Fall is the garden's second spring and its harvest season at once. The summer crops are fruiting their last, the cool-season crops are sown for fall and winter, the harvest is gathered and stored, and the beds are fed, mulched, and put to bed for winter. A gardener who uses fall well gets a second harvest, a head start on spring, and soil that is better in March than it was in September. A gardener who lets fall slip by gets an empty garden and a hard spring. This guide covers sowing the fall garden, harvesting and storing, protecting against frost, and putting the garden to bed.
The key to fall gardening is timing. Fall crops must be sown early enough to grow well before the cold arrives, and the anchor for that timing is your average first frost date. Count backwards from it by the days each crop needs to reach a useful size, and sow accordingly, allowing a margin for a cold fall — frost dates are averages, and frost can come earlier than average in any year. Our frost date calculator can help you work with your dates, and our garden journal guide explains how your own recorded frost dates make planning more accurate.
Sowing the fall garden
Fall belongs to cool-season crops: lettuce, spinach, kale, carrots, beets, radishes, and Asian greens such as mizuna and tatsoi, sown in late summer so they are well grown before cold weather. See our growing lettuce, growing kale, growing spinach, and growing carrots guides for these crops. Sow them into beds cleared of summer crops, water them well, and mulch lightly to keep the soil cool and moist. In mild climates, fall sowings can continue for months; in cold climates, the window is shorter and protection matters more.
Fall is also when garlic is planted for next year's harvest, and when spring bulbs and perennials go in. Garlic planted in fall grows roots through winter and gives one of the earliest harvests of the next year — see our growing garlic guide. In frost-free zones 11–13, fall is a mild, generous growing season, and cool-season crops thrive while warm-season crops continue.
Harvesting and storing the summer glut
Fall is the main harvest season: tomatoes, peppers, squash, corn, beans, and root crops all come in, and the work is to gather them at their best and store them well. Harvest in dry weather where you can, handle produce gently, and sort it before storing — keep the best for storing, eat the damaged ones first, and compost anything diseased. See our fall harvesting guide and harvest storage guides for picking and storing, and our freezing vegetables guide for freezing the surplus. Canning is another option, remembering that canning must follow a tested recipe exactly and low-acid vegetables need pressure canning — see our canning vegetables guide.
Green tomatoes left on the vine when frost threatens can be picked and ripened indoors, and many root crops can be left in the ground under mulch and dug as needed, provided the ground does not freeze solid. Use our harvest date calculator to plan harvest timing, and keep a record of what you harvested and stored so next year's plan is better.
Frost protection and season extension
As nights cool, frost protection becomes the daily question. Cover vulnerable crops with row covers or cloches before nightfall, and remove the covers in the morning. Mulch around the base of plants to protect their roots, and water the soil before a frost, since damp soil holds warmth better than dry soil. See our fall frost protection guide and our season extension guide for tools and methods. A cold frame extends the fall harvest by weeks, keeping salads growing long after the open garden has stopped — see our greenhouse gardening guide for shelter options.
Watch the forecast, and know which crops tolerate frost and which do not. Hardy crops such as kale, spinach, and carrots tolerate light frosts and often taste sweeter after one. Tender crops such as tomatoes, peppers, and zucchini are killed by the first frost, so harvest them before it arrives. If you are unsure about frost timing in your area, check your local extension service.
Cover crops, feeding, and putting beds to bed
Any bed that empties in fall and will rest over winter should be sown with a cover crop or covered with mulch — bare soil over winter loses nutrients to rain, compacts, and grows weeds. Cover crops such as winter rye, crimson clover, and phacelia protect the soil, feed soil life, and add organic matter when they are cut down in spring. See our cover crops for soil and green manure guides, and our fall composting guide for using the fall glut of leaves and waste. Spread compost on beds before mulching, so the soil is fed as well as covered, and see our fall mulching guide for mulching timing.
Fall is also the time to clean up: remove spent summer plants, compost the healthy ones, dispose of diseased material rather than composting it, and clean and store tools, pots, and supports. See our fall garden cleanup guide for the full tidy-up. Lift tender bulbs and tubers that cannot survive your winter, and bring container plants indoors before hard frosts — see our overwintering plants guide.
Common mistakes
The most common mistake is sowing fall crops too late, so they are too small when the cold arrives. The second is leaving tender crops out until the first frost kills them. The third is leaving beds bare over winter, so the soil loses nutrients and structure. The fourth is composting diseased plants, which spreads disease next year. The fifth is forgetting to record what was sown, harvested, and stored, so next fall starts from scratch. Sow in time, harvest tender crops early, cover every empty bed, dispose of diseased material, and write it all down.
Frequently asked questions
When should I sow fall crops?
Sow in late summer, counting backwards from your average first frost date by the days each crop needs to reach a useful size, and allow a margin for a cold fall. In mild climates the sowing window is longer; in cold climates it is shorter.
Which crops can survive a light frost?
Hardy crops such as kale, spinach, lettuce, carrots, and beets tolerate light frosts and often taste sweeter after one. Tender crops such as tomatoes, peppers, and zucchini are killed by frost and should be harvested before it arrives.
Should I leave beds bare over winter?
No. Sow a cover crop or cover the bed with mulch and compost, so the soil is protected, fed, and weed-free through winter. Bare soil loses nutrients to rain and compacts.
Can I still plant garlic in fall?
Yes — fall is the right time to plant garlic in most climates, so it grows roots through winter and gives an early harvest next year. Plant it well before the ground freezes.
What do I do with green tomatoes when frost threatens?
Pick them and ripen them indoors, in a warm place out of direct sun. Many will ripen over the following weeks, and the rest can be used green. If you are unsure about frost dates or varieties for your area, check your local extension service.