Fall Harvest Planting

For those of us with vegetable gardens Northwest, we can have a variety of fruits and vegetables growing all year long. However, most people only have spring and summer.

Right now is the perfect time to put in a second planting of peas and lettuces for a fall harvest. The soil is warm and a lot of spring plantings have bolted if you didn’t harvest them yet, meaning they’ve gone to seed. While a lot of us are just now seeing our first tomatoes of the year finally ripen, it’s a good time to take advantage of the space vacated by other vegetables that have gone the wayside… that is, if you haven’t filled up those spaces with more tomatoes!

After we pulled out all of our peas we were unable to use thanks to a heat wave right before harvest time, we planted tomatoes. Currently we have eleven different types and have them growing in all four boxes. So much for rotation, huh? Yes, bad gardener. However, once we started watering these new plants I noticed that some peas started to sprout, probably a few that were overcrowded in the box and bided their time until they could get more light. They are now sharing the supports for the tomatoes and unless they hinder their performance, I’m planning on leaving them up. After all, we didn’t get any peas this year and that makes me sad.

Lettuces and spinach are excellent options for fall harvesting, but I’d only recommend putting in what you’ll eat in a couple weeks, as lettuce doesn’t really keep. Spinach on the other hand can be frozen or canned so plant your heart out. What else can you plant? Carrots, cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, green onions and chives, radishes, leeks and Brussels sprouts. Carrots and leeks will be ready for fall harvesting, but can remain in the ground until spring if you so desire, so plant extras to have throughout the winter for stews and soups. As always, only plant what you’ll actually eat, or take what you won’t to your local shelter so it doesn’t go to waste.