It also made me think more deeply about what nourishes me. And if there’s one nutrient the world seems fixated on right now, it’s protein. Every other product at the supermarket screams “high-protein” or “protein-packed”, gym culture has practically rebranded it as a religion, and new research keeps surfacing about how essential it is for our health.  

This blog isn’t here to shame your protein powders or tell you to ditch your favorite snack bars, do what feels right for your body. But if you have access to a garden and want to add something amazing to both your nutrition and your soil, keep reading. 

Firstly, What is Protein?  

Let’s break it down. Protein is one of the three macronutrients your body needs in large amounts (the others being carbs and fats). It’s made up of building blocks called amino acids and these little molecules are what your body uses to: 

• Build and repair muscle, tissue, and skin 
• Produce enzymes and hormones 
• Power your immune system 
• Keep every single cell functioning properly 

So yeah, kind of a big deal! No wonder it’s talked about so much lately.  

Your body needs 20 different amino acids to function properly. It can make most of them on its own, but 9 are “essential”, meaning you have to get them through food. Animal proteins (like meat, eggs, and dairy) contain all 9 in one go, which is why they’re called complete proteins. Most plant-based sources don’t have the full set on their own, but that’s not a problem. Your body can combine amino acids from different plant foods throughout the day to get everything it needs. By eating a variety of beans, grains, nuts, and seeds, you can meet your protein needs fully from plants. In doing so, you’re not just nourishing your body: you’re also being gentler on the earth, lighter on the soil, and kinder to animals along the way. 

Disclaimer: this is supported by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, which confirms that well-planned plant-based diets provide all the protein your body needs, at every life stage. 

What Counts as Protein in the Garden? 

When we talk about protein, we’re usually thinking beans (and beans are stars) but they’re not alone. Protein in plants comes from a whole cast of characters: 

• Legumes like peas, chickpeas, and lentils. They are also nitrogen fixation plants!  
• Seeds & grains like quinoa, amaranth, and peanuts 
• Nuts (if you’ve got the space!) 
• Leafy greens that chip in smaller amounts 

Some have complete proteins, others don’t but together they build a well-rounded cast for your diet.  

What to Grow, Where: Protein Crops by Climate Zone 

Whether you’re gardening in chilly Maine or sunbaked Arizona, there’s a protein-rich plant waiting to thrive in your zone. 

Cooler climates (USDA Zones 3–5)  

• Lentils – Hardy, drought-tolerant, and nutrient-dense. A great early-season crop in northern zones. 
• Fava Beans – One of the most cold-hardy legumes, with a rich, meaty flavor. Best planted in early spring or fall. 
• Quinoa – A complete protein and gluten-free seed often treated like a grain. Grows well in cooler, drier climates. Short-season varieties like Cherry Vanilla are ideal for Zones 4–5. 
• Kale & Spinach – While not high-protein (about 3g per cooked cup), they add valuable nutrients and support overall protein intake. 
• Peas – Cool-weather champs. Snap, snow, or shelling varieties are easy to grow

Temperate climates (USDA Zones 6–8) 

• Soybeans (Edamame) – Thrive in warm summers and are rich in complete protein (~17g per cooked cup). Harvest young for edamame. 

• Chickpeas (Garbanzo Beans) – Prefer hot, dry summers and well-drained soil. Protein-rich (~15g per cooked cup) and good for small-scale growers. 

• Runner Beans – Heat-tolerant, vining, and beautiful. High yields and moderate protein (~13g per cooked cup). 

• Sunflower Seeds – Grown for seeds, not the flower! ~6g of protein per ¼ cup shelled seeds. Full sun and space to grow tall. 

• Amaranth – Both the leaves (protein-rich greens) and seeds (complete protein) are edible. Adaptable and ornamental. 

  

Warm climates (USDA Zones 9–11) 

• Pigeon Peas – Perennial in the tropics, annual in mild climates. Popular in Caribbean, African, and Indian cooking. Great nitrogen fixer. 
• Moringa – Fast-growing tree with edible leaves high in protein (~2–3g per 100g fresh). Also rich in vitamins and minerals. 
• Peanuts – Technically a legume, not a nut! Grows well in sandy, well-drained soil. ~25g protein per cup (roasted). 
• Sesame – Grown for its oil-rich, high-protein seeds (~5g per tablespoon). Needs a long, hot growing season. 
• Cowpeas (Black-eyed peas) – Extremely drought-tolerant and thrive in heat. ~13g protein per cooked cup. 

Backyard Protein Hacks 

• Go vertical: Beans and peas love to climb. Save space with trellises or garden arches. 
• Mix it up: Try the Three Sisters method. Corn, beans, and squash grown together to support each other. 
• Let it dry: For storage crops like lentils or chickpeas, leave pods to dry on the plant before harvesting. 
• Save seeds: Dry beans and grains store well all year and can be replanted. 

Bonus fact: Many legumes, including soybeans, chickpeas, peas, lentils, and fava beans, are nitrogen-fixers. That means they work with bacteria in the soil to pull nitrogen from the air and convert it into a form plants can use. This natural fertilization reduces the need for synthetic nitrogen fertilizers, which are energy-intensive to produce and can pollute water systems!  

Start small, experiment wildly, and celebrate the fact that your dinner might start from a single sprout. 

And hey, if you name your soybean plant “Beanoncé,” we fully support that.

It’s mid-July, and the breeze here in the mountains feels like a warm hug. Most folks are busy harvesting courgettes the size of baguettes and, no doubt, cursing their once-again runaway mint. I’m standing in my garden with a fresh cup of (yes, mint) tea and a question: What do I want to eat in the fall?

Because while summer is in full swing, this is actually the secret season to sow again. Gardening either keeps you fully in the moment or shoots your brain a few months into the future. That’s part of the deal, I guess. Especially up here at 900 meters altitude (zone 6-ish), where autumn comes with a whisper… and then a frost. No time in between.

So I thought I’d take you along. Let’s chat about what you can still plant now, and which crops are worth your time to make sure there’s still some harvest joy in the fall.

