting near a vegetable garden because their fragrance deters insects. Marigolds like abundant sun, well-draining soil, and moderate watering.

Spinach

For best results, get spinach seeds into the ground approximately 6 to 8 weeks before the estimated first frost date. These greens grow best when planted in soil temperatures between 45 and 68 degrees F so use a shade cloth to keep them cool during the end of summer heat.

Snapdragons

Snapdragons are very cold hardy and can handle temperatures in the low 40s at night and low 70s during the day, depending on the variety. Transplant snapdragons to give them a head start. Otherwise, it’ll take 70 to 80 days from seed until they’re ready to harvest.

Peas

Peas can be successfully grown and harvested from seed this late in the season, as long as a pea variety’s maturity date (usually 70 to 90 days) occurs before the first hard frost. Add some compost to the soil and sow the seeds directly in the garden. Keep the soil moist and plant the seeds in the shade of other garden plants to protect them in case a last hit of intense heat arrives.

Turnips 

For root vegetables lovers, turnips are one of the best vegetables to plant in August. In as little as 6 weeks, young turnips are ready for harvest. They favor sunny locations and cool conditions in soil that retains its moisture.

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