Picture yourself preparing Thanksgiving dinner. Family and friends are milling about the kitchen and watching football in the living room. Maybe you’re a lucky one this year because someone else volunteered to do the heavy lifting. All you need to bring is a delicious side dish. 

You walk outside the kitchen door and into your kitchen garden, where you harvest stalks of plump, green Brussels sprouts. Of course, your dish is an instant hit. Even your dad, who hates Brussels sprouts, commends you on making them palatable. And then you get to say those words that make all the hard work worthwhile: “Thanks! I grew them myself!”

Let’s rewind just a moment and talk about that kitchen garden. If you get started on your fall kitchen garden now, you can make this dream a reality. Not to mention fresh leafy greens and delicious homegrown herbs. If you’re ready to get started putting together that fall kitchen garden, we are here to help. Here’s how to get started and keep it going through the season. 

Epic Organic Garden Straw

Metal Raised Garden Bed

Large Modular Metal Raised Garden Bed Kit

Seed Starting Kit

The Ultimate Seed Starting Kit

Choose a Location

Easy access encourages harvesting every day.

Choosing the right space is the first (and one of the most important) steps to starting your fall kitchen garden. This will determine how successful your plants will be and how easily you will be able to use them. 

Traditionally, a kitchen garden should be easily accessible from your kitchen. However, not all modern home designs make this possible. For many, choosing a space will revolve around sunlight and soil. 

Sunlight is the most invariable aspect to focus on, as you can’t do much to change the amount of exposure a location gets. You may have a perfect little courtyard directly outside your kitchen door. But if it’s in the shade for most of the day, there is little chance of maintaining a garden there. 

You want a space that is accessible from the kitchen as much as possible. If you have to walk too far, you’ll be less likely to make the trek for fresh herbs and vegetables. The easier it is to reach, the more often you’ll use it. 

Soil and drainage are important factors to consider as well. However, raised beds make it possible to make this factor less important. Raised beds also make it easier to sustain frost-tender plants farther into the season as the soil warms faster.

Make sure that you have an accessible water source nearby. Ideally, an irrigation system will make your kitchen garden much easier to care for. Either way, you’ll need to water regularly, and it should be an easy task to carry out. 

Determine the Right Time

Starting now gives vegetables a head start outdoors.

In most areas of the U.S., the time for starting your fall kitchen garden is now. In cooler climates, the sooner you start, the longer you’ll have to harvest from your garden. In warmer climates, you can plant now or hold off for a month, but really, as soon as the air cools is the right time. 

Late summer to early fall is a great planting time. The soil is still warm, which promotes rapid root development. The air is cooler and less stressful to the leafy parts of your plants. There are also fewer pests this time of year, which makes growing vegetables easier in general. 

Choose the Right Plants

Plant cold-tolerant vegetables now for winter abundance.

A fall garden can be incredibly productive and easy to care for. The mild weather, lack of pest issues, and generally nice weather all contribute to a pleasant outdoor experience. Planting the right things is also of great importance. 

Naturally, your climate plays a significant role in what you can or should grow this time of year. In milder climates, fall is typically a better growing time than summer, which can be too hot and dry. In cooler climates, frost tolerance is going to be the main rule to follow.

Leafy greens are always going to be the star of the fall kitchen garden. They grow quickly and are ready for harvest in as little as a month. They also taste better after a frost or two, and they won’t die off in the cool weather. In fact, they will grow faster. 

Root vegetables are perfect for the fall kitchen garden. Beets, radishes, turnips, and carrots all have a starring role in many of the fall comfort foods we know and love. These also grow quickly and tolerate quite a bit of cold weather. 

Brassicas like broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, and Brussels sprouts are ideal for this time of year. They prefer the cool weather, and most have decent cold tolerance. In warm climates, these will typically overwinter and continue to produce. 

Some herbs, along with garlic and onions, also thrive in the cool weather. While garlic and onions won’t be ready to harvest any time soon, now is the time to plant them. Herbs like parsley, dill, thyme, oregano, chives, and cilantro are well adapted to the fall weather. 

Prep the Soil

Lightly worked soil keeps the structure healthy.

Prepping the soil is next for planting a productive fall kitchen garden. Raised beds make this easier, but if you’re planting in the ground, you can still grow a great kitchen garden. Clean and clear the area you want to use by removing weeds, debris, and any unwanted plants from the area. 

Loosen the soil gently, and avoid turning deeply. This can upset the soil structure and work against you. The most important thing you’re going to do in this stage is amend the soil. Many vegetables need a lot of nutrients to thrive. 

For beds where you’ll grow herbs, you won’t have to do as much. Many herbs prefer poor soil. For your other beds, add plenty of organic material like compost and manure. These break down slowly, feeding the soil and your vegetables. 

A soil test is a valuable tool, as it tells you what is present in the soil. This way, you know what to add. If you have depleted soil, work in a balanced fertilizer. If it’s low in specific nutrients, you can add things to specifically target those. Bone meal is great for root crops, and blood meal is excellent for leafy greens. 

The pH is the final factor. Most vegetables prefer a pH between 6.0 and 7.0. Test to make sure you’ve got something close to that. The organic material you work into the soil will lower the pH slightly, but it won’t happen overnight. 

Succession Plant

Cool-weather crops respond well to staggered sowing schedules.

Succession planting is a smart strategy for your fall kitchen garden. It lets you maximize your space, keeps fresh veggies coming all season long, and prevents everything from maturing at once. You’ll enjoy a steady, staggered effect rather than a single, substantial harvest. 

Succession planting is simple. It involves staggering your plantings by two to three weeks, so that your plants don’t all mature at the same time. Sow some seeds now, and then sow another round in two weeks, and a third round two weeks later. 

This method of planting works well with most cool-weather crops. Leafy greens grow quickly, so you can succession plant for an extended time. The same goes for fast-maturing root vegetables. 

Mulch

Layering soil with mulch slows weeds naturally.

Mulch is a good idea, almost all the time. When growing a fall kitchen garden, it’s extra important. As the weather cools, mulch insulates the soil. It regulates the soil temperature and maintains a bit of warmth when the air begins to drop.