Let’s Talk About Frost, Baby

As we tiptoe toward fall, it’s a great time to start plotting your autumn garden. For an overview of the types of crops that are generally best suited for a fall garden, and how Planter can help you to double check the timing, have a read of the article: Don’t Forget Your Fall Garden.

One of my favorite newer(ish) Planter features? In the settings tab, Planter shows a countdown to your first expected fall frost, like a tiny ticking clock for gardeners. Super useful for figuring out what you can still grow in time… and also mildly panic-inducing (in the best way). Here’s mine:

My Fall Planting Picks

Ideally, I want to plant everything, have maximum diversity, and eat 23 different crunchy things in my salad bowls. But sometimes, less really is more. Expanding gradually keeps gardening fun and avoids unnecessary stress on both your soil and your (possibly receding) hairline.

With the internet offering a bazillion planting guides (plus whatever gardening books you’ve got lying around), there’s no shortage of info. For this round, I’m keeping it simple and using the Planter app to guide my choices. It already knows my local frost dates, and I love that you can filter for things like frost-tolerant crops or perennials. The Growing Calendar shows which crops you can still plant, and how much time you’ve got left to do it.

So, without further rambling… 

Here are some of the fast-growing cool-season crops I’ve chosen for an abundant fall harvest in the mountains!

1. Mâche (Lamb’s Lettuce). The absolute fall classic in Germany. To not plant it? Unthinkable.

2. Kohlrabi (early varieties). Great raw or marinated as veggie “kebab.”

3. Spinach. Always good. Especially the cold-hardy types.

4. Cilantro. Yes, even now! It handles light frost just fine.

5. Kale. Might be a bit late, but I’m giving it a go for baby leaves (and planning a perennial kale tree next year!).

6. Mustard greens. Spicy when young, flavorful when cooked.

7. Carrots. Early varieties still make it if you plant now.

8. Radishes. Because color + crunch = salad joy.

9. Bok Choy. Quick to grow, great for stir-fries.

10. Wasabi Arugula. Want to keep it mild? Use young baby leaves. Want it spicier? Let the leaves get bigger or use the flower buds, they’re often even punchier.

A few slow-burners I’m adding anyway.  These won’t feed me this year, but they’re future-you gold:

• Black salsify (Scorzonera ‘Duplex’). Beautiful, weird, delicious root native to Europe.
• Garlic. Usually planted in mid-to-late October, but I might prep beds now and sneak in a little green garlic (early-harvested cloves).
• Chives. Super hardy, great for pollinators, and the purple flowers are edible too.
• Echinacea (Coneflower). Slow to establish, but gorgeous and medicinal.
• Rhubarb. If you’re feeling bold and patient (it’s worth it). 

What to Keep in Mind When Planting Now

1. Choose fast-growing or frost-tolerant crops Look for varieties that mature in 60 days or less, or that can handle light frost.
2. Sow directly in the soil Depending on where you live, it might too late for longer-growing transplants unless you’ve already got them ready. To be safe, I’m going with direct sowing only.
3. Germination can be tricky in summer heat Sow in the evening, water well, and consider adding light shade over freshly seeded areas to keep the soil cool.
4. Keep watering consistent Seeds and young plants need steady moisture, especially during warm July days.
5. Don’t overdo it It’s easy to get excited (hello, seed hoarders), but keep it simple and realistic to avoid overwhelm. Think: joy, not stress.

So there you have it, one last hurrah for the garden before the frost moves in.

Go sow something. Go be smug in October. You’ve got this.

Why Cold-Hardy Veggies?

Cold-hardy vegetables are a special group of plants that can handle chilly temperatures and even a touch of frost. These tough veggies are perfect for planting in the fall and winter, allowing you to extend your growing season and enjoy homegrown goodness even when the weather isn’t exactly balmy. Use the Planter App to identify cold hardy veggies that can handle a light frost or in some cases even a freeze!

Our Top 10 Picks for Your Winter Garden

Kale

This leafy green superstar is packed with nutrients and comes in a variety of colors and textures. Kale prefers well-drained soil and a spot with plenty of sunshine. Give it regular waterings, and you’ll be enjoying delicious salads and smoothies all winter long.

Varieties: ‘Lacinato’ (Dinosaur Kale): This variety has dark blue-green leaves with a savoyed (ruffled) texture. It’s known for its slightly sweeter flavor compared to other kales.

‘Red Russian’ Kale: This variety has red stems and purplish-green leaves with a milder, sweeter flavor. It’s also very ornamental!

‘Winterbor’ Kale: This variety is extremely cold-hardy, as the name suggests, and can tolerate temperatures down to -10°F. It has a slightly sweeter and more tender texture than other kales.

Spinach

Another nutritional powerhouse, spinach is a fast-growing cool-season crop. Like kale, it prefers full sun and well-drained soil. You can start harvesting baby spinach leaves in just a few weeks!

Varieties:

‘Bloomsdale Long Standing’ Spinach: A classic variety that’s slow to bolt (go to seed) and produces large, dark green leaves.

‘Space’ Spinach: This variety is resistant to downy mildew and produces baby spinach leaves that are perfect for salads.

‘Tyee’ Spinach: This variety is known for its high yields and resistance to bolting, making it a great choice for the Southeast.

Radishes

These little root vegetables are super easy to grow and add a peppery crunch to salads and sandwiches. Radishes prefer loose, sandy soil and mature in about a month.

Varieties:

‘Cherry Belle’ Radish: A popular variety that matures quickly (in about 22 days) and produces round, red roots with a crisp texture and mild flavor.

‘French Breakfast’ Radish: This variety has elongated, red roots with white tips and a slightly spicy flavor.

‘White Icicle’ Radish: This variety has long, white roots with a crisp texture and mild flavor. It’s also slower to bolt than other radishes.

Carrots

Believe it or not, carrots actually sweeten in flavor when grown in cool weather. Choose a variety with short roots for best results in the winter garden. Make sure your soil is loose and free of rocks to allow for proper root development.

Varieties:

‘Danvers Half Long’ Carrot: A classic variety that’s well-suited for heavy soils and produces medium-length, sweet roots.

