With just one month of summer left until the first day of fall, there's still time to get some quick growing crops in the ground for autumn and early winter harvests. Here at High Mowing, we offer a great selection of speedy greens and roots that can fill the garden out even as the days get shorter and the temps head towards freezing.
Below is a list of some of our quickest fall crops with plenty of beauty and flavor to keep the market table popping and the kitchen table fresh.
For some specific planting tips based on region, check out our article,
What to Plant for Fall and Winter Harvest.
Radishes
Radishes are one of the quickest turn around crops in the field and there are so many unique, beautiful varieties to choose from. In many cases, radishes can be harvested in less than 30 days and when young, radish leaves are a delicious green to eat. In the Southern climes, radishes can be grown well into the winter using
floating row cover.
30 Days or Less
Purple Plum - 25 Days
Cherry belle - 25 Days
Pearl Radish - 25 Days
French Breakfast - 26 Days
White Icicle - 27 Days
50 Days or Less
Schwarzer Runder Radish - 50 Days
Daikon Radish - 50 Days
Asian Greens
Asian greens are tender, nutrient-packed leafy vegetables in the brassica family. Their light textured stems and delicate greens are best cooked quickly and most commonly stir-fried, steamed, blanched in boiling water, or eaten raw. These greens are edible at any stage and greens harvested baby make for beautiful salads with deep, savory flavors.
25 Days or Less
Garnet Giant - 21 Days Baby
Golden Frill Mustards - 21 Days Baby
Mizuna Asian Greens - 21 Days Baby
Red Lace Mustard Greens - 21 Days Baby
Red Giant Mustard Greens - 23 Days Baby
50 Days or Less
Shanghai Green Pac Choy - 45 Days
Tat Soi Asian Greens - 45 Days
Tokyo Bekana Asian Greens - 50 Days
Prize Choy Pac Choy - 50 Days
Salad Greens
Salad greens are a great quick fall crop to incorporate into your growing system for their ease and reliability. This value added product is great for market or for gourmet greens at the dinner table. They can be direct sown, typically germinate easily, and can be cut at most any size. At High Mowing, we have put together some blends of lettuces and other greens that have great texture and color variety. Whether you're looking for a beautiful, delicate lettuce blend or a savory, spicy mustard mix, we've got variety combinations to appease every palette.
30 Days or Less
Gemstone Greens Blend - 21 Days
Hot Shot Mix - 21 Days
DMR Salad Blend - 28 Days
Yankee Hardy Salad Mix - 28 Days
Mesclun Mix - 28 Days
Red Planet Lettuce Blend - 28 Days
Ironman Kale Mix - 30 Days
40 Days or Less
Braising Mix - 35 Days
Beta Blend - 40 Days
Specialty Greens
Specialty greens are quick growing greens with unique characteristics. Whether they have a special texture, growth habit, or flavor, they bring something different to the table when harvested in fall. While you may have heard of
Arugula, this category also encompasses some less familiar but equally compelling varieties of greens that bring powerful flavors to the dinner plate. These greens are gaining in popularity as individuals seek out new and unusual vegetables for their health benefits and unique tastes.
25 Days or Less
Astro Arugula - 21 Days Baby
Esmee Arugula - 21 Days Baby
Hong Vit Radish Greens - 25 Days Baby
50 Days or Less
Frisee Endive - 35 Days Baby
Early Wonder Tall Top Beet - 45 Days
Golden Purslane - 50 Days
Sylvetta Wild Arugula - 50 Days
Belle Isle Cress - 50 Days
Vit Mache - 50 Days
Kale
Kale has become a staple for vegetable lovers for its nutritional attributes, such as containing high levels of Vitamin A, C, and K, and for its versatility in the kitchen. Kale can be eaten raw or cooked in most every fashion and baby kale is an excellent quick crop for the fall garden. Kale is hardy to the cooling weather and sweetens as the nighttime temps begin to drop. Whether direct sown for baby greens or transplanted for adult leaves, this plant is well loved and easy to grow on any scale.
30 Days or Less
Red Russian - 21 Days Baby
Dazzling Blue - 30 Days Baby
Lacinato - 30 Days Baby
50 Days or Less
Darkibor F1 - 50 Days
Meadowlark - 50 Days
Westlander - 50 Days
EazyLeaf Lettuces
Eazyleaf lettuces are varieties of
lettuce that produce small and compact heads, making them ideal for harvesting after a shorter growth window. These plants make great additions to greens blends and are cut from mini to personal sized heads, producing beautiful layers of delicate, crunchy leaves. With so many colors and textures to choose from, these leaves make for elegant, gourmet lettuce mixes that can be mixed and matched to make something truly unique to your farm or garden.
While these lettuces are quick, they do require a little additional time as they are typically transplanted. The good news is, these varieties are exceptionally hardy and can stand up to the cold temps of early winter.
57 Days or Less
Ezrilla - 52 Days
Hampton - 55 Days
Buckley - 57 Days
Brentwood - 57 Days
Burgandy - 57 Days
Spinach
Spinach is another great green to incorporate into your fall growing system. While it may take a little longer to reach maturity, spinach can be picked at any size and its deep, hardy green leaves tend to handle light frosts and can overwinter in many places under floating row cover.
50 Days or Less
Verdil Spinach - 37 Days
Butterflay Spinach - 40 Days
Corvair Spinach - 40 Days
Matador Spinach - 43 Days
Abundant Bloomsdale Spinach - 45 Days
Winter Bloomsdale Spinach - 45 Days
Giant Winter Spinach - 50 Days
Turnips
When it comes to roots,
Turnips are second only to radishes in their ease in growing culture and their quick sprint to maturity in the field. In less than 50 days, these beautiful roots can be pulled from the ground and many people choose to pull them even earlier when baby. The greens are edible, delicious, and
cherished among Southerners across the Southeastern United States.
50 Days or Less
Tokyo Market - 35 Days
Scarlet Ohno Revival - 50 Days
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