Once the nights start cooling down in August and September, it’s a perfect time plant fall vegetables. Here’s what we’ve offered in the past.
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Arugula: Ice Bred – (44 days) Open-pollinated. A cross of two excellent European heirloom strains selected for cold hardiness and vigor. The leaves and stems turn slightly purple after the first frosts. The seedlings can stand drought, compete against weeds and don’t require high soil fertility. This variety is also slightly slower to bolt than other arugula. Very cold hardy and can grow through winter with a little protection.
- Chard: Bright Lights – A stunning mix of gold, pink, and crimson stems, as well as some orange, purple, pink and green stripes. Very easy to grow. Grows in full sun but is tolerant of part shade.
- Chard: Ruby Red Rhubarb – 32 days for baby leaves, 59 days for mature leaves. Rich, deep red stems and veins on dark green leaves. Use baby greens in salads, mature leaves steamed like spinach or beet greens. Mature plants are quite winter hardy with a little protection. Sun or part shade.
- Kale: Baltic Red-Purple – This heirloom produces sturdy, edible and ornamental 2′ tall deep purple-red ruffled leaves. The mildly flavored leaves turn dark green when cooked. Good yields and very hardy. 65 days.
- Kale: Dwarf Blue Curled – A gorgeous heirloom leaf vegetable that is nutritious and easy to grow. Extremely hardy, grows best in cool weather but will withstand some heat. The flavor of this “cut-and-come-again” kale is actually improved by frost. Delicious in soups, steamed, or stir-fried.
- Kale: Red Russian – 2-3′ heirloom variety presumably brought to N. America by Russian traders. Characteristic red and blue-green foliage is especially striking in colder months. Tasty, hardy, tender, nutrition-packed. Great for steaming, sauteing, or use the baby leaves in salad. 50 days, open-pollinated.
- Kale: White Russian – A flat leaf Siberian Kale, silvery green with white veining similar to Red Russian, but a few inches taller, 1/3 more productive, with larger, more serrated leaves. It is also much hardier and holds well into November unprotected, thriving in an unheated greenhouse even in negative temperatures. All Siberian kales develop sweeter flavor after frosts. Kale is a superb source of calcium, vitamin C., and many more important nutrients.
- Kohlrabi: Vienna Blend – Curiously shaped, these heirloom purple and white bulbs are highly nutritious members of the cabbage family. Excellent raw in salads and slaw or in stir fries, steamed, or roasted. Harvest when above-ground bulb is apple-sized. Full sun. Easy to grow. Very cold-hardy.
- Lettuce: Jericho Romaine – A hands-down taste favorite that is easy to grow, with a sweet, crisp flavor. Thrives in cooler weather but also tolerates heat and resists bolting.
- Lettuce: Merlot Loose Leaf – Striking, deep dark red, almost purple frilly leaves. A real eye-catcher in the garden and one of the darkest lettuces you can grow. A very crisp and open-headed leaf type that stands upright with a waxy shine that makes an ideal salad lettuce at every stage. Very high in antioxidants. Can be a “cut-and-come-again” lettuce or a head lettuce.
- Senposai – Senposai is a hybrid of cabbage and Komatsuna mustard developed in Japan. This unique vegetable has the sweet taste of cabbage and tenderness of Komatsuna. The huge green leaves are excellent for salad, stir-fry, and pickling. Very productive and heat tolerant. 30-40 days.
- Spinach: Bloomsdale – An heirloom spinach that is an old favorite among gardeners, Bloomsdale has excellent flavor. The leaves are succulent at all times of year. Great for baby greens. (28-45 days)
- Spinach: Lavewa Spinach – 28-45 days, open-pollinated. Rich green leaves on productive plants, Lavewa competes well with hybrid varieties. Excellent flavor, heat tolerant and mildew resistant. Pick individual leaves from the outer edge of the plant or cut the whole plant down to 1″ from the ground and new leaves will be produced.
- Spinach: Monstrueux de Viroflay – This gourmet French heirloom has huge, deep green, tender leaves making it a spinach lover’s delight. This extremely vigorous plant can grow up to 24″ wide with 10″ long leaves. Particularly good for fall planting.
- Spinach ‘Space’ –Smooth, dark green, spoon shaped leaves, resistant to bolting due to high proportion of female plants. 41 days
- Tatsoi – Small and sturdy, Tatsoi is easy to spot with its emerald spoon-shaped leaves. The stalks are sweet, almost creamy and great in stir fries. Not bitter when leaves are small, making it great for salads.