‘Little Finger’ Carrot: This variety is perfect for the Southeast’s shorter growing season, as it matures quickly and produces small, tender roots.

‘Paris Market’ Carrot: This variety produces round, bite-sized roots that are perfect for snacking or roasting.

Lettuce

Enjoy fresh salads all winter long by planting cold-hardy lettuce varieties. Loose-leaf lettuce is a great option for beginners, as it can be harvested continuously. Provide your lettuce with partial shade and consistent moisture.

Varieties:

‘Black Seeded Simpson’ Lettuce: A popular loose-leaf variety with bright green, ruffled leaves and a mild flavor.

‘Winter Density’ Lettuce: This romaine lettuce variety is cold-hardy and can tolerate some frost. It has crisp, dark green leaves.

‘Red Sails’ Lettuce: This loose-leaf variety has beautiful red leaves with a mild flavor and adds a pop of color to salads.

Onions

Onions are a kitchen staple, and many varieties can be planted in the fall for a spring harvest. Choose onion sets or transplants for easiest planting. Onions need full sun and well-drained soil. Short-day onions grow best in mild winter climates, such as zone 7 or warmer.

Varieties:

‘Yellow Granex’ Onion (Vidalia): This variety is a favorite in the Southeast and produces large, sweet onions.

‘Red Creole’ Onion: This variety is known for its pungent flavor and beautiful red color.

‘White Bermuda’ Onion: This variety produces large, mild onions that are great for slicing.

Garlic

Plant garlic cloves in the fall, and you’ll be rewarded with flavorful bulbs in the spring. Garlic prefers full sun and well-drained soil. Don’t forget to mulch around your garlic plants to help retain moisture and suppress weeds.

Varieties:

‘Silverskin’ Garlic: This softneck variety is well-suited for the Southeast and produces large bulbs with a strong flavor.

‘Inchelium Red’ Garlic: This hardneck variety is known for its rich, complex flavor and beautiful purple stripes.

‘Spanish Roja’ Garlic: This hardneck variety is known for its robust flavor and long storage life.

Turnips

Both the roots and greens of turnips are edible, making them a versatile addition to your winter garden. Turnips prefer full sun and loose, fertile soil. They’re also relatively fast-growing, maturing in about two months.

Varieties:

‘Purple Top White Globe’ Turnip: A classic variety with a purple top and white flesh. It has a mild, sweet flavor.

‘Hakurei’ Turnip: This Japanese variety has a sweet, delicate flavor and can be eaten raw or cooked.

‘Seven Top’ Turnip: This variety is grown primarily for its greens, which have a mild, spinach-like flavor.

Peas

Enjoy sweet, tender peas by planting them in the fall. Choose a variety that’s specifically bred for cool weather. Peas need full sun and something to climb on, like a trellis or fence.

Varieties:

‘Oregon Sugar Pod II’ Pea: This snow pea variety is cold-tolerant and produces sweet, edible pods.

‘Wando’ Pea: This garden pea variety is heat- and cold-tolerant, making it a good choice for the Southeast.

‘Maestro’ Pea: This shelling pea variety is known for its high yields and sweet flavor.

Swiss Chard

This colorful leafy green is a close relative of spinach and beets. It’s packed with vitamins and minerals and can be used in a variety of dishes. Swiss chard prefers full sun and fertile, well-drained soil.

Varieties:

‘Bright Lights’ Swiss Chard: This variety has colorful stems in shades of red, pink, orange, and yellow, making it a beautiful addition to the garden.

‘Lucullus’ Swiss Chard: This variety has white stems and dark green leaves with a slightly savoyed texture.

‘Rhubarb Chard’ Swiss Chard: This variety has red stems and green leaves with a slightly tart flavor.

Additional Tips for Winter Gardening

Even though these veggies are tough, they can still use a little extra TLC during the colder months. Here are a few tips to help your winter garden thrive:

• Frost Protection: While these veggies can handle some cold, a hard frost can still damage them. If a freeze is predicted, protect your plants by covering them with a row cover or blanket overnight.
• Water Wisely: Plants need less water in the winter, so don’t over do it. Water deeply but less frequently, and make sure the soil has good drainage to prevent soggy roots.
• Feed Your Soil: Healthy soil means healthy plants! Amend your soil with compost or other organic matter to provide nutrients and improve drainage.
• Sunlight is Key: Even in winter, most vegetables need at least 6 hours of sunlight per day. Choose a sunny spot for your garden, and be mindful of shadows cast by buildings or trees.

Ready to enjoy fresh, homegrown veggies all winter long? By planting these cold-hardy varieties now, you can extend your harvest and savor the flavors of the season. Imagine the satisfaction of serving up a salad made with ingredients you grew yourself, even in the depths of winter!

Don’t forget to download the Planter App for more winter gardening tips, tricks, and personalized advice. Happy growing!

‘Curry’ is actually a loose, catch-all term that doesn’t properly refer to any specific dish. In its originating culture, each dish would have its own unique name. That being said, many dishes that could be loosely grouped as ‘curry-style’ dishes can be created using many of the same core plants in the garden. Let’s explore some potential ways to plan a culinary curry garden in Planter!

Curry garden base plan

Our sample curry garden base plan starts with a standard 4’ x 8’ garden in Planter. We’ve filled the garden with uber-versatile plants that form the backbone of many great curry dishes:

• Garlic
• Ginger
• Cilantro
• Hot peppers
• Tomatoes
• Onions

Garlic and cooking onions were placed on the outside because they are slow growers and need to be harvested by pulling or forking them out of the soil. Two hot pepper plants might not seem like a lot, but they’ll likely be prolific enough to provide your family with ample chili harvests (of course if you’re major spice lovers feel free to add more!) While cilantro is associated with cuisines from some of the hotter parts of the world, it actually can’t take the heat all that well and has a tendency to bolt. Because of this, you might want to plan to plant your cilantro in successions.

Roma tomatoes were chosen because they are a nice meaty tomato that work well for cooking. Ginger is kept in containers because a) it grows slowly and needs to be started indoors well in advance if you live in a cooler climate and b) the containers can be moved and positioned around the garden so the plants receive dappled sun- ginger loves the heat but not direct, scorching sunlight.

