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.
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.
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.