Late Fall Plantings

Published Aug 30, 2026 2:00 pm : Updated Aug 24, 2026 1:48 pm

August can be a time for autumn plantings. With hot August days, this may sound counter intuitive. But temperatures are beginning to drop and the cool season of fall can be ideal for short season crops like carrots, radishes, lettuces, even bush beans and squash (if you didn’t get overloaded during the summer). In addition, it’s a good time to get a head-start on early season crops like broccoli.

This time of year, with warm soils and dry conditions, it’s really important to pay attention to the germination needs of seeds you’re hoping to plant. Lettuce seeds generally will not germinate unless the soil temperatures are in the 60 to 75-degree range. Therefore, it’s necessary to start them inside with exposure to light and moist (not soggy) soil.

Root crops like carrots, radishes, rutabagas and turnips do not transplant well, so wait until the weather cools. However, they don’t take long to mature and they thrive in cool autumn. In fact, they get sweeter as the weather gets colder. And again, consistent moisture is critical for seeds to germinate after the hot weather.

Paying particular attention to seed packet instructions helps tremendously. Check days to maturity.  Carrots like Scarlet Nantes, for instance, typically take only 65 to 75 days to reach maturity from the time seeds are directly sown into the ground. Small radishes like Cherry Belle take 21 to 30 days to mature.

I find this type of vegetable sowing and growing to be a good experience to share with children. It allows them to be able to see something grow from a seed to a beautiful vegetable in a short period of time. It is a great way to encourage and share a love of nature, working with your hands and one another, and holding the results.

To determine your fall growing season, find your region’s first estimated frost date. Count back from that date to today’s date, and that will give you your growing season.  You can plan from there. Preparation for planting includes making sure the top 3 to 5 inches of soil is loose, not compacted. For some seeds, like beans, presoaking will improve germination. Water more frequently, particularly until seeds germinate and show the first true leaves. Mulching after planting helps retain moisture and insulates the soil to reduce heat. On hot days, provide shade to, hopefully, prevent bolting (growing flowers instead of vegetables).

It’s a great time to experiment with something new like rutabagas. In Scottland we learned about “bashed neeps.” These are mashed rutabagas with butter, salt and pepper, and are surprisingly tasty. Lettuces and spinach like cool weather and can be harvested by picking outside leaves and letting them continue to grow. Beets and turnips like the cold and their leaves can be eaten, as well. Peas don’t like hot weather, but they will germinate in warm soil and enjoy the cool of fall. One source says that cucumbers make an excellent fall crop as they do better in cooler weather than the heat of summer.

So, choose a few types, check germination and growing needs, try a little something new, share the experience with others, and look forward—not just to cooler temps—but to fresh vegetables long past summer.

Nancy Bliss is a University of California Cooperative Extension Master Gardener of Tuolumne County.