Ask a Prepper
  • DIY |
  • Terms of Use |
  • Privacy Policy |
  • Contact
ask a prepper survival every day
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • All Articles
  • Editor’s Pick
  • Survival Knowledge
  • How To’s
  • Store
  • About Claude Davis
  • Home
  • All Articles
  • Editor’s Pick
  • Survival Knowledge
  • How To’s
  • Store
  • About Claude Davis
No Result
View All Result
Menu
Ask a Prepper
Search
No Result
View All Result
Print Friendly, PDF & Email
Home All Articles

September Crops for a Fall Harvest

Karen Hendry by Karen Hendry
August 24, 2016
1

Known as a fall garden, there are a number of cold-hardy vegetables that can be direct-sown for harvest in the fall. Some vegetables are just suited to cooler weather, which is to your distinct advantage. Not only that, but the cooler weather actually enhances the flavor of some of these vegetables, such as kale and parsnips. Let’s take a look at what you can plant.

Fall Crops

For fall crops, there are a number of vegetables that can be planted in time to harvest before the first frost sets in. Many of these are greens and root vegetables, but there are also some above the ground plants that do well in cooler weather of the fall.

Leafy Greens

There are so many leafy greens that can be planted as a fall crop. Here is a list:.

  • Leafy-VeggetablesArugula
  • Leaf lettuce
  • Mustard
  • Spinach
  • Sorrel
  • Cress
  • Oriental greens

Brassicas

Brassicas are plants in the cabbage family and there are more of these than you might think. Good brassicas for fall planting include:

  • BrassicasSummer cabbage
  • Brussels sprouts
  • Broccoli
  • Cauliflower
  • Kale
  • Endive
  • Florence fennel
  • Escarole
  • Collard greens

Root Vegetables

Many of our favorite root vegetables make great fall crops. These include:

  • Root VegetablesRutabagas
  • Carrots
  • Radishes
  • Turnips
  • Beets
  • Parsnips

Other Plants

A few other plants make good fall crops because they like the cooler weather or they simply grow fast enough to mature well before the first frost. These include:

  • Peas
  • Snap beans
  • Summer squash
  • Tomatoes of a quick-maturing variety

Related: Top 10 Foods to Grow for Survival

When to Plant

It will depend on where you live as to when to plant your fall crop of vegetables. If you are further to the south, you will certainly have more time and less severe conditions in which to grow your crops. Further to the north, hardy greens and root vegetables are ideal. Either way, the best time to sow your seeds will depend on your estimated first frost date.

Find out the estimated date of your first frost and count backward from there the number of days your plants will take to mature. Add a couple of weeks to this and that will be the date you should plant the seeds. For example, if you have a crop that takes 55 days to mature, that is about 8 weeks. Add two weeks to that and you should sow the seeds 10 weeks before your first frost date.

Here is a rough guide of when to plant based on plant hardiness zone:
• Zone 5: Early July
• Zone 6: Late July
• Zone 7: August
• Zone 8+: Mid- to late-August and into September

If you find that your summer conditions when planting are hot and dry and not great for starting seedlings, then you can start them indoors and transfer them to the ground once the seedlings are about 3 weeks old. Be sure to sow seeds or transplant seedlings on a day that is cloudy and cooler and they should be well watered after planting/transplant. If the weather is still hot, protect seedlings with a shade cloth until the daytime temperatures begin to fall.

Extending the Growing Season

There are ways to extend the growing season past the first frost. If you have a greenhouse, you can easily have fresh produce growing throughout the winter. If not and your plants are outdoors, then sometimes just covering them at night to protect them from frost is enough, provided daytime temperatures are still relatively high. A cloche is ideal for this.

ClochesA cloche is a transparent or translucent plant protector that is designed to protect individual plants that are spaced at least 8 inches apart. This means it works well for plants such as tomatoes and peppers. You can even use recycled materials for this, such as milk jugs and clear plastic bottles. Just be sure to anchor your cloches well, as they can blow away in a strong wind.

cold windowIf you don’t have a greenhouse you can use a cold frame. Cold frames can be used for many different reasons. They essentially make use of the solar energy of the sun to create a microclimate that will support plants after frost and colder weather make their appearance. It’s like a mini greenhouse. You can start seedlings in the protected cover of the cold frame, help harden them off in the spring, or overwinter dormant plants in it. But cold frames are also ideal for extending the growing season past the onset of frost.

