Fall and Winter Greens & Reds & More
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The National Garden Bureau
When the trees begin to show fall colors, your garden can too.
Unless you live in a mild winter climate, you may not have thought
about planting for a fall harvest that can continue even into the
winter.
THERE’S ALWAYS ROOM —SOMEWHERE IN THE GARDEN
We’re not talking about setting aside a large area for fall.
Although if you have that much space to spare, that’s fine. All you
need is some room amidst existing plants. Consider using available
space in your flower garden or mixed border; fill in areas with edibles
as you remove tired-looking annuals or prune back perennials. Of
course, there is always some room in the vegetable or herb garden.
For fall harvests you can start everything from seed sown directly
in the garden. In spring, you can usually find a plethora of
starts—cell packs or small potted plants at local nurseries, garden
centers, and home stores. In summer, you won’t find starts; you have to
rely on seed you purchased.
GREAT GREENS
Do you enjoy salad and other greens fresh from the garden? In
season, they are fabulous, especially cut-and-come-again greens like
leaf lettuces, arugula, mustard, and others. Yet have you seen the
price of mixed greens—often called mesclun—at the grocery store lately?
For what you would pay for two weeks worth of salad greens for a family
of four, you can buy more than enough seed to keep you in salad all
fall and well into winter. Look for greens that you would normally
plant in spring before the last frost date—those that can take some
cold.
Since these are mostly “foliage plants,” look for those that add a
dimension of color in addition to “leafy green” when selecting
varieties to add to your garden. If you don’t segregate ornamentals
from edibles, you will want the plants to add as much interest—leaf
color, shape, size, and plant form—as possible.
Choose from among the many leaf lettuces, including these
All-America Selections winners: ‘Red Sails’ (1985), ‘Buttercrunch’
(1963), ‘Ruby’ (1958), and ‘Salad Bowl’ (1952). Romaines can take the
cold; try ‘Rouge d’Hiver’ and ‘Freckles’ for good color. Mix in some
‘Lollo Rossa,’ ‘Arctic King,’ ‘Winter Marvel,’ and ‘North Pole’ for an
outstanding winter collection.
MIX IT UP
Sow each type of seed separately, or create your own personal
mesclun blend. You can mix all the seeds together in a bowl and then
scatter them on bare soil—thicker than normal. Make an
eighteen-inch-wide swath through a garden bed, or edge the path leading
from the sidewalk to your front door. The greens will come up in a
colorful carpet. By the time the plants are a few inches tall they will
need thinning. Pull up plants at random for an instant salad of baby
greens. There is plenty to share with neighbors who seem to sense when
picking time starts—and invite them to come over and help themselves to
fresh greens.
Since you will be planting in the heat of summer, sow the seed in a
partly shaded spot, or provide shade with spun polyester cloth to keep
them cooler. Mist lightly during the day to refresh the seedlings and
young plants. Otherwise, they require no different care than
spring-sown seeds. Growing spinach in the spring can be a challenge, as
it doesn’t like the heat. In fall, it is happy with the cooling
weather. Be sure to avoid any varieties that are labeled “summer”
spinach. As with the other plants for fall harvest, sow the seed in a
partially shaded area to keep the soil from getting too warm.
To many, the flavor of kale—like Brussels sprouts—is enhanced by
frost. For diversity of leaf shape, color (from deep green to blue),
size, and crunch, choose several kale varieties. Finely curled
red-leafed ‘Redbor Hybrid’, and bluish crinkle-leafed ‘Winterbor’ are
amazingly hardy and can last through winter. ‘Lacinata’ holds its deep
bluish-green leaves upright, while ‘Red Russian’ with a mauve tinge to
the leaves, has a more open habit.
Swiss chard is a must-have. Forget about the plain green leaves you
knew as a child. Grow ‘Bright Lights’ (1998 AAS winner) to delight your
eyes as well as your palate. With ribs that run the gamut from silver
to gold, orange, pink, red, and green, a stand of Swiss chard looks
like stained glass with the early morning or late afternoon sun
glimmering through it. It is so decorative in the garden you don’t have
to eat it.
ADD SOME PIZZAZZ
Other less common, yet more flavorful greens, add spice to the mix.
Depending on your taste, include some piquant greens such as arugula
and ‘Osaka Purple’ mustard greens. ‘Wrinkled Crinkled Crumpled’ cress
is unique for its savoyed leaves. Broccoli raab, a sprouting broccoli,
(also known by such names as raab, rapa, rapini, and spring broccoli)
is sumptuous stir-fried in olive oil and garlic, served on pasta.
Other greens add interesting form and color, with their own unique
flavors. Mache, Valerianella locusta
also known as corn salad, has a sweet, nutty flavor. Endive and
radicchio have slightly bitter taste. Curly endives, such as ‘Tres
Fin,’ have finely dissected, curly leaves. Oriental greens round out
the medley. From mizuna to tatsoi, pac choi, bok choy, and komatsuna
and their cultivars, there is an assortment of new, vitamin-filled
greens to try.
ROOT FOR OTHER VEGGIES
Radishes grow quickly and add a nice crunch to any dish. ‘Easter
Egg II’ is a mixture of white, plum purple-, cherry red, and rosy pink
skinned radishes. Sow seeds every five to seven days for an extended
harvest.
Small carrots, such as one-half-inch, round ‘Thumbelina’ (1992 AAS
winner) or ‘Mokum’, which is one of the best-tasting carrots to pull at
“baby” stage, deserve some space. If the temperatures remain cold,
cover the plants with at least six inches of natural mulch such as hay,
so you can harvest fresh carrots well into winter.
Even if you don’t grow ‘Bull’s Blood’ beet for the tasty
root—excellent harvested when only two to three inches—plant it for the
deep, vibrant red leaves. Picked young, they are a superlative addition
to a salad; when they are larger, cook the leaves as you would spinach,
or use them in a stir-fry.
PANSY PARTY
Pansies are such a cheerful addition to any garden. Much has been
written about their versatility as a fall flower, and bedding plants
are readily available in nurseries for fall planting. However, the
selection from seed is much more diverse—and easy to grow. The
unexpected bonus of fall pansies: keep deadheading the plants. Even in
Zone 5, each time the snow melts there are the pansies ready to burst
into flower. AAS winners ‘Maxim Marina’ (1991) and ‘Ultima Morpho’
(2002) are among the most colorful.
HARVEST TIME
Whether you are gathering lettuce, chard, spinach, kale, chicory,
or other greens, you can get the most out of these leafy plants by
picking only as many outer leaves as you will use for the next meal. As
long as the temperatures stay at least ten to fifteen degrees above
freezing during the day, the plants will continue to produce new leaves
at the center of the plant. Instead of cutting and bringing in the
entire plant, harvesting a few leaves at a time can extend the harvest
through winter right into early spring—if the weather cooperates (or
you have a cold frame.)
Of the root vegetables, only radishes need to be pulled up at
maturity when their flavor and texture are at their peak. The chosen
selections of the others—carrots, turnips, and beets—are equally good
harvested young or at maturity.
Enjoy the wide selection of easy-to-grow fall edibles that deliver
great taste and a range of colors to enhance nutritious meals.
The South Carolina Nursery and Landscape Association has many experts who can assist you. A list of these individuals who reside nearest to you can be found in the membership section on this web site. You may also view past articles here. For an extensive list of consumer related gardening topics visit the: Clemson Extension Service Home and Garden Information Center.