LATE-SEASON VEGGIES: YOUR PLANTING & HARVEST GUIDE

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It's that part of the summer where its time to start thinking about harvesting your garden crops. You've probably been harvesting off many of your earlier crops for a while, like peas, carrots, beets, and herbs. Now it's time to start thinking about planting those late summer and early fall vegetables, for a lush harvest of cool-season produce right before the frost arrives. 

Late-season crops usually like cooler weather. Cool-weather veggies include spinach, lettuce, greens, carrots, peas, beets, and beans. Our average first frost date in Indianapolis is usually in mid-October. That can vary a lot, depending on the weather, though. It's also important to keep in mind that with the shorter days, crops will take a little longer to mature than they did from during the long days of summer.

When you're choosing crops to start now, check the days to maturity on the package. We've picked October 10 as our desired maturity date, since the first frost can sometimes be around the 11-15th. With the shorter days, you'll want to add an extra 5-7 days to the package estimate for total maturity. So if your package says 65 days, count on about 70 days. 

We've got approximately 60-65 frost-free growing days left. You can also extend the growing season for your late-season veggie harvest a bit by covering some of your crops overnight when there is a risk of frost. 

Growing fall crops is the part of gardening that's a bit of a gamble. But it almost always pays off. That late summer and early fall sunshine can be strong without being too hot, perfect for cool-season veggies.

WHAT TO PLANT NOW FOR LATER HARVEST

Green Onions	Choose a bunching variety that matures in 60 days or less.
Lettuce	Leaf lettuces are the best for late-season gardens because you can start using them as soon as the leaves are 2-3 inches tall. Plant a new row every two weeks until mid-September for harvest until frost.
Arugula	Most varieties mature around 40 days.
Summer Squash	Most summer squash varieties mature in 40-55 days.
Beets	Most beets mature in 50-60 days.
Carrots	Choose varieties that mature in less than 75 days.
Cauliflower	Choose varieties that mature in less than 60 days.
Swiss Chard	Most varieties of Swiss Chard mature in 50-60 days, but you can start using the leaves as early as 30 days.
Corn Salad	Corn salad matures from 45-60 days.
Mesclun	Mesclun mixes usually mature in 25-40 days.
*Garlic	Garlic should be planted in late August or early September for harvest at the end of next summer.

CROPS THAT CAN TOLERATE SOME FROST

These crops can take a little frost; they’re usually safe if the temperature hovers around 32 overnight. If the temperature is going to drop much below freezing, it's a good idea to cover these plants for the night, either with row covers or horticultural blankets.

Broccoli	Choose varieties that mature in 55-65 days.
Collards	Choose varieties that mature in 50-60 days, if covered with a cold frame you can keep collards growing quite long into the fall.
Peas	Choose varieties that mature in 50-60 days.
Kale	Choose varieties that mature in 50-60 days, though you can start using Kale as soon as the leaves are 2-3 inches long.
Kohlrabi	Some varieties of Kohlrabi mature in as little as 45 days; if your lucky, you might be able to get to batches in if you seed one row now and another row in about 3 weeks.
Turnip	Many turnips also mature in 30-45 days, so you may get 2 more crops this fall if you start now.
Mustard	Mustard greens are usually about 40-45 days to maturity, but you can use them early, like lettuce and kale. You may be able to get 2 or 3 harvests yet if you plant a new row every two weeks until the middle of September.
Parsley	Parsley can take 70-90 days for maturity, but you can use it much sooner than that, and it can take a bit of frost. If we have some hard frosts in October, you’ll want to cover it overnight.
Radish	Some Radishes are ready in as little as 20 days, so if you succession plant (putting in a new row every other week), you can get several more batches of radishes. They’ll also take some frost, and you can cover them during a hard freeze.
Spinach	Spinach matures in 25-40 days, and like other greens, you can use it earlier.

WHAT TO HARVEST BEFORE FROST

While there are quite a few crops that can take some frost (many people even say that carrots and parsnips are better after frost), there are also many veggies that can’t handle frost. Keep your eyes on the overnight temperature predictions this fall. If you think it’s going to freeze, make sure you get these crops harvested before you head for bed, and give your other plants a deep watering.

• Beans

• Peas

• Corn

• Tomatoes

• Cucumbers

• Peppers

• Pumpkins

• Melons

• Squash

• Sweet Potatoes

• Most Herbs

• Zucchini