The deal with growing fall and cool weather crops

This end-of-summer time is sort of confusing when it comes to timing the next season's crops and that's because you're usually thinking about two separate crop seasons at the same time: Fall and Winter (or cool weather).

It starts to get tricky because there are long-winded summer crops like tomatoes that you're likely to let linger on in the garden until the first frost hits (MUST HAVE EVERY LAST TOMATO BEFORE WINTER) and that keeps garden space occupied where you could be growing new stuff and also because fall and winter/cool weather crops have specific temperature and light needs that don't necessarily mesh with the weather outside.

Anyway, so that we don't confuse you further - here's a quick and dirty guide for how we get the most out of both our fall and winter/cool weather crop seasons while also letting our tomatoes linger on waaaaaaaaay too long...

Fall crops
Timing: Sow direct in the garden with enough time to mature and harvest before the first frost (usually around 12/1). For us in Silicon Valley, this planting time falls between August and September.
Location: Wherever you have empty spaces left from summer crops you've already pulled or those that desperately need pulling. Hello, tomatillos - we're looking at you. 
Treatment: Since these are seeds and young plants, it's also a good idea to plant them where they'll get afternoon shade so that they don't fry in the late summer heat. Please - for the plant's sake - dig in some nice well-rotted compost before sowing these seeds and then keep them constantly moist by watering 1-3 times a day, or whenever you see the soil's surface turn a light brown.
Type: Fast growing crops work best here, since you have just enough time from August/September - October/November to go from seed to harvest (about 45 days).

Beets - Baby leaf greens in 35 days and beet roots in 55 days

Carrots - Sow these guys with radishes (to mark where you sowed your carrots, which are slow germinators) for a harvest in 56 days

Cilantro -  You'll have your first leaves in a month and full harvest in about 50 days

Fennel - Sow non-bulbing fennel seeds for flavorful fresh salads and coleslaw in 50 days

Lettuce - This mix is pelleted (tiny lettuce seeds are made manageable by a pellet coating) and diverse, giving you profesh looking salads in 55 days

Winter/Cool weather crops 

Timing: Sow into flats now for transplanting out in the garden once your summer and fall crops are out of the way and the warm weather has passed, with temps below 70 during the day. For us in Silicon Valley, this is usually around the end of October/beginning of November.
Location: In flats/pots placed either under lights indoors or in an outdoor spot that gets afternoon shade.
Treatment: Rather than sowing these direct in the garden right now while the soil's super warm, sow them into flats or pots and either start them indoors under lights or outdoors where they'll get afternoon shade.  Please - for the plant's sake - use new potting soil rather than reusing old spent stuff, and when you go to plant them in the garden, dig in some nice well-rotted compost first. Keep them constantly moist, so water 1-3 times a day, or whenever you see the soil's surface turn a light brown.
Type: Crops that prefer cool weather and will take a frost without keeling over.
Broccoli - Crunchy sweet broccoli with abundant side shoots (bonus!) in about 90 days
Cauliflower -This fast producing variety hates heat, so transplant when it's cool (below 60 degrees) and has 4-5 true leaves for harvests in about 65 days
Onions - Bunching onions in 60+ days and medium bulb onions in 115+
Kale - 25 days from sowing these seeds you'll have baby greens to eat fresh in salads or wait another 25 days for big bunchy harvests
Spinach - Spinach just like you're used to seeing, but fresh from your garden in 40 days. Plant in a spot that gets afternoon shade since they're sensitive to heat.

And if you're curious what should be planted where or you want to build a crop rotation plan, we have some examples and suggestions on the subject. Because, well, when don't we?

So - what are you going to be growing this fall and winter?