Fall Gardening Guide: Maximize Harvests & Prep for Winter

Fall is a beautiful time to garden: the temperatures are more comfortable, many pests are less active, and the whole family can connect over harvest preservation. This fall gardening guide is designed for experienced gardeners who want to make the most of the autumn growing season. It outlines what likely needs immediate attention, what can still be planted, and how to prepare your garden for dormancy over the winter.

While much of this guide is focused on vegetable gardening, it also pertains to growing fruit, trees and shrubs, perennials, bulbs, lawns, and containers.

Tidy & Assess Your Garden

Before planting anything new, evaluate the current state of your beds. Decide what existing plants can stay, and identify dead, damaged, or diseased plants you can remove to make space.

Clean and Support Plants

• Remove any diseased foliage. Be sure to bag and discard—do not compost affected leaves, or the disease(s) could spread to other plants. 
• If plants have escaped their trellising, tie up heavy stems and fruit clusters to improve airflow, reduce powdery mildew, and enjoy a better harvest. 
• Deadhead repeat‑blooming ornamentals. Leave some seed heads to nourish birds and provide winter interest. 

Use Space Wisely

• Remove dead, diseased, or damaged plants. 
• Consider removing plants that won’t produce before your first frost. 
• Keep healthy plants in place—especially if they’re still producing or you love the way they look.  
• Pinpoint gaps that offer valuable space for fall crops.

Fall Planting and Transplanting

Two data points should guide your planting decisions: the number of days until your average first frost, and your current soil temperature (for the most accurate number, use a soil thermometer). Once you have this information, you can choose the appropriate planting method—direct seeding, transplanting, or dividing.

Less Sunlight Means Slower Growth

Plants grow more slowly as days shorten. Add about two weeks to seed packet days-to-maturity for anything sown after mid‑August. If you have a 45‑day harvest window, for example, choose a 30‑to 35-day variety or use transplants.

Direct Sow According to Soil Temperature

• Certain crops germinate and mature best when the soil temperature is within a certain range. Lettuce and Asian greens, for example, germinate best when the soil is 60–70 °F. Spinach prefers cooler soil, generally in the 50s to low 60s °F. Carrots and beets germinate in warm soil but emerge more evenly once nights cool. 
• After sowing, be sure to keep seedbeds consistently moist.

Utilize Days‑to‑Frost Windows

For a continuous succession of harvests, sow seeds every 10–14 days until your days-to-frost window, soil temperature, or day length signals to stop.

Zone‑Specific Pointers

Go by average frost dates first, then consider these zone‑specific notes:

• Zones 3–5: Speed and protection are critical. Sow quick greens now, install cover early and plant garlic in early to mid-October. 
• Zones 6–7: You have a broad fall window. Brassicas and greens can be planted through September; salads can be harvested under cover into December. Plant garlic in mid to late October. 
• Zones 8–10: Fall is prime growing time. Begin when the heat breaks, shift from shade cloth to light row cover as nights cool. 

Use Transplants When Time Is Short

Perhaps you started a new crop of, say, brassicas from seed indoors—if not, your local garden center will have transplants. As opposed to seeds, these young plants are farther along and will mature within a shorter window.

Be sure to thoroughly water your transplants after settling them into your garden, and provide shade during their first week if daytime temperatures are especially hot.

Beyond the Veggie Patch

• Autumn is a great time to plant trees, shrubs, and perennials. Water new plantings weekly until the ground freezes. 
• Divide daylilies, hostas, and bearded irises after they bloom and once nights are cool. Replant into moist soil and mulch lightly. 
• Overseed lawns when soil temperatures drop to the 60s °F. Aerate, apply a thin layer of compost, then sow seed. Keep the seedbed moist until sprouting occurs. 
• Plant fall bulbs like daffodils, tulips, and more! Here’s how. 

Tending and Extending Your Fall Garden

Water and Shade

• Water deeply two or three times per week, ideally early in the morning. Avoid shallow daily watering, which encourages disease and weak roots. 
• Mulch beds with 2–3 inches of straw, chopped leaves, or compost, keeping mulch a hand’s width away from stems. 
• During heat waves, use 30–50% shade cloth on tender crops. Remove when daytime highs drop into the 70s °F. 

Pest and Disease Management

While many garden pests have peaked by late summer and will decline into fall, you’re not out of the woods just yet. Here are a few common pests and diseases to watch for: 

• Hand‑pick tomato hornworms at dusk. If you see white cocoons on a worm, leave it—the parasitic wasps will control future generations. 
• Squash bugs and vine borers decline as vines fade. Clear old cucurbit vines promptly and rotate their location next year. 
• Spider mites thrive in hot, dusty conditions. Rinse leaf undersides and use insecticidal soap if necessary. 
• Powdery mildew becomes more common as days shorten. Improve airflow, water soil instead of leaves, and apply labeled fungicides early if you choose to treat.

Extend the Season: Row Covers, Tunnels and Cold Frames

Know your cold temperature landmarks: light frost (29–32 °F), freeze (25–28 °F), and hard freeze (24 °F and below). Set up protection before temperatures reach these thresholds. However, don’t let light frosts stop you from growing and harvesting. Instead, use season extending gear to garden longer and stronger: your pantry will thank you! 

