With winter fast approaching, you might be feeling it is time to put the garden aside and forget about it until next year. However, this need not be the case, as there are vegetables you can still sow in October to give you a quick crop or to overwinter for a harvest in spring.

Over my nearly 20-year horticultural career managing kitchen gardens, I have always continued growing throughout the winter to provide crops to pick year-round. However, I have learnt it is not just the typical cool-weather crops you can plant, as depending on your location and whether you have access to growing under cover, you can also sow less hardy vegetables.

Gardening in the fall offers a chance to work at a slightly slower pace and take time to enjoy the soft light and rich colors of the season. That being said, there is still lots to be done, so why not treat yourself to a new pair of gardening gloves, like these Husky cowhide water-resistant gloves (available from The Home Depot) and make a start on your fall gardening to-do list.

Where to Sow Vegetables in October

What you can grow not only depends on your USDA hardiness zone, but also your garden’s topography. For example, if you live in a frost pocket, you may experience lower-than-average temperatures and harder frosts, limiting what you can grow outside over winter.

Nevertheless, alongside sowing vegetables outdoors, you can also grow crops under cover in a greenhouse, hoop house, or under frost cloth, all of which provide some protection against freezing temperatures and harsh winds.

Either way, when sowing veg in October, you will want to choose hardy varieties that will overwinter or fast-maturing varieties for a quick harvest.

Along with onions, October is an ideal time to plant shallots ( Aggregatum Group). Delivering a milder and sweeter taste than their allium relatives, shallots are also smaller than onions and tend to grow in clusters.

You can sow shallot seeds in late winter or early spring. However, for an easier method and a quicker harvest, you can plant shallot sets directly in the ground in the spring or the fall, depending on the type.

If you plan sets now, you can expect a shallot harvest in early summer next year. Generally, in USDA zones 7 and above, fall-planted shallots can usually overwinter outdoors, especially in milder areas. In zone 6 and below, a thick layer of mulch or fleece is required to protect against hard freezes.

Birds love to pull up newly planted onions and shallots; to help prevent this, you can cover them with horticultural fleece, available from Amazon.

Shallots grow best in full sun and on a fertile, free-draining soil. Avoid areas prone to waterlogging to prevent the bulbs from rotting.

Monique French shallot sets are available to purchase from Amazon.

Another vegetable to sow in October are peas (Pisum sativum). Preferring cooler weather, peas are commonly sown in the spring, but you can also sow hardier varieties in the fall for an early harvest next year.

For overwintering outdoors in milder areas of USDA zones 8b and above, round-type seeds are recommended, as they are less likely to retain water and rot. Furthermore, with cooler weather approaching and depending on your location, you may want to choose a hardier pea variety, such as 'Douce Provence', ‘Meteor’ or ‘Oregon Sugar Pod II’.

However, in colder parts or if sudden hard freezes are forecast, you will need to protect pea plants with row covers or by growing them under cover.

In any case, a well-drained soil is required for sowing peas, especially at this time of year, as they can decay when sat in cold, wet soil over the winter months.

You can purchase pea seeds at True Leaf Market.

Although typically sown in the spring, spinach (Spinacia oleracea) is another vegetable you can plant in the fall. Packed full of vitamins and minerals, this leafy green is perfect for growing directly in the ground, in raised beds and containers.

However, for October sowings, choose cold-hardy varieties such as Winter Giant, available from True Leaf Market, that can tolerate lower temperatures.

In USDA zone 8b and above, spinach should overwinter with little or no protection, but in zones 8a and below, low tunnels, fleece layers and cold frames available from Lowe’s, are advisable to protect against hard frosts.

Sow seeds in pots, or directly into a prepared bed 3 inches apart and ½ an inch deep, 6 weeks before your first frost. Once germinated, thin to 6-8 inches apart and protect from low temperatures.

One of the easiest vegetables to grow for a speedy harvest is arugula ( subsp. ), also known as rocket.

Grown for its earthy and peppery flavor, arugula can be picked as young leaves or left to mature for a stronger taste. A quick-growing crop, arugula usually germinates within 5-7 days and, for small leaves, can be harvested within 4 weeks from sowing.

Preferring the cooler temperatures of spring and fall, arugula tends to bolt in the hotter months, especially when grown in full sun. In hardiness zones 8b and above, rocket tends to overwinter well with little to no frost protection.

In colder parts, you can sow arugula seeds 4 weeks before your first fall frost date to allow plants time to develop before the cold arrives. Protect plants with row covers, available from The Home Depot, or cold frames as the temperatures fall.

Arugula seeds are available to purchase from Botanical Interests.

Bunching onions (Allium fistulosum) are clump-forming perennial green onions and a wonderful addition to stir-fry, salads, and soups. Producing long, slender white stalks without a bulb, bunching onions can be eaten both raw and cooked.

They are generally succession-sown from the spring onwards and treated as annuals unless protected from hard frosts. However, in warmer parts, bunching onions can also be planted in the fall and harvested year-round.

Several varieties are available to grow from seed, however, for exceptional cold-hardiness, try Evergreen Long White Bunching Onion Seeds, available to purchase from Burpee.

Thriving in full sun and on a well-drained soil, you can either sow seeds direct, 1/4 to 1/2 inch deep, into a prepared bed or in a cell trays to plant out later.

Even with the winter drawing in, October is also a great month to get ahead with planning and sowing for your cut flower garden. Hardy annuals are ideal to sow in the fall, as this gives them a head start and allows them to develop root systems before winter sets in, leading to earlier, more abundant blooms next year.

Many flowers can be sown in the fall, but October is an especially good month to sow sweet peas. Adored for their elegant, scented flowers, sweet peas are widely loved and, if sown now, will produce stronger plants and earlier blooms next year.

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