10 Fall Vegetables to Grow in Containers

Thinking of quick vegetables you can harvest before the winter sets in? We have some ideas for fall veggies that grow fast, love cool weather and can be harvested within weeks.

Growing fall veggies gives you a steady supply of fresh, homegrown vegetables in the winter season when they’re in short supply in local grocery stores.

A lot of low-maintenance container vegetables thrive as fall plants and many even mature in winter. Low effort for high reward is one thing we can always expect from growing plants in containers!

These vegetables are easy to grow, so add them to your fall garden ASAP and scroll to the end for an easy-to-grow surprise:

1. Beets

Beets are one of the fastest-growing vegetables, they love colder weather, and they are incredibly low maintenance for gardeners of any level. All you need is a 10-12 inch deep pot with good drainage, slow-release fertilizer and even moisture in the mild sun. In 6-9 weeks, you’ll not just be harvesting the tubers, you can also use the leaves in salads and other dishes.

2. Garlic

The taste and flavor of freshly-harvested garlic cannot be described, it can only be experienced. You need to get into homegrown garlic, especially this fall. Here’s why you should add garlic to your container garden.

3. Sweet potatoes

Sweet potatoes might not be a conventional choice for a fall garden, but they do very well in early summer and late fall, so far as you give them 100-120 frost-free days to mature.

The vining stems of the sweet potatoes also make them a great ornamental addition to your fall garden.

4. Lettuce

Did you know that homegrown lettuce is more nutritious than store-bought? That’s a good enough reason to plant some this fall.

Lettuce can tolerate some light frost, so you can plant in late fall and allow it to mature for harvest in early winter.

5. Arugula

Arugula is hardy and easy to grow, bringing a spicy freshness to your salads on a budget. Use it as a replacement for lettuce or kale. Arugula is ready for harvest in 4-6 weeks.

6. Carrots

Carrots sprout in 10-12 weeks and like to burrow deep into the warm soil. So far as you can keep your containers deep and warm, your carrots will thrive.

7. Collard greens

Always a fave, collard greens are actually more flavorful when grown in the colder months. Just give them 6-8 weeks before the first frost for the best results.

8. Kale

Kale leaves are actually sweeter and more nutritious as they mature in the cold. It’s hardier than other members of the cabbage family and has a short growing season. You can stagger your kale plants so you’ll have a steady harvest through winter and move the plants inside if you live in a very cold region.

9. Bok chuy

This cabbage-like vegetable thrives in the partial shade and cooler weather of fall, and it’s ready for harvest in 30 days. You can keep harvesting bok chuy’s outer leaves for up to 6 weeks, perfect for your fall table.

10. Spinach

Spinach overwinters well when started just in time for a late fall/early winter harvest. You can move them indoors to a sunny windowsill when the frost sets in, and they will keep going to give you a spring harvest.

BONUS: Green onions

Onions might seem intimidating to grow, but they’re quite easy. Onions planted from nursery sets are ready for harvest in as short as 4 weeks. You can also use green onion stalks as an addition to soups, salads and other sides.

Are you planning to plant anything this fall? What successes have you had with fall container gardening?