Check how the latest planting date lines up with:
your first day of school
harvest dates of summer crops
Consider varieties with shorter times to maturity
Explore season extension, such as row covers, low tunnels, or high tunnels, to get more time in the fall
The following table shows some good candidates for fall crops, whether they should be planted from seed or as transplants, when transplants should be started, the latest planting dates for Western/Central/Eastern Kentucky, and a range of how long it takes plants to mature (days to maturity). For more specific days to maturity, check the information for a specific variety from your seed supplier.
| Crops | Seed or Transplant | Date/Time to start Transplants | Earliest planting date | Days to maturity |
|---|
| Beets | Seed | ----- | Aug. 1/ Aug. 10/Aug. 15 | 70-75 |
|---|
| Broccoli | Transplant | July 1 | July 15/Aug. 1/Aug. 15 | 60-80 |
|---|
| Collards | Seed | ----- | Aug. 15/Aug. 20/Aug. 20 | 80-90 |
|---|
| Kale | Seed | ----- | July 15/Aug. 1/Aug. 15 | 70-80 |
|---|
| Kohlrabi | Seed | ----- | July 15/Aug. 1/Aug. 15 | 60-70 |
|---|
| Leaf lettuce | Seed | ----- | Aug. 1/Aug. 15/Sept. 1 | 40-60 |
|---|
| Mustard Greens | Seed | ----- | Aug. 1/Aug. 15/Sept. 1 | 50-60 |
|---|
| Radishes | Seed | ----- | Sept. 1/Sept. 15/Oct. 1 | 30-40 |
|---|
| Snow peas | Seed | ----- | July 20/Aug. 1/Aug. 8 | 50-70 |
|---|
| Spinach | Seed | ----- | Aug. 15/Sept. 1/Sept. 15 | 50-60 |
|---|
| Turnips | Seed | ----- | Aug. 1/Aug. 10/Aug. 20 | 50-60 |
|---|
| Turnip greens | Seed | ----- | Aug. 1/Aug. 10/Aug. 20 | 50-60 |
|---|
| Garlic | Set - cloves | ----- | Nov. 1/Nov. 7/Nov. 15 | Harvest the following spring/ summer |
|---|
The following table shows some good candidates for fall crops, whether they should be planted from seed or as transplants, when transplants should be started, the latest planting dates for Western/Central/Eastern Kentucky, and a range of how long it takes plants to mature (days to maturity). For more specific days to maturity, check the information for a specific variety from your seed supplier.
Johnny's Selected Seeds. 2021. https://www.johnnyseeds.com/
Home Vegetable Gardening in Kentucky. ID-128. University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service
How to Grow Sweet Potatoes. 2016. Michigan State University Available at:
https://www.canr.msu.edu/resources/how_to_grow_sweet_potatoes
Educational programs of Kentucky Cooperative Extension serve all people regardless of economic or social status and will not discriminate on the basis of race, color, ethnic origin, national origin, creed, religion, political belief, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy, marital status, genetic information, age, veteran status, or physical or mental disability. Kentucky State University, University of Kentucky, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and Kentucky Counties, Cooperating. 2021 KYSU-CEP-FAC-0093