Top 10 Fall Vegetables to Plant by USDA Zone

Fall Vegetables to Plant: Top 10 Picks by USDA Zone

We all dream of abundant summer gardens, but fall gardens are where it’s at. Most pests have died or moved on, weed pressure is low, and temperatures make being outside more enjoyable. 

Extend your season by planting the right crops in your zone at the right time. This article explains the recent shift in growing zones if you need a quick explanation. Your growing zone determines the best time to sow seed and which crops will perform well.
This article will explore the 10 best fall vegetables to plant, planting windows for your USDA zone, and harvest timing. We’ll also cover professional-grade tools and supplies, choosing the right seeds for your zone, and tips from successful market gardeners.

Here’s one market gardener tip to pique your interest: If you’re confused about when to sow seeds, simply work backward. Use a calendar to count backwards from the date you’d like to harvest, counting your crop’s standard days to maturity. Add a few extra days for hardening off, and you’ve got an estimated sow date. 

Zone-Smart Fall Vegetable Picks

Crops germinate, grow, and mature at different times depending on your zone. Check out our list of the top 10 fall vegetables, with zone information and growing tips. 

1. Kale - Cold Hardy Champion

Best Zones: 3–9
Recommended varieties: ‘Winterbor’, ‘Red Russian’
Kale is an absolute workhorse, especially when the temperatures start to cool down. For kale success:

• Start fall seeds indoors in midsummer. Zone 6+ growers can avoid stressful heat and transplant shock by starting them in late summer. 

• Transplant in late summer to ensure plants have enough time to get established. 

• Avoid plots where brassicas have recently grown. Instead, plant kale alongside herbs, radishes, or onions. Learn more about companion planting here. 

• Use shade cloth to protect plants from prolonged sun and heat, and give them plenty of water. 

Curly, dark green ‘Winterbor’ and flat, veiny ‘Red Russian’ are trusted market garden standards. They thrive in cool weather but can also tolerate some late summer heat. Mulch the base of your plants to extend the season once frost arrives. With proper care, you’ll be harvesting kale well into winter. 

Bootstrap tip: Kale plants convert starch to sugar as a natural defense reaction to frost. The sugar serves as an antifreeze, making it more resistant to cold and frost damage. The result is a much sweeter-tasting kale. 

2. Spinach - Fast-Growing Favorite

Best Zones: 4–9
Recommended varieties: ‘Bloomsdale’, ‘Giant Winter’
Spinach thrives in cooler weather, so it’s the perfect leafy green for fall salads. Small-space growers can squeeze a lot of this nutritious green into square-foot gardens, containers, or raised beds. Provide plenty of compost and loose, loamy soil high in nitrogen. Read more in Winter-Proofing Your Garden: Top Cold-Tolerant Container Plants.

Spinach germinates best in soil that’s between 45°F and 68°F (7°C to 20°C). Control weeds and use insect netting to keep flea beetles and hungry caterpillars out. Harvest two inch leaves by gently pinching them at the base to ensure regrowth. Growers in warmer zones may be able to sow several successions of fall spinach. 

Bootstrap tip: Use frost blankets to stretch harvests into early winter.

3. Carrots - Storage-Friendly Root

Best Zones: 3–7
Recommended varieties: ‘Napoli’, ‘Danvers 126’

Many people associate summer with bright, bulky carrots and assume they grow well in the heat. But don’t count out late-season carrots. Sow them in August and September for late fall and winter harvests. The greens will die back, but the roots will hold until you dig them up. 

In cold zones, snow helps to insulate the carrots and keep them safe from hungry deer. Warmer zone growers can lay mulch over top for similar protection. 

Select ‘Danvers 126’ for its adaptability in various soil types and for its big, bulky shape. We love ‘Napoli’ for its consistently uniform shape and length, and its crunch. Harvest fall carrots for hearty winter soups and stews. 

Carrots also keep well in storage. Store them in one of two ways:

1. Keep them in a bucket of sand in a dark, dry location. 

2. Wrap in paper or a cloth towel. Store in your refrigerator crisper in an airtight container.

Like kale, carrots sweeten up after a frost. Mix in aged compost to help with drainage and keep roots straight. Read Why Organic Matter Is Key to Sustainable Soil Management to learn more. 

Bootstrap tip: Use a soil thermometer to time fall sowing. Soil shouldn’t drop below 45°F (7°C) for optimal germination. Direct sow seeds in a trench ¼ inch deep. Cover them with a frost blanket, and water them consistently until germination. Thin the patch to 2-4 inch spacing to ensure each root has plenty of room to grow. 

