It’s second week of July and most people are not thinking about their fall garden. They are focused on what is happening now, and the start of the summer harvest. But now is the time to get your fall crops seeded and going, so you can get them in the ground in the months of July and August.
And yes, it always coincides with the heat, but if you want to eat for extended months, this is the time. Work in the cool morning or as the sun sets (if you don’t have mosquitoes). I love the evening as the bats come out and fly over us—eating those mosquitoes!
There is a wide amount of produce you can plant soon to extend your garden by 2 months on average. Our growing area has a 10% chance of frost around October 23rd, and by then, the sun will be getting weaker in the northwest, and the hours of light will start to get shorter, so it will be about time to wrap it up for fall. If you think about it, many gardeners give up around Labor Day, losing 1¾ months of potential crops.
Having frost fabric on hand is vital, just in case you need it. Depending on the year, a killing frost can sneak up earlier. See here for an article on how to prep for frost.
Need seeds for fall?
Sow Right Seeds has fall seeds ready to ship and to get started. Use code “SARAHK10” for 10% off. They offer collections of seeds, one of which is the “Fall Crop,” as seen above.
What can you plant in Zone 8b?
Arugula:
Seed Start 8/6-13 Outdoor Planting 9/03
Bush Bean:
Outdoor Seeding 8/19
Beet:
Seed Start 7/27-8/3 Outdoor Planting 8/24
Broccoli:
Seed Start 7/17-24 Outdoor Planting 8/14
Carrots:
Outdoor Seeding 8/04
Kale:
Seed Start 7/22-29 Outdoor Planting 8/19
Kohlrabi:
Seed Start 7/27-8/03 Outdoor Planting 8/24
Lettuce:
Seed Start 7/27-8/03 Outdoor Planting 8/24
Mustard Greens:
7/19-8/02 Outdoor Planting 9/13
Pak Choi (Bok Choy):
Outdoor Seeding 8/24
Bush Peas:
Plant anytime from now on to the end of July. Do not plant pole peas, as they take too long to grow.
Radishes:
Outdoor Seeding 8/24
Spinach:
Seed Start 8/11-18 Outdoor Planting 9/08
Summer Squash:
Seed Start 7/17-24 Outdoor Planting 8/14
Swiss Chard:
Seed Start 8/03-10 Outdoor Planting 8/24
Turnips:
Outdoor Seeding 8/24
Zucchini:
Outdoor Seeding 8/24
So you don’t live in Grow Zone 8b?
Want some help on when to seed and plant? Check out Sow Right Seed’s Planting Calculator – just enter your zip code, and you can choose from Spring or Fall planting. It’s that simple!
You can also play with the chance of frost. I put in the lowest chance, which is 10%; you might want to go up higher. It’s always good to go and look at all the options and see how dates change.
~Sarah