Planting cold-hardy plants in a cold frame will allow those plants an extension of three to four months past the first frost, essentially taking you through most of the winter. You can also sow these cold-hardy plants earlier in the spring, right after you harvest the fall/winter crop, essentially keeping your cold frame busy all year round.
You can even keep less cold-hardy plants alive well into the fall, allowing you to harvest fresh tomatoes in time for Thanksgiving. Greens can be grown into February, allowing you to have the nutritional punch they pack at a fraction of the price you would pay in a grocery store.

You may also like:

10 Beautiful Plants That Are Secretly Killing Your Garden

H2O Dynamo – The Awesome Device That Turns Air Into Fresh Water! (video)

The 5 Seeds That You Need to Stockpile in Your Pantry

How To Make A Keyhole Garden

How To Preserve Beef in Glass Jars

Tags: reserve foodself-sufficiency
Print Friendly, PDF & Email
ShareTweetPin1

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

I agree to the Terms & Conditions Terms & Conditions.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

FOLLOW US ON:

PREPPER RECOMMENDS

YOU WILL NOT SURVIVE AN EMP STRIKE WITHOUT THIS

IF YOU SEE THIS PLANT IN YOUR BACKYARD BURN IT IMMEDIATELY

HOW TO GET 295 POUNDS OF EXTRA FOOD FOR JUST $5 A WEEK

THE AWESOME DIY DEVICE THAT TURNS AIR INTO FRESH WATER

5 INGENIOUS WAYS TO REFRIGERATE YOUR FOOD WITHOUT ELECTRICITY

HOW TO MAKE YOUR HOUSE INVISIBLE TO LOOTERS

Banner Generator

LATEST ARTICLES

If You Have This On Your Property, Hide It Immediately

This Is How The Government Is Stopping You From Living Independently

DIY Poor Man’s Greenhouse

Why You Should Put A Silver Coin In Water

7 Stores Where You Can Buy Cheap Survival Food

Essential Survival Know-Hows Modern People Have Forgotten

What Happens If China Becomes The Ruling Economic Power Of The World

How To Treat And Heal Wounds With Sugar

5 Ways To Actually Use FEMA To Your Advantage

Long-Lasting Amish Burgers

How To Get Back Home After An EMP Strike

Why You Should Bury A Trash Can In Your Backyard

6 Signs Your Neighbor Will Become A Looter As Soon As SHTF

Ancient Types Of Homes You Can Build For Cheap

5 Unexpected Events Following An Economic Crisis That No One Talks About

How To Recondition Old Gasoline

Veggies You Only Plant Once And Harvest Forever

20 Prepping Items That Will Skyrocket In Price This Year

How To Use An Old Refrigerator For Survival

6 Places You Can Go Dumpster Diving For Your Prepper Stockpile

Great Depression Foods We Will All Be Eating Again Soon

Prepping Projects From The Bible

When The World Runs Out Of Food, This Is All You Need

Banner Bor

Banner TLW2

The Lost Ways Claude Davis

HOW TO

How To Recondition Old Gasoline

How To Remove Radioactive Particles From Water In Case Of A Nuclear Fallout

How To Make Bread Last For Up To 5 Years

How To Prepare Your Car For SHTF

How To Cook Steak On A Stone In The Wilderness

How To Craft A Deadly Slingshot

How To Make Your Chickens Lay More Eggs

How To Make And Can Evaporated Milk

How To Prepare For The Rising Energy Prices

How To Protect Your Garden From Looting Intruders

Vote for ask a Prepper

YOU CAN ALSO FIND US ON:

Survial Websites Prepper

Banner LSF Hamburger

Copyright © 2014-2023 Ask a Prepper

  • Home
  • All Articles
  • Ask a Prepper
  • About Claude Davis
  • Terms of Use
  • Privacy Policy

Copyright © 2014-2023 Ask a Prepper

This website uses cookies. By continuing to use this website you are giving consent to cookies being used. Visit our Privacy and Cookie Policy.