4. Radishes - Quick Turnaround

Best Zones: 3–10
Recommended varieties: ‘French Breakfast’, Daikon
Radishes are a market gardener's staple. They’re quick to mature, and you can pretty much toss seeds anywhere there’s extra room and get a bonus crop. ‘French Breakfast’ and daikon varieties are more heat-tolerant than most radishes. But, they may still struggle to germinate and may become bitter when temperatures are over 80°F (26°C). Wait until the summer heat dissipates to sow a new round. 

‘French Breakfast’ radishes don’t need much water and are ready for harvest in just a few weeks. Their crunch and spice is perfect in fall salads. Roast them with other fall-harvested root vegetables like sweet potatoes, garlic, and carrots. 

Follow these steps for perfect daikon radishes: 

1. Sow daikon radishes 6 to 8 weeks before the last frost so they’re well established before winter comes. They need loose, loamy soil to form straight roots. 

2. Water them regularly up until a frost occurs. Consistent water ensures excellent texture and flavor, and prevents woodiness. 

Daikons take longer to mature, but hold well in the ground until you’re ready. They can be eaten either raw or cooked, and are great for fermenting and pickling, too. 

Bootstrap tip: Interplant radishes with brassicas or between lettuce heads. Great for growers with limited space! 

5. Beets - Dual-Purpose Crop

Best Zones: 4–8
Recommended varieties: ‘Detroit Dark Red’, ‘Chioggia’

Beets are a nutritious and hardy fall crop. They’re chock-full of antioxidants due to their deep red pigmentation. Sow them indoors and transplant after three weeks. Space transplants 3-5 inches apart. Alternatively, you can direct sow them with a mechanical seeder. 

Seed beets 6-8 weeks before the first fall frost so they reach optimal size before harvest, about 50 days after sowing. Larger roots will grow with more space. Keep the beds watered up until the first frost. 

Add beet greens to salads for added health benefits before storing the roots. ‘Detroit Dark Red’ is a sweet, reliable heirloom. ‘Chioggia’ is a strong market producer. 

Bootstrap tip: Sow every 3-4 weeks for steady harvests. Spray beet plants with boron when the leaves are 4-5 inches tall to ensure sweet flavor, reduce diseases, and get better yields. 

6. Lettuce - Crisp Cool Weather Staple

Best Zones: 4–10
Recommended varieties:  ‘Winter Density’, ‘Rouge d’Hiver’, ‘New Red Fire’

Lettuce varieties include drought-tolerant and frost-hardy options for growers across zones. Start fall seed varieties indoors 6-10 weeks before your first frost, depending on the days to maturity. Transplant in late summer for best results. 

Our top three lettuce choices: 

• ‘Winter Density’ is an old classic transformed to head up in just 44 days, even in extreme cold weather. 

• Heirloom ‘Rouge d’Hiver’ is a unique cold-tolerant lettuce. Sow it after the risk of hot weather has passed. 

• ‘New Red Fire’ is a reliable market garden variety. It tolerates the heat of summer while staying intact and crisp in frosty weather, too. 

Bootstrap tip: Plant late-season lettuce in cold frames to extend the growing season. Zones 7+, use shade cloth to prevent premature bolting during hot spells in late summer. 

7. Turnips - Underrated Workhorse

Best Zones: 3–8
Recommended varieties: ‘Hakurei’, ‘Purple Top’
What makes turnips an excellent fall crop? 

• High levels of vitamins and minerals

• Good source of fiber

• Keeps well in storage

Direct sow turnip seeds in late summer. Space them 2 inches apart or in a wide band, depending on your desired harvest size. 

‘Purple Top’ is a tried and true American classic turnip. ‘Hakurei’ isn’t your grandmother’s turnip, but rather a juicy, tender globe with a hint of spice. Enjoy the greens of all turnip varieties when they’re young. 

Bootstrap tip: Fast maturity makes them ideal for late planting. Most turnip varieties are ready to harvest in 50 days. Store them for up to 6 months out of direct sunlight and with tops removed. 

8. Garlic - Fall-Planted, Spring-Harvested

Best Zones: 3–8
Recommended varieties: ‘German Extra Hardy’, ‘Chesnok Red’

Prep garlic beds after summer annuals come out. Amend the soil with organic matter and a well-balanced fertilizer. Use a broadfork to incorporate nutrients. Conduct a soil test to ensure the pH is between 6.0 and 7.0. Plant cloves pointed side up 4-6 weeks before the ground freezes.
‘German Extra Hardy’ and ‘Chesnok Red’ are trusted heirlooms known for:

• Intense flavor

• Reliability

• Consistency

Hardneck garlic varieties thrive in cold zones. They require cold vernalization for proper growth and bulb development. Experiment with softneck types in warmer zones. Growers in zones 7+ can plant softneck cloves in early spring for a late summer or fall harvest. Dive deep into our How to Grow Garlic article here. 