When choosing locations for the plants in your own plan, be sure to position them so they’ll be easily accessible for harvesting and where they won’t shade each other out unintentionally. This base plan is just a starting point that you can adapt to your unique garden conditions.

If you happen to have some more space to play with in your garden, consider branching out into some specific cuisines:

Thai curry garden plan

Thai food is vibrant and features an array of different veggies. To prepare some tasty Thai dishes, the following plants were added to the base plan:

• Peas
• Eggplant
• Carrots
• Lemongrass
• Thai basil
• Thai mint
• Peanuts
• Dwarf lime

The Thai curry garden plan incorporates most of the plants from the base curry garden plan and adds on from there. The serrano chiles were swapped for Thai chiles, and more garlic and onions were added. Lemongrass is a staple ingredient in many Thai dishes- its included in a container so it can be started early indoors and easily transitioned outside. Mint was also added in a container to prevent it from spreading and taking over the entire garden! Basil plays more nicely so it can be incorporated right into the garden bed. If possible, try to find Thai varieties of mint and basil for a more authentic flavor.

For something slightly more adventurous peanuts and a dwarf lime were added to the plan- these ingredients are often incorporated in Thai dishes or used as accompaniments. Peanuts can grow well even in somewhat northern climates as long as you select an appropriate variety and ensure they are planted with enough time to mature. Limes on the other hand are frost sensitive, but dwarf varieties can be grown as container plants that can be brought inside over winter. If overwintering a lime tree seems like too much work, forgo it and plant something else instead- just be sure not to fill the middle of the garden space with plants that will be hard to reach.

Indian curry garden plan

The Indian curry garden plan also works off the same base curry garden plan, but includes some unique ingredients favored in Indian cooking:

• Turmeric
• Cauliflower
• Potatoes
• Okra
• Kidney beans
• Mustard
• Spinach

Turmeric is a plant that spreads and grows by rhizomes, similar to ginger. Since turmeric isn’t available in Planter (yet!) one workaround is to create a custom variety of ginger and name it turmeric (turmeric isn’t technically a ginger variety but this is just a quick fix). Like ginger, turmeric is grown in pots so it can be started well in advance and moved around in the garden to capture the perfect balance of sun and shade.

Cauliflower and potatoes are included in the plan as core ingredients in the popular and delicious dish ‘aloo gobi’. Okra is added as the key component of ‘bhindi masala’, and the kidney beans can be used to prepare delicious ‘rajma’. With drying beans you’ll want to have several plants to get a yield that is substantial enough to make bean-based dishes. Rounding out the list we have spinach and mustard- spinach can be used to make a mouth-watering ‘saag paneer’ and along with mustard greens (and other mixed greens) can be used to create delicious ‘saag’ curries. And if your mustard bolts and goes to seed no worries- mustard seed is also a key spice in many Indian dishes!

We hope these curry garden plans have provided some inspiration to plan a fun and practical cuisine-themed garden! Having all the veggies at hand to create a whole range of dishes will help you make the best use of your garden produce in the kitchen. Planter makes it easy and fun to explore garden design possibilities to compliment your culinary adventures!

Spinach

Considering spinach is often harvested for its tender baby leaves, it’s amazing just how cold-hardy it is. Depending on the conditions, spinach can still be going strong with minimal frost protection and snow on the ground! With added protection, some cold-climate gardeners are even able to overwinter spinach for harvests right through winter and into the following spring. Spinach is also a super fast-growing crop that can be ready to harvest in as little as 35 days- so even if you don’t feel like using season extension techniques you can still get a solid fall crop of spinach. And as the weather cools down there is less risk of your spinach bolting, meaning you can get a prolonged harvest if you only pick the outermost leaves. 

Kale

Kale is about as cold-hardy as plants come, which makes it a potential candidate for early fall sowing. That being said, like most every plant kale’s growth will slow to almost a standstill once the temperatures approach freezing. To get a fall (and potentially winter!) harvest of kale you’ll need at least 55 days for the plants to reach maturity. If you don’t have that long left in your growing season, you still have options to grow kale. You can look for pre-started kale transplants at your local garden center (although they might be hard to come by), or you can seed intensively and harvest baby kale leaves as a delicious delicacy!

Radishes

Radishes are a classic crop for fall planting as they grow so quickly and are also quite cold-hardy. Radishes can reach maturity in as little as 25 days, meaning you can keep on planting successions of radishes almost right to the bitter end of your growing season. Radishes grown in cooler, wetter weather can be less spicy than their summer-grown counterparts so if you’re not a fan of the typical radish bite you might like fall (and spring) grown radishes. If your radishes do not bulb up as your first frost date approaches you can also harvest them for their green tops, which can be cooked up in stir-fries and soups. If you’re after the radish greens you will want to pull your radishes before frost comes or otherwise use season extension techniques to protect them as the greens do tend to get droopy with the frost.

Lettuce

Lettuce is a semi-frost tolerant plant that grows at its best in cool-ish temperatures. If you grow loose-leaf lettuce as a cut-and-come-again crop, rather than aiming for a full-sized lettuce head, you will be able to harvest your lettuce much earlier. Ideally, look for lettuce varieties that are more cold-hardy and well-suited for late-season planting. While lettuce can handle a light frost, if a nighttime frost is in the forecast you may still want to temporarily cover your lettuce with row cover, plastic, bedsheets, or towels, as a preventative measure. Even if frost doesn’t take out the plant entirely, frost damage on the leaves can render them inedible.

Arugula

Arugula is a rather spicy green that may not appeal to everyone, but if you can handle its peppery punch it is a prime candidate for fall planting. Arugula can reach maturity in as little as 28 days and the seeds can germinate in cool soil. Like lettuce, arugula is semi-tolerant of frost- so you may want to err on the side of caution and cover it up if frost is in the forecast. Cut or pick just the outermost leaves of the arugula, leaving the growing crown intact, to keep the harvests going. Arugula is much less likely to bolt in the cooler weather, so you may be able to harvest it continuously until a freeze takes it out!

