Our Top Picks for Fall Crops
It’s 90 degrees as I’m writing this in Columbus, but us gardeners know that fall really is just around the corner. To my Ohio gardeners: now's the time to start putting together plans for your fall garden!
Here’s some of our top picks for fall crops:
An easy garden-inspired fall dish: sautéed turnips, dark leafy mustard greens, and broccolini in olive oil, topped simply with salt and pepper.
1. Arugula & Buttercrunch Greens
Salad greens like arugula and tender buttercrunch lettuce will flourish in the coming cool season. We love growing salad greens because they are so much more delicious straight out of the garden than from the grocery store- you maybe surprised how much of a spicy punch some arugula varieties pack when you try it right out of your garden!
2. Broccolini (AKA Broccoli Rabe)
Broccolini, also known as Broccoli Rabe, is actually genetically closer to a turnip than broccoli, but it is, in our humble opinion, equally as delicious (okay, we actually like it better than broccoli). Broccoli Rabe grows faster than Broccoli, has a bit of a bitter tang that mellows out when sautéed or roasted, and is fabulous as a side dish or finely chopped in salads.
3. Carrots
Harvesting carrots in your home garden is just…. well, magical. It’s so fun to pop these guys out of the ground, brush off the dirt, and eat it straight up. Carrots will sweeten with the frost, are a fabulous addition to soups, salads, or as a vehicle for dips. As a bonus, the whole plant is edible- we usually save the greens to make homemade carrot-top pesto.
4. Pansies
Pansies are more cold-tolerant than most flowers and- most importantly!- they are edible! We love adding them to salads or using them as a garnish for soups and other dishes. You can transform pretty much any average-dinner dish into an elevated display by snipping off some fresh pansy flowers and sprinkling them right on your plate.
5. Savory, Cool-Tolerant Herbs, like Rosemary
When the cold weather hits, we want soups (and we know we’re not alone). We grow tons of savory, cold-hardy herbs in the fall like rosemary, chives, and sage. Nothing quite like a sprig of rosemary on that chicken noodle soup, or tying up bunches of fresh herbs with twine to dry and using them in your winter holiday feasts.
Ready to make your fall planting plan? Check out the Columbus Foodscapes Planting Calendar. Our planting calendar features over 50 of the most common fruits, vegetables, and herbs, recommendations on plant needs, and more.