zucchini, cilantro, beans, carrots now

Carrots would be pushing your luck this late as most have a long DTM. Unless you cover/heavily mulch them to keep the ground from freezing. Bush beans (pick a short DTM variety) should make it IF the weather cooperates. Cilantro wouldn't be a problem especially if you put it in a pot and can bring it indoors. Squash would work fine if you had started transplants 2-3 weeks back but now will be cutting it close. I'd still try it and hope for a late frost or plan protection.

That is the key - how much effort you want to make to provide cover/protection as needed later in the fall. With the right season-extension efforts you can plant just about anything you want to. Without the season-extension efforts in zone 5 your choices are limited or will require weather co-op..

Dave

I am in west central il. I planted some lettuce today. plan on getting tiller out Monday to till spot for turnips and radishes. I try to plant green beans August 1 for fall Cabbage and brocili transplants are ready to be planted. Little early for peas. I would not be afraid to put in carrots right now. they will require lots of attention if it gets hot again. with mulch, they can take it to about 16 degrees. I also need more beets if I have space. My sweet corn is not done yet, but that will free up lots of space for fall. I am not afraid to try any crop. just be prepared to protect with frost covers and/or low tunnels.

I'm zone 5 and have successfully planted zucchini, lettuce and swiss chard by the end of July. My beans didn't produce like normal when planted at this time, but the other 3 veggies produced as good as a Spring planting. It was great getting summer squash until snow fell last year:)

Don't overlook the various winter radishes or the daikons. Michihili napa must be summer planted for fall harvest or it will bolt. Hybrid napas also work very well and there are some very delightful smaller and earlier Napa hybrids that can still make and all kinds of bok choys that have traditionally been planted for fall harvest. Don't forget kohlrabies, mustard greens or collards. Summer planting for fall harvest suits most coles very well, unless they are truly long season varieties, and most aren't. Beets will also make, not just chard.

For carrots try some of the baby carrots that are ready very early for a special treat. Normally standard Nantes types will also do quite well late in the season. Fall carrots are at their most delicious once the fall cool down begins, and all the coles are better after the first light frosts. Early cabbage and broccoli can be used as leaf and stem veggies even if they don't head up; so early varieties are still worth trying direct seeded.

Be sure to space out or thin properly for best fall harvest results.

I'm in zone 6b and I planted Broccoli, Brussels sprouts, leaf lettuce, scallions, Peas, and Carrots, for my fall crop.

I planting faster maturing varieties of everything expecting it to take longer than the package states based on my earlier experience. I planted 60 day carrots. But if most of this stuff will last until the ground really freezes (everything except the carrots and lettuce), as I have read, it could last into December... though I would expect the deer to be motivated enough to jump my fence and get it by then.

I am expecting the weather will have to be cooperative for most of this to work out... We'll see. If it stays hot for a while then hopefully my peppers may start doing something and eggplant and okra will produce so I will get something either way.

This post was edited by Peter1142 on Mon, Jul 28, 14 at 13:22

Thanks a lot all of you for the excellent suggestions. I planted beets and cilantro yesterday. Based on your suggestions, I am planting zucchini, snow peas and some beans today. In the next couple of weeks, I will plant some lettuce, spinach and later on some radish. Keeping my fingers crossed. This is my first attempt at fall gardening.

Thanks a lot.

It is fall weather already here in the NE, on a whole it's been a cool summer and though it is my first time as well, it is looking to be a good season for the fall crops... I'm wearing a light sweater today (!) Just about ready to give up on all my peppers, they just didn't get the hot and fairly dry weather that they needed :(

I think in IL you are having even colder weather than here.

Here in Minneapolis, we are getting into the 80's nearly every day now. My sweet banana and Anaheim peppers have been bearing for some weeks and now the Cubanelles are starting to set, and I am getting all kinds of tomatoes daily off my two 4th of July plants. No squirrel problem this year for some reason. I have to admit to not having felt the need to install the window air conditioner this year, though. I have seen hotter summers, and some of my sweet potatoes aren't vining all that well, but then they didn't last year either. Just OHenry is running well. Vardeman and Jewel are not so vigorous as I would have hoped, but then there may be close to two months, at least a month and a half, before we get a freeze, too.

Peppers don't get much more reliable than the Sweet bananas and the Anaheims; so if you are having problems getting fruits on your peppers consider them. They are the main types I plant anymore.

Yesterday I planted onion seeds (Copra) for sets (an experiment), all kinds of coles including both leafy types and winter radishes and turnips, lettuce, and carrots. I may just move some tiger lily bulbils today and I am watching daylily seed pods which should ripen here very soon. I have never had any luck with the daylily seeds but one of these times I am going to get it right. I get volunteers; so somehow I just haven't found the knack yet. A while back in the garlic bed I harvested first, I planted some Minnesota midget muskmelons and the little squirts are blooming already.

Very soon now I will start to work up beds for this fall's garlic, potato onion and tulip plantings. I think I will also give the elephants one more chance. I am going over to Core and away from peat moss this year.

I don't can or freeze, since I do not have a big enough garden for that and a bit of everything else I would like to try. So now that garlic has been taken up, it is back to planting. :)

BTW I especially like things I can snack on while working in the garden. Some days those snacks will be my whole set of meals. I use as few pesticides as possible; so a light washing with the wand is usually enough.