Bok choy

Bok choy, also known as pac choi or chinese cabbage, is a frost tolerant member of the brassica family that is a delicious addition in stir fries, soups, and noodle dishes. Some varieties of bok choy can be ready to harvest in as little as 30 days, but many can take 45-60 days– so be careful to select a variety that will be able to reach maturity in the remainder of your growing season. If your bok choy doesn’t quite reach full size by the time heavy frosts set in, you can still harvest it on the smaller side as ‘baby bok choy’.

Hakurei turnips

While the larger, standard grocery store turnips are typically slow-growing plants that take their time to mature, there are smaller ‘hakurei salad turnip’ varieties available that can be ready to harvest in as little as 35 days! Hakurei turnips are frost tolerant, and although the greens may take a beating with heavier frosts the roots will remain sweet, juicy, and crisp- just be sure to get them out of the ground before a hard freeze sets in. Or, like radish, if the roots don’t end up reaching full size you can at least use the tops to cook with. Hakurei turnips add nice variety to a late-season harvest that can often be mostly greens.

While the end of summer can be bittersweet, in the garden it’s the perfect time to get some new crops growing! Take advantage of the more comfortable temperatures to get outside and plant a fresh round of veggies for late-fall harvests!

Do all veggie plants need full sun?

For the most part, vegetable plants grow and produce best in full sun (at least 6 hours of direct sun per day). Veggie plants need ample sun to be able to photosynthesize and grow as quickly as possible- a lack of sun may not outright kill them but it can severely stunt their growth. But there are some plants that will still produce a respectable harvest in partial shade (4-6 hours of sun per day). Gardening successfully in part shade comes down to being selective about what you choose to grow and having realistic expectations about how much you’ll be able to harvest.

If your potential garden location is in near total shade and gets only a few hours of sun each day, you may want to skip down the Alternatives to gardening in part shade section of this article. While you can certainly have fun experimenting with growing edible plants in shade (you might even discover some non-traditional edible plants that grow well in shade), you’ll likely only be able to muster up a meager harvest.

Veggie plants to grow in part shade

Lettuce and leafy greens

Lettuce and other leafy greens such as spinach, chard, and arugula are star performers in the shade. Growing them in part shade can even have some benefits, as blazing summer sun can contribute to them bolting. To get the plants off to a good start you may want to consider starting them indoors then transplanting out to the shadier parts of your garden. It can be challenging to get lettuce to form full-sized heads in part-shade, but you can certainly harvest it as cut-and-come-again lettuce.

Green onions and chives

‘Bulbing onions’ require full sun to form their large, edible bulbs, however green onions and chives are excellent shady garden plants because they are primarily harvested for their slender, pungent greens. While they will produce best in full sun, you can tuck them into shady spots and still harvest enough to make the effort worthwhile. To learn more about growing these and other allium-family crops be sure to check out Grow Amazing Alliums.

Radishes

By now you might be noticing a theme with shady-garden plant picks: they tend to be green and leafy. Radishes can add a nice burst of color to an otherwise monotone shady salad garden. Radishes can still form nice-sized roots when grown in part shade- although it might take longer than usual for the bulbs to form. Be careful not to use too much high-nitrogen fertilizer where you plant radishes, as this will stimulate them to form lush leafy tops and tiny roots. If this does happen all is not lost- radish greens are edible too!

Beets

Like radishes, beets are another root crop that can be grown in partial shade. The roots of shade-grown beets will likely be smaller than their full-sun counterparts, but you can always roast them whole and just call them ultra-gourmet baby beets. Don’t leave beets in the ground for an excessively long time hoping that massive roots will form- they might just turn woody and tough instead. Beet greens are also totally delicious in salads or sauteed, so if you do find the bulbs are too diminutive the greens will not disappoint!

Brassicas (such as broccoli, cabbage, collards, kale)

Brassicas can be grown in part-shade locations- but they must receive at minimum 4-6 hours of direct sunlight per day. If your location has dappled sun throughout the day, you may want to avoid growing brassicas there. Because brassicas, like leafy greens, are prone to bolting under stress caused by heat and drought, growing them in shade may help to delay this. Patience is key as brassicas are already slow-growing crops and they will grow even more slowly in the shade. You likely will not be able to get super-sized heads to form on your broccoli, cauliflower, and cabbage, but it’s at least possible to grow small, tender heads. Start brassicas indoors to give them the best possible chance to grow and reach maturity in the shade.

Peas

While peas perform best when in full sun, you can still get a harvest if they’re planted in part shade. You might even be able to trellis your climbing peas so that the plants are able to climb out of the shade to reach more sun. It is important to plant your peas with enough time for them to reach maturity before the summer heat comes. While partial shade will help keep them cooler for longer, eventually they will stop flowering and producing peas in the summer’s heat. For more info on growing peas, check out Grow Awesome Legumes.

Certain herbs (such as mint, cilantro, dill, and parsley)

While Mediterranean herbs such as rosemary and oregano prefer full sun and soil on the drier side, other herbs such as mint, cilantro, dill, and parsley don’t mind a bit of shade. The shade will help keep the soil moist and will help delay bolting. Trim (and cook with!) herbs planted in part-shade regularly to help keep the plants bushy and compact. And a special warning about mint: be sure to plant it in a container to keep it from spreading prolifically.

Alternatives to gardening in the shade

Container gardening

While your yard might be submerged in shade, perhaps there’s a sunny spot on a deck or front porch that could be a great spot to grow veggies in containers. Virtually every type of veggie can be grown in a container provided the container is large enough for the crop, and you water and fertilize regularly to keep the growing medium moist and full of nutrients. Containers can also be moved around as needed to capture the most amount of sun available as the sun’s angle changes.

Rent a community garden plot

If your house is in the middle of the deep woods your best bet for getting a sizable garden harvest could be to rent a plot at your local community garden. Community garden plots are typically very inexpensive to rent for an entire season and will let you grow sun-loving veggies much more successfully. If you garden in a community plot be sure to set reminders to water your garden when the weather’s hot and dry, as you won’t be able to check the state of your plants as easily as in a backyard garden.

