What Vegetables to Plant in the Fall

If you’re wondering about which fall vegetables to grow, we can help you have a successful cool-season garden in Zones 9 and 10! Learn what to grow for a bountiful garden you can enjoy all winter.

Grow What You Like to Eat

Plant what you like to eat! Most of us don’t have unlimited garden space so we have to make choices of what to grow. Grow what you know your household will actually eat. Think about the vegetables you usually purchase or what you like in your community-supported agriculture (CSA) box. If you want to try a vegetable new to you, just plant a small ‘‘test” amount.

What Vegetables are Planted in the Fall?

Your success with fall vegetables depends on selecting ones that grow best in cooler weather and shorter days. For USDA Zones 9 and 10 those include broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, and other members of the cabbage family; root crops such as beets, carrots, radishes, onions, garlic, and potatoes; leafy vegetables like lettuce, spinach, kale, arugula, chard, and Asian greens; peas, celery, artichokes, and asparagus.

If you are in Zones 9 and 10, check out our Comprehensive Planting Chart or get our Planting Calendar to always be knowledgeable about what to grow!

Easy Crops for Beginner Gardeners

Some of the easiest vegetables to grow in the fall are the winter greens lettuce, spinach, chard, arugula, kale, and mustard greens. Carrots, broccoli, radishes, and onions are also easy and rewarding. Direct seed when you can and grow starter plants from seed to transplant out into the garden. If your garden is small, purchasing transplants of broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, or lettuce is also a good option, especially if this is your first garden.

Knowing When to Plant Your Fall Vegetables

Fall weather in SoCal can be quite variable. There are Santa Ana winds to contend with and days can be brutally hot. Winter rains may not arrive until January, or be insufficient, and Santa Ana conditions can show up mid-winter. For tips on starting your seeds, refer to our Fall Gardening in Southern California post.

With experience, you’ll learn what works best in your garden. In a coastal garden, carrots and beets are seeded in the last week of September while the soil is still warm for better germination. That could change though if there’s a heatwave, so be prepared to roll with what comes. Similarly, transplants of broccoli, cabbage, and cauliflower settle in better during cooler days of mid-to-late October. Keep records as recollections fade from year to year.