Bootstrap tip: Mulch heavily after planting. This is especially crucial in zones that receive cold winter temperatures but not much snowfall. 

VIDEO: 3 Minutes to Growing Garlic the Easy Way - No Fluff!

9. Arugula - Spicy and Cold-Tolerant

Best Zones: 6–10
Recommended varieties: ‘Astro’

This spicy green is a spring and fall salad staple. ‘Astro’ won’t peter out on you during the heat, so it’s perfect for fall harvests. Sow it 2-4 weeks before the last frost.
Keep the plot well watered during the germination phase, which can take up to 10 days. Baby leaves will be ready to harvest in 3-4 weeks, and mature in 38 days. Continuously sow plots of arugula for a continuous supply.

Bootstrap tip: Abundant harvest? Make an arugula pesto to freeze for winter consumption. 

10. Broccoli - For the Ambitious Gardener

Best Zones: 5–7
Recommended varieties: ‘Waltham 29’, ‘Calabrese’

We saved perhaps the best for last. Many broccoli varieties have extreme frost tolerance. Sow broccoli seeds indoors in 72-cell trays or cowpots, 6-8 weeks before your first expected frost. Transplant them at 4 weeks when they’re roughly 6 inches tall. Warm zone growers, overwinter purple sprouting broccoli for an exciting spring harvest. 

Enjoy broccoli raw or chop it up to freeze for winter stir-fries, soups, and stews. ‘Waltham 29’ produces one large head and is known to freeze well. ‘Calabrese’ will provide you with lots of side shoots after you harvest the central head.

Bootstrap tip: Start broccoli seedlings indoors and transplant for best results. Use shade cloth during late summer to prevent premature bolting and heat stress. Broccoli doesn’t need pollination, so leave insect netting on until harvest to protect against bug damage. 

Essential Tools for Fall Gardening Success

Optimize your fall garden with these high-impact tools and supplies:

• Zone-specific seed packs and collections: When perusing seed catalogs, look for collections by zone. This method is a savvy option for beginners or those growing in a new zone. 

• Frost blankets: Extend your harvest with heavy-duty frost protection.  

• Cold frames and low tunnels will keep leafy greens and brassicas thriving well into late fall and winter. 

• Soil thermometers: Dial in your planting times to ensure proper germination and establishment. 

• Harvest containers: Snag appropriate containers to store cool-weather crops longer. They should offer ventilation to reduce moisture and prolong the shelf life. Prevent rot and control excess moisture with cardboard, newspaper, wood shavings, or peat moss.

FAQs Fall Vegetables to Plant by Growing Zone

What vegetables grow best in the fall in Zone 5?

Try these in zone 5: 

• Greens: spinach and arugula 

• Roots: radishes, carrots, turnips 

• Full-sized greens: kale and Swiss chard 

• Brassicas: broccoli and cabbage 

• Legumes: peas and beans 

• Alliums: leeks and onions  

Can I grow leafy greens after the first frost?

Leafy greens that can tolerate frost include:

• Mache

• Claytonia

• Collards

• Spinach

• Some lettuces 

When should I plant garlic in the fall?

Plant garlic cloves before the ground freezes. Roots need time to establish, but sowing too early can cause shoots to sprout. This puts the plants at risk for frost and cold damage. 

Monitor the weather forecast. Aim to plant garlic between mid-October and early November. Bonus if rain is forecasted soon after.

Do I need a cold frame or row cover for fall crops?

Cold frames and row cover aren’t required, but they offer added protection. Frost-sensitive crops may perform better with added frost blankets or greenhouse plastic. Frost blankets will offer more breathability and reduce moisture. 

How late can I plant fall vegetables?

Plant cool-season crops up until a few weeks ahead of the first frost, before the ground has frozen. 

What are the best fall vegetables for small spaces?

Small space growers should consider carrots, radishes, lettuce, turnips, and garlic. 

Can I direct sow in the fall, or do I need to start indoors?

You can direct sow root vegetables and greens in the fall. Just ensure they have time to sprout and mature enough that frost won’t harm them. 

How do I know if it’s too cold to plant?

Review the frost tolerance of your crops. If you pass the scheduled sowing window by more than a few weeks, you might want to hold off. 

What are the fastest-growing fall vegetables?

Direct sow radishes and baby greens for a quick fall harvest. 

Should I fertilize fall crops differently from spring crops?

If your goal is to overwinter your fall crops, focus on potassium and phosphorus, which encourage root growth and promote winter hardiness. Apply fertilizer before a frost so it can incorporate with the soil. Use a slow-release blend to ensure your crops have nutrients all winter. 

For fall plantings after a busy summer, conduct a soil test and add amendments based on the soil’s needs. Cover crop between rounds if timing allows.