This time of year, I often get asked about what can be planted in your garden after your garlic is harvested. This a pretty complicated question considering how varied the US is in terms growing zones, so I am going to share what has worked in our garden here in Northeast WA zone 5b/6a. These suggestions should work throughout the Northern states and especially the Inland Northwest. Definitely talk with growers in your location through Facebook location specific gardening groups, local hobby groups, and of course your gardening neighbors and friends.
Here in Northeast Washington our first frost is anywhere from mid-September to mid-October, our first hard freeze (below 25*) usually occurs in mid-late October, and our ground freezes up solid from about late November until sometime in March. By the time mid-July rolls around, we really don't have that many frost-free days ahead of us; but for those with a slightly warmer microclimate or a little frost protection, you can still get away with a planting of bush green beans or zucchini if you have transplants ready to go (planted 3-4 weeks prior).
We typically focus on Fall harvest and Winter storage crops this time of year and will follow our garlic with:
Main Season Carrots (60-75 day varieties, direct seeded) some of our favorite varieties are Bolero, Bollin, Napoli, and Naval. These will be ready to harvest in late October and throughout November or until the ground freezes.
Storage Cabbage (80-100 day, start transplants June 1st) we usually plant Passat but Storage No. 4 and Megaton have also produced well for us. These will be harvested in late October or early November.
Main Season & Storage Beets (55-70 days, direct seeded) we like Cylindra, Subleto, and Rhonda but any good storage beet is a good option.
Broccoli (70-75 day, start transplants June 1st) I only grow Belstar because it has never let me down. Collards, kale and other hardy brassicas are also good choices, cauliflower is at risk of an early frost but I still sometimes plant some.
Cool Season Crops like lettuce, radish, bok choy, and spinach can all be planted after the heat of summer has passed, often in late August.
While a portion of our garlic plot will be planted to the above storage crops, the majority is planted to cover crops to increase our soil fertility and protect our soil through winter. Typically, we sow vetch right after the garlic is harvested and it will grow a luscious crop that will flower, winter kill, and cover our soil through the winter. This provides erosion control, prevents weeds from germinating, lots of organic matter to incorporate into our soil, and replenishes the nitrogen used by the garlic crop. If we're in a plot that has a lot of nitrogen already, we will plant Buckwheat which provides lots of organic matter while scavenging phosphorous and calcium for future crops (plus the pollinators love it). Read our post on Green Manure and Cover Crops to learn more about the benefits of cover cropping.
I hope this helps you to get the most out of your garden plot. Whether you choose to plant more vegetables or turn the soil over to cover crops, the important thing is to not grow a crop of weeds you'll have to deal with later. If you don't desire to plant anything now, consider covering your soil with leaves, straw, or even a tarp or sheet of plastic to protect the soil from erosion and keep the weeds at bay.
Beautiful Fall broccoli is such a sweet treat
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