• Frost cloth provides 2–6 °F of protection depending on weight. Lighter fabrics breathe better; heavier fabrics protect more but require venting on sunny days. 
• Low tunnels use hoops covered with fabric or clear poly. Space hoops about 4 feet apart, anchor edges with soil or sandbags, and vent late morning on bright days. Heat buildup is a bigger threat than cold. 
• Cold frames placed against a house can carry lettuce, spinach and herbs into winter. Add dark water jugs inside to buffer nighttime temperatures. 
• Cloches are simple covers that typically allow light to permeate while protecting individual plants from cold, pests, and the elements.

Harvest, Ripen, Cure, and Store

There’s nothing quite as exciting as harvesting homegrown produce. Processing your bounty to enjoy through the winter is satisfying, too! Below are several harvest and storage suggestions that pertain to specific crops. Remember to regularly inspect stored crops and remove anything soft or spoiled. Click here for recipe ideas!

Tomatoes and Peppers

• Three to four weeks before frost, remove new blossoms so plants direct energy to existing fruit. 
• Pick tomatoes at the first blush of color and ripen indoors at room temperature. Use paper bags or boxes but avoid sealing fruit airtight. 
• Peppers hold better on the plant until they color fully. Harvest before a light frost.

Squash, Potatoes, Onions, and Garlic

• Winter squashes are ready when their rinds resist a thumbnail and stems begin to cork. Cure at about 80 °F with good airflow for two weeks, then store cool and dry. 
• Potatoes cure around 55 °F in the dark for a week, then store at 40–45 °F. Keep them away from onions. 
• Onions and garlic cure in airy shade for 2–3 weeks. Trim the tops, then store cool with low humidity. 

Apples and Pears

Pick when fruit detaches with a gentle twist and seeds are brown. Store only unbruised fruit. Most apples prefer 32–38 °F with moderate humidity.

Greens and Herbs

Harvest in the morning for the best taste and texture. Wash, spin dry, and store in breathable bags. Blanch hearty greens for the freezer. Dry or freeze herbs in small batches.

Soil and Bed Maintenance: Build Fertility and Prevent Problems

Autumn is an ideal time to improve soil health and address issues before the next spring. 

• Spread ½–1 inch of finished compost on cleared beds and water it in. 
• Only amend with phosphorus or potassium if a soil test indicates a need. Excess lime or fertilizer can cause problems. 
• Shred and use fallen leaves; layer them thinly to avoid matting. Shredded leaves break down into leaf mold by spring and improve tilth. 
• Relieve compaction in well‑worn beds by broadforking when soil is moist. Lift and aerate to improve the soil structure. 
• Maintain mulch on paths and around established plants. Keep mulch off newly germinated seedlings.

Trees, Shrubs, Perennials, and Bulbs

Give ornamentals attention now for healthy root systems and clean growth next spring. 

• Plant woody plants and perennials while soil remains warm and air cools. Water at the drip line each week until the ground freezes. 
• Protect young trunks from rodent damage with guards. Keep mulch away from bark—form a donut shape, not a volcano. 
• Plant bulbs after the soil cools. Stagger plantings for successive spring blooms and mark beds to avoid disturbing them later. 
• Roses: Stop high‑nitrogen feeding by late summer. In colder regions, mound mulch over the crowns after a hard frost and secure long canes to prevent wind damage. 
• Ornamental grasses: Leave standing for winter interest and wildlife cover. Cut back in late winter before new growth emerges. 

Containers, Patios, and Small Spaces

• In August, move containers out of direct late‑afternoon sun. A two‑hour shade break can make a visible difference. 
• Group pots together for easier watering and to create a shared microclimate. Sink small containers into soil for insulation if frost threatens early. 
• Before a cold snap, move tender herbs and citrus against a warm wall or indoors. Check under pot rims and saucers for pests.

From Frost to Hard Freeze

Once frost arrives, clean up and protect your investments. Prepare your garden for a winter of dormancy before another growing season. 

• Pull and discard any remaining dead, diseased, or damaged plants. Chop and compost healthy debris. 
• Top resting beds with compost and cover with mulch or sow a winter cover crop. 
• Drain hoses, store nozzles and blow out buried irrigation lines. Cover exposed faucets before the first hard freeze. 
• Leave some seed heads, debris, and standing stems to nourish and shelter birds and beneficial insects. They’ll look nice through the winter, too! 

Fall Gardening Calendar: August to December

August

Tidy and evaluate beds, water deeply, and set shade where needed. Start small successions and remove crops that will not finish.

September

Continue sowing fast-maturing greens and setting out transplants. Start cover crops in open beds. Begin fall planting of trees, shrubs, and perennials. Order or plant garlic and shallots as appropriate to your region.

October

Plant garlic and shallots 2–4 weeks before the ground freezes. Finish planting bulbs as soil cools. Set up low tunnels. Pull and store irrigation equipment.

November

Harvest under cover on sunny days. Top‑dress resting beds. Install rodent guards on young trees. Protect faucets. Clean and store tools.

December

Check stored crops. Start a tray of microgreens indoors if desired. Sharpen pruners and document what worked and what needs to change next year.

More Gurney's Resources

• Corn Growing Guide
• Tomato Growing Guide
• 10 Tomato Pests to Know

Additional Resources

• PennState Extension’s “Season Extenders and Growing Fall Vegetables” 
• AgriLife Today’s “Top tips for a successful fall vegetable garden” 
• “Fall Gardening” by OSU Extension 
• “Fall Garden Cleanup: Dos and Don'ts” by Gardener’s Supply Co. 
• Breck’s Fall Planting Handbook