Cool-Season Veggie Gardening

As the summer months come to a close and the seasons begin to change, it is the perfect time to start planning and planting your fresh veggie garden. The warm soil temperatures that remain and the arriving cooler air temperatures provide the ideal environment for cole crops (a general term used to describe plants that belong to the mustard (Brassica) family) and other cool-season veggies to flourish. Starting a vegetable garden involves a lot of decisions, including where to plant your garden, what crops to grow, and which fertilizer to use. This guide provides a comprehensive overview of how to plant a veggie garden in the fall season.

​Most people's first question regarding veggie gardening is, "Where should I put it?" This is a great question, as your garden's placement is crucial to your crops' success. When looking for the perfect spot for a garden bed, you will want to find a location that receives at least 6 hours of bright light per day. This location should be away from any trees or bushes since they will create shade and compete for nutrients with the veggies in your garden. Once you have determined the spot for your garden, you will need to decide if you want a raised or in-ground garden. Both are excellent choices but require different steps for successful growth. See the following steps below.

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Prepping Your gardens

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In-Ground Veggie Garden
​If you have decided on an in-ground veggie garden and have determined the ideal spot, it is now time to start the soil prep. Most plants prefer loamy soil, which means the soil is light, fluffy, airy, and well-draining, contrasting to our Midwest hard clay soil. To create loamy soil for your veggie garden, use a tiller to break up large chunks of the clay soil and add about 2 inches of topsoil and organic matter, such as cotton boll compost, a product you can find at Family Tree Nursery. Once this has been done, it's time to plant.

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Raised Garden Bed
The other option for a garden is to build a raised bed. Raised beds are great because you get complete control over the soil your plants will grow in. The standard size for a raised garden bed is 4 feet wide by 4-8 feet long by 12-18 inches deep, using cedar or non-pressure-treated wood for your raised bed structure. This will provide more than enough room for the roots of the plants to grow. Add a mixture of topsoil, peat moss, and cotton boll compost to the box, mix with a tiller, rake, or shovel, and you are ready to plant.

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Time to Start Planting
Once your garden bed is prepped and ready, the exciting part begins. As previously mentioned, a wide variety of crops thrive in the cooler season. If you are starting your veggies from seed, you will need to start your garden a little earlier in the season than you would with established potted plants. Counting backward from the date to harvest on the seed packet will help estimate when plants need to be in the ground. The cutoff date for harvest in Kansas and Missouri is typically around October 25. Most cool-season veggies can be sown directly into the garden bed without seedling-starting, with a few exceptions, including broccoli, Brussels sprouts, and cauliflower. Seedling-starting refers to starting plants from seed early in the growth season in a seeding tray or separate smaller container. Some great veggie seeds to plant in August or September are beets, carrots, mustard, peas, radishes, and turnips. You can find all these seeds and more at Family Tree Nursery!

If you want an easier method or have a late start on your veggie garden, you can also purchase pre-potted starter veggie plants. These plants are around three inches tall and ready to be planted. You can grow potted veggies such as leeks, lettuce, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, and kohlrabi from late August through September. Some vegetables are successful with either method of planting, such as lettuce, spinach, kale, and Swiss chard. Now that we have gone over the general setup for a fall vegetable garden, we can discuss each plant and the time it takes to see the produce.

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Beets
​Beets are great plants that can be grilled, boiled, roasted, or pickled and go well in many dishes. Sow beet seeds every 2-3 weeks for continuous harvests. A beet seed is actually a cluster of many seeds, so thinning is a must. You can harvest beets when they are two inches across. This is typically 50-70 days after planting and can be done through October when planted at the correct time. Beet greens are also edible and hold more nutrients than the bulb! 

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Broccoli
Broccoli is a unique plant in that its edible portion is the immature flower head. Planting broccoli in the fall is important because hot weather will cause the plant to bolt. Bolting is a gardening term used to describe a plant that prematurely starts to flower, which in turn makes the plant bitter and unsuitable for eating. Broccoli is harvested when the flower heads show but have not opened; you should cut the flower head when the buds are firm. Typically, broccoli takes 60 days to harvest. ​ 

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Brussels Sprouts
Brussels sprouts are another excellent veggie for the cooler months. These tall, top-heavy plants produce edible sprouts on the stem. Stripping the leaves from the plant as it grows will increase production, as the plant can put more energy into the sprouts and less into the leaves. The "top knot" of the plant can be cut and eaten like cabbage. Brussels You can typically harvest Brussels sprouts between 80-90 days. Because of its extended growth period, you will need to start seeds in August. The good news with Brussels sprouts is that their flavor will improve with a frost, so harvesting in late October to early November can be good!

