Even though temperatures continue to soar into the mid-90s, it’s that time of year to plan and plant our cool season vegetables. Unfortunately, for me, I failed to plan ahead. I got a little too excited in purchasing tomato starter plants.

As I’ve mentioned previously, we switched to container gardening a few years ago. All of my containers are currently overflowing with tomatoes, peppers, herbs and even some okra. Unless one of my prized tomatoes bites the dust, I don’t have a single square foot of gardening space to utilize this fall.

Hopefully, many of you were a bit wiser and more future focused earlier this summer. If you find that you had better restraint than I did and have some available garden space, here are some pointers for fall vegetable gardening.

There are two types of cool season vegetables. They are classified as hardy and semi-hardy. Hardy varieties can withstand a light frost. Semi-hardy ones do not tolerate freezing digits and prefer warmer days. With this in mind, our first average frost is in mid-October. However, it’s not out of the question to see temperatures dip below 32 degrees Fahrenheit in September.

Another important consideration in fall planting are the days to harvest. In general, it’s a good idea to look for plants that you can begin to consume within 60 days. One of my personal favorites is radish. Some varieties can be harvested in as little as 30 days. And, now that I think of it, I might be able to seed a few at the bottom of my tomato plants. Hmmm.

I typically focus my cool-season garden on items I would toss into a salad: spinach, lettuce, Swiss chard, arugula, collards, kohlrabi and peas. Leafy greens can often be harvested when they are young and within a few weeks. This is handy for those of us who lack a bit of patience. Just remember to not harvest all of the leaves. The plant needs them to photosynthesize and continue to grow.

Colorado State University Extension has a helpful vegetable planting guide. In addition to the above plants, you could also try cauliflower, broccoli, green onions and turnips. bit.ly/3m2iKR4.

Many local nurseries carry starter plants for your fall garden. If you prefer to purchase seeds directly, remember Botanical Interests is local and right here in Broomfield. They have many resources on their website, as well as a free downloadable garden journal. bit.ly/3zPjEWr.

Arianna Kelley Rawlsky has a M.S. in horticulture and is the director of Bringing People and Plants Together, an organization dedicated to bringing horticulture education and therapy to the community. For more information: PeopleAndPlantsTogether@gmail.com or follow us on Facebook.

Source: broomfieldenterprise.com