Garden with neighbors and friends

If your neighbors and/or friends have unused backyard space that gets full sun exposure, try striking up a deal with them! If they let you use the space for gardening you can bestow them with tasty garden-grown produce throughout the season. If your friends happen to be gardening enthusiasts all the better- you can share the work, share knowledge, and share the reward!

Don’t let the semi-shaded parts of your garden be nothing more than wasted space. Maximize your harvests by growing some of these shade-tolerant plants and saving the full-sun spaces for sun-loving crops. Every harvest you can get from a shady space is a gardening win!

Tomatillos

If you’ve ever enjoyed ‘salsa verde’ at a Mexican restaurant, you should definitely give tomatillos a try in your garden! Tomatillos are in the Solanaceae (nightshade) family like tomatoes and peppers, but in many ways they are easier to grow. They enjoy heat and a long growing season, but as long as you get them up and growing in time they will produce like crazy until frost comes. They are relatively disease and pest resistant, and pruning or fancy trellising is not required! You can let your tomatillos bush out and offer them some support in a sturdy tomato cage- then watch them take off!

Potatoes

Potatoes are another Solanaceae family member that can be overlooked in the garden. Why bother using precious garden space to grow something that is so cheap in the grocery store? If you can eke out a few square feet somewhere in your garden (it doesn’t need to be prime real estate) it is worth giving potatoes a go. It is recommended to use seed potatoes purchased from a garden center for the best yields, but some success can be had by popping a few sprouting potatoes from your pantry into the ground Potatoes do prefer loose, fluffy soil and will appreciate sufficient moisture and nutrients, but otherwise they are a set-it-and-forget-it crop. Once you’ve tasted a garden-grown potato you’ll find space to grow them every year!

Spinach

Lettuce is often the go-to when it comes to leafy garden greens, but spinach is a true powerhouse plant. It is hardier than lettuce and contains more vitamins and nutrients. It’s also more versatile in the kitchen- you can grow lots of small spinach plants for tender ‘baby spinach’ that can be regularly plucked for fresh salads. Or you can let the plants grow larger for more substantial leaves that can be cooked or frozen. Like lettuce, spinach can be prone to bolting so you’ll want to consider succession planting for ongoing harvests. If you’re looking to add more greens to your garden and your diet, swap spinach into the rotation!

Turnip

Thinking about turnip might conjure up memories of mushy puree served exclusively over the holidays. But you might not know that there are some types of turnips that are deliciously sweet, crispy, and can be eaten raw or cooked. ‘Hakurei turnips’ are a farmer’s market favorite that are super easy to grow. They look like a jumbo-size white radish, and grow similarly to radishes, but the taste is fresh and juicy without any of the signature radish kick (radish haters love them!) The greens are also excellent for stir-frying. Even if adding turnips to your garden has never crossed your mind, be sure to give hakurei a try!

Winter Squash

Summer squash such as zucchini often takes front row in the summer garden, but winter squash that can be stored such as butternut, acorn, and spaghetti squash let you enjoy your garden-fresh harvest well into the winter months when other crops have long since been eaten. ‘Winter squash’ suggests a plant that should be grown in cooler weather, but they are in fact heat-loving plants that grow through the summer months (depending on your location). While winter squash plants can get large and ramble-y, one healthy plant can produce several squashes. And if space is tight, you can also trellis them vertically to free up precious square footage in your garden beds. Check out Grow Super Squash to learn how to grow winter (and summer!) squash.

Raspberries

While many gardeners jump straight into growing strawberries, raspberries are arguably the easiest berries to grow. And considering how expensive a small pint of raspberries can cost, they are well worth it! Red raspberry bushes do tend to spread over time- which can be a blessing but also can become a problem- so you’ll want to think about how to contain them. Raspberries need pruning each year to maximize the harvest, and how you prune them depends on which type of raspberry you are growing. Be sure to research this before hacking away! Other than an annual boost of nutrients and the occasional haircut, raspberries are easy-peasy to grow! For more info on growing raspberries check out Grow Bountiful Berries.

Rhubarb

Rhubarb might feel like an old-timey (dare I say boring?) plant, but they are a cornerstone of home gardening for a reason. Once they’re up and growing rhubarb plants are hardy as anything and require almost no maintenance, with some plants living on for several decades. And while the stalks are typically processed for baking and preserving, there’s really nothing easier than chopping up some rhubarb and freezing it to be able to make delicious rhubarb crisp! If you have a spot anywhere in your yard that gets sun exposure- even at the side of your house, mixed in with landscaping plants- just stick a rhubarb plant in there! You’ll appreciate having it every time you whip up a sweet-tart rhubarb delicacy.

You don’t need to give up all your garden go-tos to make way for new plants. Just Keep an open mind and try at least one or two plants you may have never thought of growing. You might just find they end up in your regular garden rotation!

Have you ever tie-dyed with your family or friends? It’s a fun and creative activity, and many synthetic dye kits are available on the market! However, there are several good reasons to try dying with plants; put simply, natural dyes are more eco-friendly than those on the market. You reduce your ecological footprint every time you choose to reduce your packaging waste or avoid introducing chemicals to the water system; choosing homemade alternatives is a great way to do both!

Food coloring, too, has been fostering more concern lately - some colors more so than others. Specifically, red dye #40 has been banned in the UK as it’s derived from petroleum. Food colorings are also theorized due to testing to promote hyperactivity in children, though that’s still being tested. Regardless, as before, natural dyes are far safer to consume and use than these petroleum-based dyes, and you can make them yourself at home!

If you’d like to read more about artificial food dyes, here is a resource from the Center for Science in the Public Interest:

https://www.cspinet.org/sites/default/files/media/documents/resource/food-dyes-rainbow-of-risks.pdf

How Do I Get Started?

Below are many plants you can use for specific colors! For best results, try mixing a few or testing out small batches to see what gets the color you’re looking for! Also, individual variations in plants (like avocados) will cause variations in the dye color; no two marigolds will create the same color dye, so it’s best to do big batches if you think you’re going to need the dye for more than one thing!