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Cabbage
Cabbage is a cool-season veggie that comes in red and green varieties and is equally easy to grow. Cabbage is a staple in the cool-weather vegetable garden and is rich in antioxidants and nutrients. Cabbage prefers weather 45 degrees and above, so it is essential to cover your cabbage if the fall temperatures drop. Cabbage is full of vitamins and minerals and is a perfect addition to the garden bed in August-September, usually producing 60 days after planting seeds.

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Carrots
Carrots are a classic vegetable, and they are an excellent crop for the fall as well. Carrots are a slow-growing veggie that your kids will love to grow. A grocery store carrot cannot compare to one that grows in the garden. Carrots that are grown in the fall become sweeter once they experience frost. Planting carrots next to onions or chives will deter carrot flies as well. You can pack carrots together tightly, about 1 inch apart, for optimal harvest. Once seeds are planted, carrots will take 60 days to grow before harvest. 

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Cauliflower
Another healthy option for your garden is cauliflower! Cauliflower is high in vitamins C and K and is an excellent folate source, which promotes cell growth. Cauliflower does not tolerate drought, so keeping up with watering when needed is crucial. You will harvest when the buds are firm before flowering, typically after 60 days.

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Garlic 
Garlic is a unique plant to have in your vegetable garden. To grow garlic, use one clove, split into individual bulbs, remove the skin, and plant. Garlic is best planted in the fall because the cool weather stimulates clove formation. Harvest garlic before flowering after the leaves have turned yellow and have died back. Carefully pull up the bulbs and allow them to dry before hanging them in storage. Garlic is ready to be harvested 120 days after planting. 

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Kale
Kale is another nutrition champion to add to your garden. It is an excellent source of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. Kale can improve eyesight and lower bad cholesterol, leading to better heart health, lower blood pressure, and increased bone strength. Kale can be harvested at any time once the leaves start to show. The younger leaves are less bitter and still provide all the health benefits. Kale reaches full maturity at 55-65 days. By this time, the leaves will be about the size of an adult's hand. 

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Radishes
Consider radishes if you are looking for a peppery addition to your vegetable harvest. Radishes are healthy root vegetables that are helpful in fighting disease due to the rich amount of vitamins and minerals, specifically vitamin C. They are versatile vegetables that can be eaten raw or cooked and can be used in a variety of dishes. Radishes are ready to be harvested when the greens are 6-8 inches tall. Quick to grow, radishes are ready about 24 days after planting.

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Fertilizer
Once your vegetables are planted in your garden, fertilization is important. This will give your plants energy to grow and make delicious harvests for you. Family Tree Nursery sells controlled-release fertilizer that is great for vegetable gardens or any outdoor plants. Controlled release is different from regular fertilizer because it presents as a small circular granule that remains on the top layer of the soil. When you water your plants, the fertilizer is released and activated by the watering, which travels down into the plant's roots with the water.  

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Watering
Watering your garden is vital for the health and growth of your plants. You can use a watering wand attached to a hose or a sprinkler to water your veggie garden. Either method works, but the key is to thoroughly soak your plants at the roots to ensure they are saturated but not flooded. With a sprinkler, you will want to measure an inch of water. You can do this by setting out a rain gauge. You can time how long it takes to fill the rain gauge to one inch and then just run your sprinkler for that amount of time in each subsequent watering. An inch of rainfall would replace your watering needs for the week. However, if there is a drought season, you may need to water at least twice a week. Newly planted vegetables will need more frequent watering because the roots are in only a small area. Seeds also require more frequent watering, as the goal with seeds is to keep them moist, but not flooded, during germination. Once the roots have had time to grow, they will be able to reach out for water in the surrounding soil, reducing the frequency with which they need to be watered. After your plants have been watered thoroughly, let them dry out before the next watering. This will help to prevent your plants from developing root rot. Allowing your plants to dry out between waterings also pushes the plant's roots to spread outward in search of water in the surrounding soil, leading to faster growth and establishment.

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If you follow these steps, you will ensure your veggie gardening success! All the products you need to start your own veggie garden can be found at Family Tree Nursery. Our experienced team members would love to help give pointers to gardeners at any level!