oooh, I can't wait for some suggestions, too. This is my first zone 5 garden and I was wondering what fall plants to put in and when. Good question Holly.

Well here in North Central Kansas, it is a rule of thumb that you get your Fall garden planted by July 4th. If you miss the 4th, no later than July 15.

I started my Fall Broccoli and Cauliflower on July 3rd. Planted fall cucumbers on July 1 and zucchini on July 6th. I planted potatoes on July 7th and I am trying to finish digging potatoes, pulling spring broccoli, and weed and till spring beets to get fall beets, onions, carrots and some more cucumbers in. I find it really hard to get things planted. I have so much picking, watering and weeding to do. However, it just needs to be finished!

Lettuce, spinach, radishes you can wait until later.

Fall Garden Plans
lettuce, Radishes, Spinach, beets, carrots, onions, potatoes, cantaloupe, zucchini, green beans, cucumbers

In zone 5 you can still plant:
bush beans--now
zucchini and summer squash--now
turnips--early Aug
beets--next week
carrots-next week
lettuces
chicories--Aug
spinach (to overwinter for spring crop) -- late Sept.
kale--next week
collards--next week

jrslick is right on target about cauliflower - start your seedlings now. I found this chart to be very helpful ... http://www.veggieharvest.com/vegetable-planning/zone-5.html.

For my area (zone 7), the chart is a very very good general rule of thumb. I got a more detailed chart from my local agriculture extension office that showed when & what crops could be planted earlier than the chart shows or harvested longer using season extension such as row covers, shade cloth, etc. For example, the chart shows that lettuce can be planted starting March 15 and is done by June 15 for my zone, which is almost exactly what my ag office says. But also, my ag office says we can plant as early as Feb 1 with season extension covers so we can start harvesting around April 1 and we can extend the harvest as late as July 15 using season extension shade.

Also, the chart does show some overlap where the shades go light & dark. But, for example, there is no way for that chart to show totally overlapped things such as beans where they can still be planted well past the time that the earlier beans are harvested.

But, it is easy to read and I find myself going to it many times to get the general timeline (I am a first time gardener) as I am planning my fall crop because it is right on target with what my local office says on most things.

I have a first time raised bed garden. Can I start beets and carrots the first week of Aug or is that too late? I'm waiting for my cucumbers and beans to finish. If we ever get some heat here in western Mass I might have a shot. Here it is 7/09 and the daytime temps are only in the low 70's. I can't believe it. We have had no summer. ALthough my tomatoes are taking off. I can't believe how big the plants are. Should have lots of toms.

Diane

Try this: Grow Guide
Just select 'fall garden' and plug in your dates.

Hey there - it all really depends on when your first hard frost is, how your gardens are set up, and what the individual microclimates for your garden are. Most years I can do a fall crop of pretty much any vegetable that finishes within 60 days, with the exception of leeks which are so frost hardy, I've had happy leaks sitting in the first 6" of snow.

I know in my area it's been really cold, so I would be worried about any plant that isn't fall hardy. But again each garden is different!

Thanks for all the replies! I'm going to go ahead and start my cauliflower, carrots, onions and I found some late flat dutch cabbage, so I think I will try that too. I didnt know I could still plant beans and such, what about pole beans? I saw bush beans mentioned...

Thank you Angela12345 for the chart! I am going to check it out right now.

Laceyvail, you mention overwintering spinach in September, is that like winter sowing, or are they supposed to come up then die off then come back up in the spring?
Thanks!
Holly

Over winter spinach is suppose to grow in the fall and sit all winter and then grow in the spring. If it does not work they die in the winter. In general the only correct way to grow spinach is over winter. it wants to be cool.

However, zone 5 might die or survive some years. zone 6 is much better for over winter.

spinach can be protected over the winter either inside a greenhouse tunnel or with remay cover. Again no guarantees.

I am zone 5 and have given up on spinach in favor of swiss chard. It is so easy to grow a big crop of swiss chard and so much trouble with spinach for me.

my garden is exposed to cold wind all winter and spinach will never survive in the open. However if you garden is surrounded by tall trees the spinach might be successful.

There are a lot of types of swiss chard. some have very small stems and large leaves if you want only the leaves. Personally I like both.

I plant my swiss chard in the early spring and harvest all summer long right past fall frosts. Spinach will never do that. If you want to make swiss chard seeds you have to keep the plant ball alive over winter. they bolt to seed very early in the 2nd year.

I've never tried swiss chard, does it taste similar to spinach?

Swiss chard is closer to beet greens than spinach. Actually, beets and Swiss chard are the same species, just different varieties. For culinary purposes though, Swiss chard and spinach are pretty much interchangeable. Any dish called "Florentine", for example is good when made with Swiss chard.

Jim