18 Fall Vegetables To Plant Now For A Fall Harvest

Fall Harvest Vegetables — Photo: AleksandarNakic / Getty Images

As the summer winds down, it's time to prepare for the fall harvest. It's the ideal time to plant vegetables that will peak in the fall and winter months. Not only will these fall vegetables taste great in your seasonal dishes, but their warm colors and big, leafy structures will spruce up your home garden. Plant these veggies alongside your festive fall flowers for a colorful, balanced garden.

In the fall, we're all about big-batch vegetable roasts that make the most of the harvest. The key to good cooking is using fresh ingredients, and there's no better way to increase the quality of your food than to grow it yourself. You can use your homegrown vegetables to elevate some of our favorite recipes for a real farm-to-table experience in your own home. The possibilities are endless with these autumnal veggies. So put your gardening gloves on and plant these 18 fall vegetables.

01 of 18

Carrots

Botanical Name: Daucus carota
Sun Exposure: Full
Soil Type: Well-drained, Sandy, Clay
Soil pH: Acidic (6.0-6.5)

Hardy carrots are a great fall vegetable to roast and easy to grow yourself. You'll want to harvest the carrots once they begin to develop color. For a fall crop, sow in midsummer in the Upper and Middle South and in August or September in the Lower South. Make sure to plant the right carrots for your soil type, such as 'Scarlet Nantes' for loose, sandy soil at least one foot deep and 'Nelson' for clay-like soils that are heavier and more shallow. Say hello to so many delicious recipes!

02 of 18

Collard Greens

Botanical Name: Brassica oleracea var. viridis
Sun Exposure: Full, Partial
Soil Type: Well-drained, Rich
Soil pH: Acidic (6.0-6.8)

The quintessential Southern green, its leaves grow sweeter after a frost. Collard greens can usually be harvested all winter and thrive in containers. Once gathered, try out this Coconut-braised Collard Greens recipe.

03 of 18

Brussels Sprouts

Botanical Name: Brassica oleracea var. gemmifera
Sun Exposure: Full
Soil Type: Well-drained, Moist
Soil pH: Acidic to Neutral (6.0-7.0)

These veggies are great fall and winter vegetables to grow in your garden. Brussels sprouts can withstand frost, so they're likely to stick around in cold conditions. Growing these little round veggies can be challenging, but it is well worth the time and energy as each plant can produce as many as 100 sprouts over six to eight weeks. Check out these recipes that will make you love Brussels sprouts even if you are a picky eater.

04 of 18

Spinach

Botanical Name: Spinacia oleracea
Sun Exposure: Full, Partial
Soil Type: Well-drained, Rich
Soil pH: Acidic to Neutral (6.5-7.0)

Popeye was onto something when he ate all that spinach. This superfood is just one of the leafy greens that grow well in the fall, and nothing can rival the taste of a salad made with home-grown lettuce. Just sow the seeds four to eight weeks before the first expected fall frost. If you ask us, it makes for some pretty tasty dips.

05 of 18

Beets

Botanical Name: Beta vulgaris
Sun Exposure: Full
Soil Type: Loamy
Soil pH: Acidic to Neutral (6.0-7.5)

Continuously sow beets from late spring into late summer and early fall. They're very low-maintenance, making them a stellar laid-back addition to your fall garden. Beginning in late summer, make three successive sowings, planting them two to three weeks apart. Try out our best pickled beets recipe after you pull them out of the ground.

06 of 18

Turnips

Botanical Name: Brassica rapa subsp. rapa
Sun Exposure: Full
Soil Type: Well-drained, Rich
Soil pH: Acidic to Neutral (6.0-7.5)

These colorful purple-and-white streaked bulbs will be a beautiful addition to your fall garden. They'll flourish alongside your carrots and radishes. The South mainly grows turnips for their leaves, but other areas grow them for their roots. Plus, their flavor improves with a frost. You can't lose with these yummy veggies.

07 of 18

'Red Giant' Mustard

Botanical Name: Brassica juncea
Sun Exposure: Full, Partial
Soil Type: Well-drained, Rich, Moist
Soil pH: Acidic to Neutral (6.0-7.2)

As the plant grows, the leaves change to a beautiful reddish burgundy. The colorful mustard is packed with vitamins A and C, making delicious and nutritious salad greens. It can also be used for ornamental purposes and is a very easy vegetable to grow.

08 of 18

Kale

Botanical Name: Brassica oleracea var. sabellica
Sun Exposure: Full, Partial
Soil Type: Well-drained, Rich
Soil pH: Acidic to Neutral (6.0-7.5)

Vitamins and antioxidants pack kale's crinkly, blue-green leaves. More ornamental varieties, like 'Peacock Red' kale, will add a bright purple color to your salads. We suggest trying this Creamy Kale and Pasta Bake recipe.

