Close your eyes and imagine this scenario…Okay, don’t close your eyes, because then you can’t read the scenario…
You just moved in to a new apartment and it has a great balcony with plenty of sun and you are thinking it would be great to beat the rising food costs and grow some of your own vegetables and herbs.
OR
You’ve had a great balcony for some time, but you just haven’t gotten around to planting any fall vegetables and herbs, and now you’re finally feeling motivated.
The only problem, you realize, is that it is late October and you’re not sure if there is anything you can grow at the moment.
If you resemble either scenario, don’t worry! So long as your balcony still has some sunshine and the dirt in your pots hasn’t turned to ice cubes, there are still things you can plant now, and even some seeds that you can sow.
- Arugula - Sow seeds or buy transplants
- Broccoli - Buy transplants – Look for ‘Premium Crop’, Romanesco, and ‘Violet Queen’
- Cauliflower - Buy transplants – Look for ‘Amazing’
- Endive - Buy transplants – Look for curly and broad leaf varieties
- Kale - Buy transplants – Look for ‘Winterbor’
- Spinach - Buy transplants – Look for ‘Tyee’
- Garlic - Buy cloves – Look for ‘Chesnok Red’ and ‘Spanish Roja’
- Onions - Buy transplants – Look for ‘Buffalo’
- Parsley - Sow seeds – For cooking, look for Italian flat leaf varieties
- Rosemary - Sow seeds – Look for ‘Arp’ or ‘Sawyer’s Selection’ for cold climates, ‘Tuscan Blue’ elsewhere
One last tip: when choosing a pot, pick something that won’t crack after a light frost.
Sources: Sunset Magazine
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I’m afraid it’s too cold here already for anything but spring bulbs…but I am going to plant a few of those this year. We’ve already had a “killing frost”, though things that were protected continue to bloom.
Good luck with your plantings!
Nancy — Canadian fall/winter sounds like a real bummer from a gardening perspective.
I really appreciate this list! I always forget about cauliflowers, though I do the rest of the cruciferous veggies – broccoli, napa cabbage, etc.
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