Fall Into a Salad Garden
by Deborah Nungesser
Sadly, as summer ends, all the delicious fresh summer vegetables reach their peak and the
vegetable plants will soon fade. But it’s possible to grow vegetables in the fall too—not all vegetables,
but if you like salads, the fall and spring are actually the best times of the year to grow leafy greens. A
fall salad garden is easy, requiring little work, and these vegetables take only a few short weeks to grow.
Many leafy greens such as lettuce, spinach, kale, and others grow best when the days are less
hot and the nights are cool, as they are in the fall. For this reason, they are often called “cool-season”
vegetables. The autumn temperatures are not only ideal for growing, they also help you by allowing you
to spend less time maintaining your garden than you did in the spring and summer, when drier, hotter
days have you carrying around that garden hose. Weed seeds won’t germinate or grow as quickly, so
there will be much less weeding to do too. And just spending time in your garden will be more enjoyable
in the crisp, cool, autumn air.
So with just a minimal amount of effort, you can be rewarded with a lush, green salad garden.
Let’s get started!
What to plant
There are many fast-growing, cool-season vegetables that are well suited for a fall garden. Some of
the most common that can be grown and harvested in Centre County in the fall are:
 Loose-Leaf Lettuce—Loose-leaf lettuce doesn’t form a “head” like the common grocery store
iceberg lettuce we are most familiar with. Loose-leaf lettuce grows in a cascade, with loosely
formed ruffled leaves. Most loose-leaf lettuce can be grown and harvested within 45 to 50 days
from seed. Some popular varieties to try include “Black Seeded Simpson,” “Red Salad Bowl,” and
“Green Ice.”
 Romaine Lettuce—Romaine is thicker and crispier than loose-leaf lettuce. It is often used in
Caesar salads.
 Butterhead Lettuce—Butterhead lettuce leaves grow in a rosette. They are smooth, slightly
thick and have a buttery texture. Choose a variety that matures early, such as “Four Seasons.”
 Mesclun mixes—Mesclun refers to a mixture of lettuce types and varieties, usually of different
colors and textures of ruffled red and green loose-leaf lettuce. It may also include endive,
mustard or cress, which adds a tangy flavor to the mix.
 Kale—Kale is a bluish-green, curly leafed vegetable rich in vitamins and calcium. It is cold-hardy;
even a hard frost won’t phase it. In fact, a frost often brings out its flavor. Kale is tasty sautéed
with olive oil and garlic and served as a side dish.
 Spinach—Spinach is vitamin-rich and comes in varieties with dark green flat or crinkled leaves.
 Swiss chard—Swiss chard, also rich in vitamins, is a large, leafy vegetable with colorful thick
stems. It can be added to salads or sautéed. Some popular varieties include “Fordhook Giant”
and “Bright Lights.”
 Arugula—Arugula’s slender, dark green, spiked leaves give a peppery flavor to salads.
 Mustard Greens—Mustard greens also add a zesty, peppery flavor to salads.
 Radishes—Radishes, a root crop, add a sharp taste to salads and often can be harvested in as
little as three weeks from seed.
Seeds vs. transplants
Fall garden seeds should ideally be planted by early or mid August, so if you haven’t done so already,
you’re probably not going to have much success planting them this year. But keep the option in mind for
next year, and seek out seed packets from garden centers or harvest shops—they’re not always
displayed at this time of year, so ask if you don’t see them. You can also purchase seeds online, which
may provide a better selection. Look for varieties that mature quickly, in about eight weeks or sooner,
because as the autumn days grow progressively shorter, the plants will slow down in growth.
But don’t despair if you’ve not already planted. Transplants, plants already three to four weeks
old, can help push planting times back into early September. Transplants can be found at local garden
centers, garden departments of home centers or local harvest shops.
Planting your fall salad garden
Once you have your seeds or transplants, you need to choose an area for your garden and get it
ready. The area does not have to be large, as leafy greens do not take up much space. If possible, choose
a spot in full sun and amend the garden soil with compost. If you already have a garden, another option
is to reuse the space by planting in between your remaining summer vegetable garden plants that aren’t
quite ready to be pulled out yet.
Once your space is ready, you are ready to plant. Plant your seeds or transplants about 6 inches
apart in rows. And keep the soil moist until the plants become well established. Since lettuce seeds
won’t germinate if the soil is too hot, shade the planting spot until the seeds sprout. A large box,
cardboard, or lattice can be positioned to provide partial shade and then removed when the cooler
autumn temperatures arrive and the seedlings are well established. Existing vegetable plants will
provide this shade for you, one advantage to planting among established plants.
If you do not plan to plant a large amount of salad greens, you may want to plant your greens in
large, tall pots, which are convenient and often high enough to keep rabbits out. You may even want to
place them right outside your back door to quickly pick salad for dinner.
Protection from frosts and fur
Even if you plant in traditional beds, don’t let the thought of rabbits keep you from planting your
fall salad garden. There’s a simple way to deter the rabbits from eating your greens—and it does not
involve a weekend installing a rabbit-proof fence.
Garden netting, strung over long pieces of flexible PVC pipe or wire, can make a simple rabbitproof row. The supplies can be found at local hardware and home centers, and the process is easy.
To begin, take long pieces of pipe or wire and bend them into arcs over the rows of plants,
pushing the ends about 4 inches into the soil so that they stay put. Position the arcs every 2 feet or so
along the entire planting row. Then cover the arcs with the garden netting, and secure the netting into
the ground with garden staples. When the greens grow large enough to harvest, the garden staples can
be easily pulled out and then pushed back in the soil.
Even though the plants in the list above are cool-season vegetables that can withstand a light
frost, once October arrives, you should keep an eye on the night-time temperature forecasts for a hard
frost, which occurs when temperatures dip to 25 degrees or lower. During hard frosts, you should cover
the plants at night for protection. Manufactured cloth row covers or plastic sheeting, or even household
items such as light blankets or sheets are perfect. The Penn State Master Gardener Manual estimates
the first hard-frost occurs around Oct. 15 in this area, based on USDA weather data.
Harvest time
Once your greens reach their mature size, it’s time to eat. Pick the outside leaves, taking a few
at a time, leaving the leaves in the center of the plant to continue growing. In this way, as long as the
weather cooperates, you’ll be able to enjoy many salads with your meals throughout the fall months.
Once the hard frosts successively set in and the days grow cold (or you grow tired of covering your
plants), you should harvest the entire plant.
So spend this fall enjoying the rewards of eating those tasty, crisp and healthy greens that you
grew yourself.
Master Gardener Deborah Nungesser is munching away on her fall salad garden in State College where
she’s growing red and green ruffled lettuce, spinach and kale.