Fall and winter vegetable gardening
Last reviewed September 2026 · written from public-domain USDA/NOAA data and Cooperative Extension references — see how we source data
A fall garden is timed backwards from your first frost instead of forwards from your last one, and several hardy crops keep producing, or at least keep standing, well past it.
Counting back from first frost
For a fall harvest, count back the crop's days-to-maturity plus a couple of extra weeks — a "fall factor" — from your average first frost date, since growth slows noticeably as day length shortens in late summer and early fall.
When to sow for fall: weeks before the first frost
Getting seeds up in late-summer heat
The hardest part of a fall garden is germination in hot soil. Lettuce and spinach germinate poorly once the soil passes about 80°F. Sow in the evening, water daily, and shade the row with a board or a strip of shade cloth until the seedlings appear.
Alternatively, start fall lettuce, broccoli and cabbage in trays in a shady spot or indoors and transplant them once they have a few true leaves.
What to plant for fall
Quick leafy crops (lettuce, spinach, arugula, mizuna), fast roots (radish, turnips), and cold-hardy crops sown in late summer to mature as the weather cools (kale, collards, broccoli) all suit a fall planting.
Overwintering hardy crops
Kale, leeks, spinach, mâche and some cabbages survive real cold — especially under row cover — and can be harvested right through winter, or will simply resume growth at the very first sign of spring.
How much cold each crop can take
Tender crops such as tomatoes, peppers, beans and squash are killed or badly damaged at 32°F. Half-hardy crops - lettuce, chard, broccoli, cauliflower - shrug off a light frost. Hardy crops such as cabbage, carrots, beets and peas handle frosts into the mid-20s°F.
Very hardy crops - kale, spinach, leeks, collards, Brussels sprouts and parsnips - survive into the teens or lower, especially under cover, and several of them taste sweeter after frost as the plants convert starch to sugar.
Protecting the harvest
Row cover or a cold frame buys several degrees of protection, often the exact difference between a crop surviving a cold snap and being lost to it.
Planting now for next year
Garlic and shallots go in after your first frost, a few weeks before the ground freezes. They root in fall, sit through winter and are harvested the following summer.
Beds that will sit empty over winter are best sown with a cover crop such as cereal rye, or covered with a thick layer of leaves or compost, rather than left bare.
For the exact timing in your state, see what to plant this month.
Common questions
When should I plant a fall garden?
Count back from your average first frost: about 10-13 weeks for broccoli, cabbage and cauliflower, 7-11 weeks for kale, carrots and beets, and 5-8 weeks for lettuce, spinach, arugula and radishes. The planting calendar gives the dates for your ZIP code.
What vegetables survive frost?
Kale, collards, spinach, leeks, Brussels sprouts, parsnips and mâche survive hard frosts; cabbage, carrots, beets, peas and turnips handle frosts into the mid-20s°F; lettuce, chard and broccoli take a light frost. Tomatoes, peppers, beans, squash and basil do not.
Is September too late to plant vegetables?
It depends on your first frost. Where frost comes in mid-October or later, September is right for fast crops like radish, arugula, spinach and lettuce. Slow crops like broccoli and cabbage needed to go in during midsummer.
What should I do with my vegetable garden in winter?
Pull and dispose of diseased plants, compost the healthy ones, and plant garlic. Cover empty beds with a cover crop, leaves or compost so the soil is not left bare, and harvest hardy crops under cover as long as they last.