Zone 8 - What to Plant in October

Zone 8 - What to Plant in October

Zone 8 growers still have a couple months of growing season before their first frost arrives in late November. The earlier you start in October the better. Try direct sowing some kale, spinach, radish and other second season vegetables. Below is a list of items that can be planted in zone 8 in October.

The Lincoln Pea is an extra tender variety with a sweet flavor and high yields. This pea variety was introduced just after World War II during the peace time. Lincoln quickly became a popular home garden variety due to its versatility, as it can be eaten fresh, froze or canned. Its pods can reach 4-5" in length and are full of 6-9 sweet, tender peas. Lincoln does well in heat and should have a small pea fence or some sort of support or its vines.

Georgia Southern is a large collard plant with a cabbage-like taste! This variety produces bluish-green leaves that can grow up to 36" tall and do not bunch or head like cabbage leaves. These large open heads are great for cooking or freezing. The Georgia Southern collard is vitamin rich, sweet, not bitter, heat tolerant, and frost hardy.

Crunchy Red produces large tops and very uniform dark red, round roots. This variety is very slow to develop pith. It performs well under cool conditions. It’s usually a few days earlier than standard varieties. Crunchy Red is desirable where larger roots are required.

The Bouquet Dill is an early maturing dill variety with dark feathered green leaves that produces an intoxicating, tangy aroma. This early flowering favorite is now available in organic seeds! The Bouquet is easy to grow and is popular for its flavor and uniform foliage. It can be used to enhance salads, soups and more. Along with its amazing culinary properties, the Bouquet is also perfect for filling in bouquets and cut flowers.

The Spicy Salad Blend is the perfect balance of lettuce and mustard greens. This blend produces a great flavor profile that will spicy up any regular salad mixture.

The Lacinato is an old heirloom kale that has very large tender leaves! Lacinato, aka Dinosaur kale, Black Magic or Toscano, is one of our most popular varieties of kale. This variety is popular for fresh markets or in the home garden. This kale variety is nicknamed dinosaur kale for its bumpy and scaly leaf the resembles the skin of a dinosaur. Lacinato's leaves are large, dark blue-green, and very flavorful and are most tender if picked young when they are less than 12" long. Lacinato produces high yields and can be harvested continually from the outside leaves or all at once.

Crimson is one of the largest heirloom radish varieties that can be grown! This variety is a rapid growing radish that has developing roots of a beautiful deep crimson color, which can vary in shape from round to almost oval. The Crimson can weigh up to 1.5 ounces per bulb. This variety can grow up to 4 times a normal sized radish! Crimson is notwithstanding its immense size and its flesh does not get hollow or pithy, it remains sparkling white, solid, crisp and juicy.

Godzilla is a new broccoli that produces very heavy and small-beaded heads. Leaf attachments are small and lower on the stem, allowing for quick trimming and easier harvest.

Blue Vantage produces dense and large heads with short cores. A mid-season maturity that is ideal for fresh eating or coleslaw. Great resistance to Fusarium yellows race 1 resistant and tipburn tolerant.

The Spring Pea is the sweetest pea pod you can grow in the garden! This variety is a very early maturing medium sized pea plant that produces super sweet peas. Spring bears large crops of pods that hold 6 to 7 plump peas that are delicious in soups and stews.

The Golden Ball Turnip is a perfectly round, beautiful, eye catching golden turnip with a deliciously wonderful peppery taste! This turnip variety was introduced prior to 1859 and is still going strong! This is one turnip that you will want in your garden for its perfectly shaped 3-4" amber globes.

The Early Frosty Pea is an old heirloom that, just like its name suggests, thrives in the colder climates. This variety does great in early spring or short season plantings. The vines are cold hardy and can grow to 30." This pea plant yields 3 1/2” pods filled with 6-7 delicious medium sized peas that are excellent for fresh eating or freezing for later use.

The Deer Tongue Lettuce really does look like a deer tongue! These triangular leaves are excellent for baby salad greens. Deer Tongue lettuce has medium-green leaves that form loose upright heads that are slow to bolt. This is a popular variety with many heirloom growers, as Deer Tongue has been an Amish favorite for decades!

The Early Scarlet Globe is an early forcing radish that is perfect for home and market growers! This variety is a great bunching radish that produces 1" globes with bright red skin and a white flesh. The Early Scarlet Globe is great for both spring and fall planting!

The Green Sprouting Calabrese produces large dark green heads bursting with flavor. This broccoli with is a favorite, that now is available as organic seed! Good in short season areas with cool nights. It will produce many lateral or side shoots over a long season. It is slow bolting with a flavor that can't be beat.

The Dukat Dill is a popular, improved dill variety that produces a high amount of its essential oil! This dill's attractive ferny foliage is best when used fresh or dried in dips, salads, soups and sauces - as well as to flavor peas and potatoes.

The Noble Giant is an old heirloom that was an All-America Selections Winner in 1933. This spinach variety produces huge, dark green leaves with a very delicious flavor. This spinach is great in salads, cooked, canned or frozen. The Noble Giant is slow to bolt and is very easy to grow, making it perfect the perfect spinach for the home gardener!

The Bloomsdale spinach is such an attractive, tasty, and a popular garden standard spinach. Bloomsdale spinach is an old favorite amongst gardeners and is now available in organic seeds! It has excellent flavor and produces large quantities of delicious leaves. Spinach is also very nutritious with lots of Vitamin A, C, and iron and is low in calories. Certified Organic. Learn more about our organic seeds.