24 Frost Tolerant Vegetables You Can Plant for a Fall Garden and When to Plant Them

Planting a fall vegetable garden begins with knowing the average first frost date in your specific area. Typically, the first frost occurs in late October or early November in most parts of Maryland. The first frost often kills most warm-weather crops. Your cool-weather crops can take a frost and survive. The first frost date signals cooling temperatures in your garden and that is what the cool-weather crops need to thrive and mature without flowering or bolting.

Fall Garden Crops

To plan your fall garden, work backward from the first frost date to determine when to plant each crop. The strategy is to use the late summer warmth for crops that take longer to grow, but time it so maturity occurs when the fall temperatures are truly present. Plants like broccoli, cauliflower, and Brussels sprouts benefit from 4-6 weeks of growth in warmer temperatures but develop best for harvest in the cool weather. You can use the following planting timeline as a general guide.

Mid to Late July: 

Plant fast-maturing warm-season crops for a late summer/early fall harvest, such as bush beans, cucumbers, and summer squash. Start transplants or direct seed cabbage, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, and cauliflower or other cold tolerant crops that take longer to mature. Cool weather crops that need 75-100 days to mature benefit from 4-6 weeks of summer warmth.

Early August: 

Direct seed, beets, carrots, turnips, and other root crops. Select early maturing varieties of cabbage, broccoli, Brussels sprouts and cauliflower for direct seeding. Kale, chard, and collards can be direct seeded.

Mid to Late August: 

Start direct seeding your leafy greens like lettuces and spinach and fast growing root crops like radishes and early maturing turnips. You can plant these every 2 weeks through September. 

Early September: 

Continue to plant hardier crops that can withstand frequent frost and moderate prolonged frosts, Swiss chard, collard greens, radishes, and arugula fall into this category. This is the best time to direct sow mustard greens, Asian greens, and Asian cabbages like Bok Choy.

Mid to Late September: 

Finish up your final round of direct seeding the hardier cool weather crops.

Early October:

There may still be time for another round of arugula, radishes and Asian cool weather crops.

Late October and November:

Plant your hardneck garlic. If you use cold frames or row covers to extend the season, you can continue to plant leafy greens, radishes and other fast maturing cold loving cool weather crops.

Use a journal to keep track of when you start transplants, direct seed, and generally plant you fall garden crops. The information can be used year to year to adjust you planting schedule. I also recommend planting in succession which means plant faster growing crops, every 2 weeks. You can watch to see which ones mature fully (based on planting date) and do the best moving from the heat of the summer into the chill of fall.

At My Shop: Fall Garden Seeds

You could, for example, plant spinach and lettuce every 2 weeks starting August 15th through September 30th. Since the leaves of these crops can actually freeze and thaw, and not take damage, they can really grow until a heavy ground freezes arrive. Planted too soon, they may bolt and flower. The only way to get the planting timing of a fall garden is to experiment, observe, and take notes.  

24 Frost Tolerant Crops for Your Fall Garden & 3 Warm Crops to Plant

Arugula: Plant arugula seeds in September for a fall crop. Arugula is a fast-growing leafy green.

Beets: Plant beet seeds in early August.

Broccoli: Start broccoli indoors/outdoors in late June/Early July to transplant late July/Early August. This will give them enough time to mature before heavy frosts. Direct sow faster maturing varieties mid July through early August.

Brussels Sprouts: Start Brussels sprouts indoors/outdoors in late June/Early July to transplant late July/Early August. This will give them enough time to mature before heavy frosts. Direct sow faster maturing varieties mid July through early August.

Bush Beans: A warm crop for a final fall harvest. Late July through early August if you have first frost appearing late October.

Cabbage: Plant cabbage transplants in late July for a fall crop. Select cabbage varieties that are fast maturing for direct seeding in August. They can also be started as transplants in late June/Early July.

Carrots: Sow carrot seeds in Mid July through August for a fall harvest.

Cauliflower: Start cauliflower transplant indoors/outdoors in late June/Early July to transplant late July/Early August. This will give them enough time to mature before heavy frosts. Direct sow faster maturing varieties mid July through early August.

Chinese (Asian Type)  Cabbage: Direct sow late August through early September.  They will bolt (flower) if it is too warm.

At My Shop: Fabric Pots for a Fall Garden

Collard Greens: Plant collards in late July or August for fall harvest. Collards are cold-tolerant and taste sweeter after a light frost. You can also start them for transplants in July.

Cucumbers: A warm crop for a final fall harvest. Late July through early August if you have first frost appearing late October.

Endive:  Endive can be direct seeded late July through early August for a delicious fall harvest. It is a longer maturing leafy green.

Garlic: Plant garlic cloves in late fall (and even early winter) for harvest the following summer.

Green Onions (Bunching Onions): Sow green onion seeds July through early August for a fall  and winter harvest. They are very cold hardy and overwinter in my Maryland garden.

Kale: Plant kale in late July or August for fall harvest. Kales are very cold-tolerant and taste sweeter after a light frost, like collards. You can start them for transplants in July. They also overwinter in my Maryland garden.

Kohlrabi: Kohlrabi can be sown directly in the garden during mid to late summer.

Leeks: Start leeks indoors in a tray or outdoors on a shady side of your home early July. Transplant them to the garden mid to late August. They are very cold hardy. You can also direct seed them but they can have issues germinating and growing with the summer heat.

Lettuce: Plant lettuce from mid August through early September for a continuous harvest. Choose heat-tolerant varieties for earlier summer plantings. They do need the cool weather to finish maturing or they often bolt.

Mache (Corn Salad): Mache is a cold-hardy green that can be direct sown in late summer through early fall.

Mustard Greens: Sow mustard green seeds directly in the garden in September for a fast-growing cold loving crop. The need the cool weather to prevent early bolting.

Parsnips: Parsnips are slow to mature, so plant them in late July for a fall or winter harvest.

Peas: Plant peas in mid to late August for a fall crop. The leaves can take a frost but flowers and peas can not. It is best to start peas through early and late August to get the timing down for fall harvest of peapods. 

 

Radishes: Radishes are quick to mature. Plant them in mid to late August to see if they mature well. The heat can effect them. Continue to plant them through September every 2 weeks. 

Spinach: Sow spinach seeds in August through early September for a fall and early winter crop of leafy greens.

Swiss Chard: Swiss chard is a cold-tolerant green that can be planted mid summer. It can take heavy frosts and does well in the heat of summer. It can be planted just about any time you wish.

Summer Squash/Zucchini: A warm crop for a final fall harvest. Late July through early August if you have first frost appearing late October.

Turnips: Turnips are easy to grow and can be sown late July through September for a fall and early winter harvest.

Frost on Lettuce Leaves

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