It’s getting toward late summer and I’m wondering if I’ve missed my window or if there’s still time to get a fall crop in. How do I figure out what I can still plant this late?
Great question, and the short answer is: probably not too late at all, depending on where you are.
The key number you need is your first expected frost date. Everything works backward from there. Once you know that date, look at the seed packet for whatever you want to grow and find the “days to maturity” number. Count back from your frost date, add a week or two as a buffer, and that tells you your last safe planting date.
Cool-season crops are your friends right now — things like:
- Lettuce, spinach, arugula — fast-maturing, often 30–45 days
- Radishes — can be ready in 3–4 weeks
- Kale and chard — slow but frost-tolerant, actually sweeten up after a cold snap
- Beets and turnips — good fall performers
- Garlic — plant in fall for a summer harvest next year
One thing a lot of folks don’t realize: cool-season crops prefer the cooler temps of fall over the heat of spring. They tend to bolt slower and taste better. So a fall planting can actually outperform a spring one.
If you’re not sure of your frost date, the Old Farmer’s Almanac has a free zip-code lookup that’s pretty reliable.
Also — if you’re tracking your plantings and want to set reminders for harvest windows, the Homestead Paradise app is included with your membership and has a planting calendar that can help you keep it all straight.
What part of the country are you in? That’ll help me give you a better sense of how much runway you’ve got.