Bay Meadows

Although we’re in the midst of a heatwave and huge summer harvests like you see in the photo above, it’s time to start thinking about your fall and winter garden crops! Fall is right around the corner, so make sure you’re enjoying the last of your cucumbers, tomatoes, peppers, basil, and other warm weather crops.

Planning for the Fall and Winter Garden

Begin planting those cold weather crops, including kohlrabi, purple sprouting broccoli, endives, and several varieties of kale like you see in the picture below from last fall.

Here are a few ideas of what to plant once you’ve removed your bushy tomatoes and sprawling zucchini plants:

1) Grow Your Own Salad: If you’re a fan of big bowls of salad, the fall and winter garden is perfect for you! The Bay Area’s warm climate from September on is ideal for growing salad greens. Some of our favorites include the red speckled “flashy trout’s back” romaine, the red-tipped “lollo rossa,” and the slightly bitter (yet delicious!) curly French endive known as “frisee.”

2) Broccoli and Cauliflower: If you have the space, there’s nothing better than growing your own broccoli and cauliflower! Once you’ve tasted these two veggies when they’ve been freshly harvested, you won’t want to buy them from the grocery store again. We can’t stress enough, however, that they both need space – broccoli and cauliflower plants can grow to be a couple of feet high and wide. And if you want to try a particularly special broccoli variety, try the Italian heirloom known as “romanesco” – it’s one of the most beautiful (and tasty!) vegetables we’ve ever grown!

3) A Crop for Kids: Do you have children in your life who are picky eaters and turn their nose at any food that’s the color green? Try growing sugar snap peas! You’ll need a tall trellis to grow this vining vegetable, but they’re a super sweet snack that’s better than candy. Trust us – you’ll convert the pickiest of eaters with this one!

Last but not least, don’t forget to prepare your beds before planting your fall and winter crops. By “preparing,” what we mean is removing your annual summer vegetables that are done for the season (don’t forget to pull out all the roots!), add some organic vegetable fertilizer and fresh compost, and turn the beds over with a pitchfork or a trowel. This ensures that your soil, which was depleted of nutrients by your summer vegetables, is ready to feed a whole new set of crops. Trust us – a little bit of work now with your pitchfork will make for happier and healthier vegetables through the fall and winter.

Happy gardening and enjoy the last few weeks of your summer harvest!

photo credits: HOMESTEAD DESIGN COLLECTIVE

Experience Midurban life. Bay Meadows is a family-friendly neighborhood with lots of open space to enjoy all-year long. Whether it’s growing your own vegetables in an organic community garden, playing a game of pick-up basketball after work, team building over bocce in the beer garden, picnicking with family on warm summer nights or with a run around the park, there’s no shortage of green space to explore. If you have furry friends, don’t miss Twilight Tails special hour to meetup and romp freely in Landing Green Park on Thursdays, 6-7pm, and be sure to mark your calendars for every 1^st Thursday when the neighborhood gathers for our Twilight Tails Vendor Fair! Check out life out and about at Bay Meadows by following us on Instagram.