Red/Pink: Cherries, roses, beets, avocado pits/skins, red onion, strawberries, raspberries

Yellow/Orange: Onion skins, carrots, turmeric, saffron, celery leaves, paprika, marigold, sunflower petals

Blue/Purple: Black beans, blueberries, elderberries, red cabbage + baking soda, basil, Huckleberry, blackberry, sweet potato

Green: Grass, spinach, artichoke, mint, lilacs, matcha

Brown: coffee, tea, cocoa

Black: Activated charcoal (not exactly a garden product, but still a good natural dye!)

Some Things to Keep In Mind:

When making dye at home, keep in mind that natural coloring will create lighter, pastel shades as opposed to artificial vibrant colors. For a more vibrant color, make the base as concentrated as possible. Also, natural food colorings of course come from real food ingredients; the dye may have a small bit of that flavor left, depending on the ingredients used. Organic produce will be better for your dyeing needs as well, as added chemicals could mess with the mixture you create.

Some dye’s ingredients will interact with temperatures or ingredients to make different colors. For example, avocado scraps will make pink dye when steeped at low temperatures but brown if boiled. Red cabbage will make blue dyes if baking soda is added. If you do research into what ingredients you have, you could make a wide variety of dyes!

If you’re looking to dye eggs for easter, you’ll want to go with the clothing dye instructions below!

How to Make Natural Clothing Dye:

Some dyes will need specific different temperatures or ingredients to affect the color (for example, avocado scraps will make pink dye when steeped at low temperatures but brown if boiled). Here are the basic instructions:

When using plant products for dying, it’s recommended that you use an equal weight of scraps as the weight of what you’re planning to dye. To dye a shirt, you’ll need a lot more light ingredients like onion skins, for example, than beets. Put your ingredients (chopped up) into a saucepan or pot with enough water to cover it all, and bring it to a boil before leaving it to simmer until you get the color you like. 40 minutes is a good length of time for this, but for vibrant and strong colors you should let it simmer for a few hours. Turn off the heat and leave your dye to cool overnight if you can, and when you’re finished waiting you can throw the scraps into compost and you’ve got your natural dye, ready to go!

To dye your fabrics, start by washing them; wet clothing will take the dye more easily, and be easier to twist for tie-dye. Tie the clothes if you’d like, before soaking them in your vat of dye and leaving it overnight for best results. Wash out the colored clothes with cold water, untie them, and hang them out to dry.

Make sure to wash dyed fabrics with cold water to keep them looking vibrant.If you’re dissatisfied with the dying results, warm washes with strong detergent should get the fabric back to fresh and new!

How to Make Natural Food Dye:

There are two basic ways to make food dyes; from powdered ingredients, or by making a concentrated liquid.

You can make powdered ingredients out of your fruits or vegetables by freeze-dying them and then putting them in a food processor. These powders are often easier to use as they dissolve without much fuss and are more concentrated. Making powder at home might leave you with clumpy results depending on the ingredients, but they can be dissolved in a little bit of liquid to smooth them out.

The liquid method can be done by juicing your produce, pureeing and straining, or steeping some in water, depending on the ingredient choice. You will have to reduce the liquid by cooking it down to make as concentrated a color as possible, typically down to a fraction of a cup.

Once the colorings are made, you can use them in whatever you please! Add slowly and in small amounts to ensure the desired color and vibrance, just like any other food dyes. Icings and frostings are a good use for these, as well as baked goods, though the heat may affect the color. You can also use them as edible paints!

Your newly made food coloring can be stored in the fridge for up to 2 weeks in an airtight container.

Happy coloring, gardeners!

Even though summer can get hectic, don’t forget to take a step back from the to-do list to plan your fall garden. While the tomatoes are ripening and the peppers are plumping, it’s time to be thinking about which seeds to sow and seedlings to transplant for fall harvests.

Why plant a fall garden?

As your first frost date approaches, you can still plant cool season crops as they can tolerate a frost or even a freeze. In some ways, fall crops can be easier to grow than spring crops as the ground is readily workable and temperatures drop into the ranges that cool-season crops prefer rather than getting hotter. Cool-season crops can sometimes struggle to germinate in high heat though, so if you are planting from seed you may want to consider starting indoors or setting up some shade cloth. Above all, make sure the soil is kept consistently moist until the plants start to take off.

Another advantage of planting cool season crops in fall is that some of them, such as carrots, parsnips, beets, cabbage, and kale, will actually sweeten up after enduring a frost!

What plants can I grow in fall?

Most cool season crops will grow well in fall, so long as they are started with enough time to reach maturity. These include:

Brassicas: brassicas such as broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, and kale do very well growing into fall as they are generally quite frost-tolerant, and their flavor improves with the frost. These crops do take some time to reach maturity though, roughly 60-80 days or more from seeding to harvest depending on the plant and variety, so be sure to start seeds in time or buy transplants from a garden center.

Lettuces and leafy greens: lettuces and leafy greens such as spinach, chard, and arugula are rock stars in a fall garden. They grow quickly and can be harvested repeatedly until the cold weather finally knocks them out. In most cases the leafy greens are not as frost resistant as brassicas, so you may want to consider protecting them with a hoop house or some floating row cover, to help extend the harvests once chilly weather sets in.

Root vegetables: root vegetables are great candidates for a fall garden. Radishes are especially quick to mature and can be planted well into fall. Others such as parsnips, carrots, and beets take longer, so again be sure they have enough time left in the season to mature. Root crops often don’t transplant well, so buying seedlings from the garden center may not be a viable option.

Garlic and shallots: unlike the other fall crops that are planted in summer and grow into fall, garlic and shallots are planted in late fall for harvesting next season. While they don’t need to go in the ground now, you will still want to be thinking about where to plant them when the time comes and ordering sets soon to be sure they will arrive in time for planting.

When should I plant my fall garden?