09 of 18

Cauliflower

Botanical Name: Brassica oleracea var. botrytis
Sun Exposure: Full
Soil Type: Well-drained, Rich, Moist
Soil pH: Acidic to Neutral (6.0-7.0)

A friendly, less colorful cousin of broccoli and cabbage, cauliflower can grow in the summer or the fall, so plant this crop in the middle to the end of the summer for a bountiful fall harvest. If not a self-blanching cabbage type, make sure to tie up leaves to keep the cabbages white when you first see the heads pop up out of the ground. Get creative by making something the whole family will love using this autumn vegetable.

10 of 18

Endive

Botanical Name: Cichorium endivia
Sun Exposure: Full
Soil Type: Well-drained, Moist
Soil pH: Acidic to Neutral (5.8-6.5)

The 'Tres Fine Maraichere' endive is a French heirloom with finely cut leaves. To blanch the plant (make it pale), place a flowerpot over the top one to two weeks before harvest. For the freshest crop, harvest endive before the first hard frost of the season.

11 of 18

'Red Acre' Cabbage

Botanical Name: Brassica oleracea var. capitata
Sun Exposure: Full
Soil Type: Well-drained, Moist
Soil pH: Acidic to Neutral (6.0-7.0)

This cool-weather plant produces gray-blue leaves with reddish veins. Its heads weigh about three pounds and are similar to other cabbages available in several varieties, including loosely or tightly packed, wrinkled, and various colors. To prevent soil-borne pests, plant cabbage in a different place each year.

12 of 18

Broccoli

Botanical Name: Brassica oleracea var. italica
Sun Exposure: Full
Soil Type: Well-drained, Moist
Soil pH: Acidic to Neutral (6.0-7.0)

No fall table is complete without a plate of charred, roasted broccoli. Plant these seeds alongside your cauliflower for a colorful harvest. Make sure to harvest your broccoli when the hundreds of tiny flower buds that form on the head are still green and tightly closed. If they turn yellow, they have grown past their prime. We love broccoli steamed, roasted, or inside this Cheesy Broccoli-and-Rice Casserole.

13 of 18

Purple Pak Choi

Botanical Name: Brassica rapa Pak Choi
Sun Exposure: Full
Soil Type: Well-drained, Moist, Rich
Soil pH: Slightly Acidic to Neutral (6.5-7.0)

Also called bok choy, this mild-flavored Asian green is almost too pretty to eat. Harvest plants when they are 10 to 12 inches tall and have been in the ground for about 50 days. The greens make for a colorful vegetable garden during the fall, and they're excellent in stir-fry and soup recipes.

14 of 18

Cabbage

Botanical Name: Brassica oleracea var. capitata
Sun Exposure: Full
Soil Type: Well-drained, Moist
Soil pH: Acidic to Neutral (6.0-7.0)

Cabbage gains the most flavor when it grows in cool weather, so fall is the perfect time to produce this leafy vegetable. You can find these greens in many different types, so get creative when choosing which variety to plant. Cabbage is excellent to add to a tasty soup we always crave in the fall.

15 of 18

Radishes

Botanical Name: Raphanus sativus
Sun Exposure: Full, Partial
Soil Type: Well-drained, Sandy
Soil pH: Acidic to Neutral (6.0-7.0)

Red radishes are one of the quickest-growing fall plants, reaching their ideal harvest point in just four weeks. They're a great addition to fresh salads or slaw. Plus, they come in a wide range of different varieties.

16 of 18

Beans

Botanical Name: Phaseolus vulgaris
Sun Exposure: Full
Soil Type: Well-drained, Loamy, Clay, Rich
Soil pH: Slightly Acidic to Neutral (6.0-7.0)

Beans grow well until the first frost, leaving an ample supply of fresh greens for side dishes throughout the fall. Depending on the bean variety, you might need to add a trellis or garden stake to help the plant grow. Start growing beans in summer and harvest these large-seeded beans when fully formed but not dry.

17 of 18

Lettuce

Botanical Name: Lactuca sativa
Sun Exposure: Partial, Full
Soil Type: Moist, Well-drained, Rich
Soil pH: Acidic, Neutral (6.0-7.0)

Plant loose-leaf lettuce varieties in your fall garden rather than heads because they are easy to grow. Look for red- and green-leaf varieties or mixes. These can be planted in cool weather in spring or fall. For fall planting, sow the seeds about seven weeks before the first frost. Grow in partial shade and keep the soil moist.

18 of 18

Swiss Chard

Botanical Name: Beta vulgaris
Sun Exposure: Full, Partial
Soil Type: Moist, Well-drained, Rich
Soil pH: Slightly Acidic (6.0-6.4)

These plants are known for their colorful leaves. The dark green leaves grow on white, red, or yellow stems. There is no flavor difference, but the bright color adds brightness to a fall menu. For the garden, plant Swiss chard seeds about six weeks before the first fall frost. During harvesting, cut the stems instead of pulling them to keep the roots of the plant intact.

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