Pros & Cons of Planting a Fall Garden

Fall gardening is possible in many parts of the U.S, but just because a thing is possible, doesn't always mean it should be done. How do you decide whether planting a fall garden is a good idea for you?

First, take time to assess a few things:

Gardening Goals:

Think about what your goals are for your garden. If you haven't already written them down, now is the time. Do you garden for relaxation, to stretch your grocery budget (some veggies are really expensive at the grocery store), to sell or gift to others, to supply your canning hobby, or as a way to take some responsibility for feeding your family? Whatever your goals are, consider whether planting a fall garden aligns with them. Those expensive veggies might not produce in a fall garden, and the crops that are grown in the fall might not be best suited to canning.

Available Time:

Consider whether a fall garden will fit into your schedule. Be honest with yourself. If you're a teacher, maybe taking care of a fall garden is too much on top of starting out a new school year. For parents, fall might either free you up to spend more time in the garden, or it might be the beginning of the busiest time of the year for you.

Space:

Is there room in your landscape for a fall garden? Are all of your garden beds already filled with long-growing crops, or is there a fallow bed or two that could be planted with fall crops? Indoors, do you have space to start seedlings in mid-to-late summer?

Introspection:

If you planted a spring garden with cool weather crops, how did they do? Did your summer garden flop due to heat or pests? Was it a raving success and you're still working all-out to maintain and harvest from it? Are you heartily sick of gardening and just ready to be done for the year, or you craving those cool-weather crops that you had to give up when the weather turned hot?

Why you should plant a fall garden:

• Many pests that plagued you in the spring or summer won't be active in the fall

• The cooler weather makes garden chores less physically stressful for you

• If you love cool-season crops, you get another harvest before winter sets in

• If you had cool-season crop failures in the spring, fall is your second chance

• If you love root vegetables, you can grow them and store them into the winter

• You'll keep your garden beds filled with productive plants instead of letting weeds take over

  
  

Why you shouldn't plant a fall garden:

• You're just plain sick of working in the garden, and want to take a break

• Your job or family demands more of your time in the fall

• You don't have space

• You need to focus on preparation for next year's garden

• You are overwhelmed by the summer harvest and preserving it

• The vegetables that you like to eat aren't good candidates for a fall garden

• There is some risk: Early frosts and snow storms do happen

Take a look at the pros and cons, and decide whether a fall garden is a good idea for you this year. I'd like to encourage you to assess whether your early spring and summer gardens were a struggle for you to manage. Was it too large to manage, do you regret certain plants, or did you struggle to keep it watered? Do you wish you'd left part of the garden space fallow? Did you plant too much, or not nearly enough?

Even if you decide not to plant a fall garden this year, you might consider planting for spring and fall next year, and skip the summer garden altogether, or just grow a few patio vegetables rather than a full-sized summer garden. It's not all or nothing.