Autumn: what to plant in the vegetable garden?

Autumn is the ideal season to start planting our greenhouse garden. Taking advantage of the still high number of daylight hours and the temperature we have in the greenhouse, we can enhance and speed up the growth cycle of plants. We can make them grow and develop so we can start harvesting some results for the plate in 2 months!

What plants to cultivate at the beginning of Autumn?

In general, we should plant species in which leaves are used and can be harvested at an early stage. We are talking about lettuces, spinach, watercress, turnip greens, arugula, parsley, coriander, among others.
Lettuce, an easy-to-grow and fast-growing plant, rich in minerals (magnesium, calcium, or iron), vitamins (K, A, and B1), and fibers.

There are several varieties with good results in the greenhouse, such as Smooth Lettuce, French Lettuce, Curly Lettuce, Purple Lettuce, are some of the most well-known;

Choose different varieties and increase the diversity on your plate, in addition to taking advantage of the different growth rates of each species;

Plant already in a seedling format, that is, the plant in initial development format – to grow faster! They are very easy to find in any agricultural store.

Spinach, a fast-growing plant that can be used raw in salads or smoothies, enhancing its effects. Known for being rich in iron, it also includes vitamin C and B2 and folic acid.

It is easy to find spinach seedlings, which quickly start to grow. Usually, from 40/50 days we can start harvesting the first leaves, starting with the outer leaves of the plant, which are already more developed.

Garden cress, also a fast-growing plant, rich in vitamins and antioxidants, with large amounts of fibers. Use the garden cress variety and not the watercress variety (a semi-aquatic plant).

In the case of watercress, it is easier to find in seeds and, in 60 days, we have the plant grown to start harvesting the first leaves. Cut the plant stems 3/4 cm from the ground and the plant will sprout again.

Turnip greens, a plant with a sour taste and also rich in vitamins (K, A, C, E, and B6), and minerals (calcium, magnesium, and potassium). Normally, in 45 days, we can start harvesting the first leaves, always leaving the smaller leaves to develop.

It is easy to find turnip green seedlings to plant and they can be planted quite close together, with intervals of only 10cm, optimizing space. Turnip greens should always be cooked and not consumed raw.

Don’t forget to water and keep the soil moist at the beginning of planting, especially on these hot days. Keep the soil free of weeds, especially at the beginning of growth, when our plants are still more fragile.

When the cold weather and shorter days arrive, we will already have a garden in development and almost ready to harvest.

Remember: plant your food, harvest your health.