Best Herbs To Grow In The Fall For Your Climate Zone

Cooling weather doesn’t mean you should abandon your garden. There are many vegetables and herbs that do really well in the colder temperatures. The best herbs to grow in the fall depend on which area of the country you reside in and where it falls in terms of climate zone. Take a look and see which herbs you’d like to plant this autumn.

For example, thyme will survive through the winter in zone nine, which only gets a light frost, but may not see the green of spring in those chilly zones below five.

You can find out about your climate zone by referring to the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map.

Tips For Planting Fall Herbs

After researching what herbs are best for your climate zone, there are a few general guidelines for planting in the fall.

• Herbs should be planted six to eight weeks before the first frost. This way they have sufficient time to get established prior to colder weather moving in.
• Be sure that there is proper water drainage for the type of soil you are planting in. Otherwise, young plants may be lifted out of the ground, an effect called frost heaving.
• Plant in containers, so that you can move them inside in case of freezing. Check out my patio herbs garden!

Best Herbs To Grow In The Fall

Herbs that grow in the fall in climate zones below five

In climate zones three and four, winter temperatures can go below negative 45 or 55 degrees respectively. Yet, there are still a few resilient herbs that will survive such harsh conditions to be harvested in the spring.

For zone three these include:

• chamomile
• chicory
• chives
• horseradish
• tarragon

For zone four, your best bets are:

• dill (learn to grow dill here)
• garlic (here’s how to grow garlic from a clove)
• caraway
• mustard greens
• oregano
• sage

Herbs that thrive in climate zones five and six

Along with those hardy herbs that will survive in zones below five, there are others that last in still cold but slightly warmer climes.

For zone five, which will see temperature extremes into negative 20 degrees F, try these:

• fennel
• lemon balm
• lavender (learn some lavender growing tips here)
• mint
• marshmallow
• wild strawberries

In zone six, which may see temperatures around negative 10 degrees F, these will work:

• English mace
• honeysuckle (here’s how to grow honeysuckle)
• parsley

Herbs to plant in climate zones seven and eight

For zone seven, which can see temperatures around zero degrees Fahrenheit, thyme works well.

For zone eight, which is warmer and sees temperatures close to 10 degrees F plant these:

• cardamom
• jasmine
• licorice
• Rosemary

Best herbs for climate zones nine and warmer

These herbs will do well in climate zones nine and warmer, which only receive a light frost:

• oregano
• bay leaf
• angelica
• ginger
• lemongrass
• amaranth
• celery leaf
• marjoram
• coriander (growing coriander/cilantro is easy)
• shiso
• turmeric

Many people enjoy Aloe Vera, a plant that must be in zone ten as it cannot withstand any frost at all.

Get Planting! Fall time herbs are waiting 🙂

You have lots of options when deciding on the best herbs to plant and grow in the fall.

Find out which climate zone your area falls under, check the kind of soil and light your garden has, and get to planting!

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