To sort out when to get your seeds started and your transplants planted out for your fall garden, look for Cool season plants in Planter:

Then, look at the number of days needed for Germination and the number of days from Sprout to Harvest for that plant. Work backwards from your first frost date to determine when you need to plant to ensure there is still enough time for the plant to mature and produce a harvest. While frost-tolerant plants can keep growing past your first frost date, it is good to get your fall crops planted with a bit of extra time in case of slower growth or extreme weather conditions.

There is a lot to tend to in the garden in the midst of summer, but it’s also time to plan ahead and start planting for fall. Planter makes it easy to figure out which crops can be planted for a fall harvest, so you can spend more time getting out in the garden!

What is bolting?

When a plant bolts it focuses all its energy on producing flowers and seeds, instead of growing new, lush leaves or larger roots. When a plant starts to bolt it sends up a thick, tough stem with feathery leaves- the flowers and seeds will form on this stem. Plants affected by bolting include: leafy greens and herbs such as lettuces and cilantro, radishes, beets, spinach, cabbages, onions, and carrots. With crops that produce fruits, like tomatoes, peppers, and cucumbers, we don’t refer to the flowering and fruiting process as bolting.

Producing flowers and seeds is a natural part of a plant’s life cycle. But what actually triggers plants to bolt? There are many factors that can signal plants to start bolting including temperature changes, changes in daylight hours, and stress from a lack of water or nutrients. Bolting is often blamed on warming temperatures as the growing season progresses, but in many cases it is cooler temperatures early in the plant’s growth as well as changes in daylight hours that contribute to bolting (yes, your plants are counting the hours of daylight!) Different plants will have specific temperature and daylight conditions that trigger them to bolt.

Why is it ‘bad’ when plants bolt?

While bolting for plants is totally normal, for gardeners it can be undesirable. When plants bolt, the parts of the plant we typically eat become unappetizing. With leafy greens, bolting causes the leaves to become extremely bitter and the plant will stop putting on new leaves. With root vegetables, the roots will stop swelling and can become tough and woody.

Bolting isn’t all bad news for us gardeners, though! While we usually want our crops to have tender greens and large roots, bolted plants have their benefits too:

• The flowers will help attract much-needed pollinators to your garden.
• Some bolted plants have delicious, edible seed pods that are hard to come by in stores! Bolted radishes will produce edible green pods that have a mild radish flavor. Bolted cilantro plants produce coriander seeds - which can be dried and used as a spice, but they are also delicious to eat while still green.
• If you are growing heirloom varieties, you can save the seeds for future planting.

But what if I want to delay bolting?

Not convinced about those radish pods? Still want to grow fresh lettuce mid-season? While bolting can’t be avoided outright, there are ways to stave it off:

• Use shade to your advantage: while most garden plants need full sun, many of the crops that tend to bolt, such as lettuce, can grow in part-shade. Planting bolt-prone crops in shadier locations can help to delay bolting significantly.
• Ensure the plant has sufficient moisture and nutrients. A stressed plant will tend to hasten flowering and seed production.
• Regular harvesting of the outer (oldest) leaves of leafy vegetables and herbs can help encourage the plant to keep producing new leaves. Some leafy crops can be harvested by hand but for a delicate job you may want to use fine-tipped pruning shears.

• For some plants, such as basil, snipping off flower stalks as soon as they appear can encourage the plant to keep on growing leaves. For others, like lettuce, unfortunately this will have little effect as the leaves will already be turning bitter.
• Succession planting can help to ensure consistent harvests of plants that have not yet bolted.
• There are also bolt-resistant plant varieties available: look for terms like ‘bolt-resistant’, ‘slobolt’, and ‘boltardy’ on the seed packet.

Despite your best efforts, at some point your bolt-prone plants will go to seed. When this happens you can pull the plants up and compost them to add nutrients back to your soil. Or, leave them to do their thing and enjoy the crop in a new way!

What are Cold-Hardy Crops?

There are several cold-hardy crops that will grow in cooler temperatures and can withstand a mild frost or even a freeze. These plants are typically divided into two groups - semi-hardy which can tolerate a light frost with air temperatures between 28°F and 32°F (-2°C and 0°C), and hardy which can tolerate heavy frost with air temperatures below 28°F (-2°C). Not only do these plants withstand the colder temperatures, they actually grow best in the cooler weather.

Examples of semi-hardy crops include: carrots, beets, lettuce, cilantro, and peas.

Examples of hardy crops include: kale, spinach, garlic, chives, and parsley.

Use Planter to identify cool season plants that are Tolerant or Semi-Tolerant to frost! Select a plant and refer to the Season and Frost cards under Quick Info:

Note that cold-hardy crops are not to be confused with cole crops. Cole crops are members of the brassica family specifically- and while they do love the cold - they are just one family out of many that happen to enjoy cold weather.

When to Plant

Knowing when to plant cold-hardy crops can be tricky. Obviously, the ground should be workable. Aside from this how do you know when it is safe to plant? As a first step, check the Growing Calendar in Planter, to see when the crops you are interested in planting can be sown (or transplanted) outdoors in your area.

It’s a good idea to use a soil thermometer to measure the ground temperature to ensure it is warm enough for seeds to germinate. Seeds that are planted in soil that is too cold for them to germinate will absorb water without germinating, which leaves them susceptible to rot. Research the ideal soil temperatures to germinate the crops you are planning to grow.

Even if the ground is warm enough to plant, there is no guarantee that the weather will cooperate! There may still be a risk of extreme weather that could potentially kill off even the most hardy crops. To help avoid this, mulch the plants generously to protect them from the elements. Cover plants with plastic sheets or cloches if severe cold rolls in. Also, sow regular successions (‘waves’) of crops. If some plants do perish in the harsh spring conditions, planting in succession helps ensure there will be new plants growing up not far behind.

Caring for Cold Hardy Crops

Prior to planting cool season crops, prepare the bed by working in compost and a slow-release, all-purpose fertilizer. Depending on the crop, you may need to re-apply fertilizer every several weeks.

Although it may not be warm out, still be on the lookout for dry conditions. If there isn’t enough rainfall, provide sufficient water to keep the ground consistently moist

Take full advantage of the early spring growing season - don’t miss out on delicious harvests of cold-hardy crops!