UC Master Gardeners, Santa Clara County, CA
University of California
UC Master Gardeners, Santa Clara County, CA

Fall Garden Fair Vegetables

Rows of winter greens, Karen Schaffer
In Santa Clara County, we can grow delicious vegetables year round. Our cool season lets us grow vegetables that are typically grown as early spring vegetables elsewhere in the U.S.

Below are some varieties that Master Gardeners have found grow well here.

All sale plants are in 4-packs unless otherwise noted.

OP: Open-pollinated. Seed saved will breed true to type.
Hybrid: Produced from crosses between two distinct parent lines. Seed saved will not be true to the variety planted. (More on Saving Vegetable Seeds from the University of Minnesota Extension)


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Arugula: Italian, OP
Delicious salad greens with deep, spicy flavor. Will resow if allowed to go to seed. Flowers are edible too. 8–10" tall. Plant 3–6" apart.

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Asian Greens: Bopak Choi Hybrid
Ready in 45 days. Tall, heavy, full-size heads with mild, succulent flavor. 8–10" tall. Plant 8–12" apart.

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Asian Greens: Chinese Broccoli, Gai Lan, OP
Thick, juicy stalks, young leaves and flower buds are tender and delicious. Can harvest shoots repeatedly for weeks.

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Asian Greens: Komatsuna Mustard OP
Also called Mustard Spinach. Mild, sweet flavor, good in salads or cooking. Plant closely for baby greens or up to 10" apart.

Asian Greens: Napa Cabbage, Minuet, Hybrid
Excellent mini variety. Upright, dense heads. Slow to bolt. 9" tall. Plant 12" apart.

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Asian Greens: Shungiku (Edible chrysanthemum), OP
Clip young leaves frequently to keep plants small and tender. Fine, lacy leaves are mild and tasty. 4–8" tall. Plant close together.

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Asian Greens: Tatsoi, OP
Smooth, spoon-shaped leaves in a compact rosette. Mild flavor is perfect for salads or stir fries. 6–10" tall. Plant 6" apart.

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Beets: Chioggia Guardsmark, OP
Improved version of Chioggia (pronounced ‘kee–OH–jaw’), known for its red & white candy-striped rings. 8–12" tall. Plant 4–6" apart.

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Beets: Cylindra, OP
Tasty, fine-textured beet in a convenient long shape that is easy to peel and slice into rounds. Delicious leaves too. 8–12" tall. Plant 4–6" apart.

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Beets: Detroit Dark Red, OP
Popular heirloom beet, uniform and smooth, with sweet red flesh and tasty 14" tops for greens. 10–14" tall. Plant 4–6" apart.

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Beets: Touchstone Gold, OP
Sweet golden beets are mild and tasty. Beautiful in salads. Greens are delicious and mild. Stabilized OP version of Touchstone Gold hybrid. 8–12" tall. Plant 4–6" apart.

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Broccoli: Belstar, Hybrid
Large 6–8" main head followed by plentiful side shoots which will continue all winter long. Later than Packman. 18–24" tall. Plant 12–18" apart.

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Broccoli: Bravado, Hybrid
Large main head followed by abundant side shoots. Strong and disease resistant. 20–24" tall. Plant 12–18" apart.

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Broccoli: Calabrese, OP
Medium-sized 3–6" main head followed by numerous side shoots for months afterwards. 24–30" tall. Plant 12–18" apart.

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Broccoli: Gypsy, Hybrid
Large 6–8" main head followed by plentiful side shoots. Heat tolerant. 18–24" tall. Plant 12–18" apart.

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Broccoli: Mixed
Mixed four-pack of broccoli. A great way to try several varieties! Plant 12–18" apart.

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Cabbage: Caraflex, Hybrid
Pointed mini cabbage heads weigh just 1½ –2 lbs, have a sweet, mild flavor. 9" tall. Plant 12–24" apart.

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Cabbage: Kalibos, Hybrid
Pointed purple/red cabbage heads weigh 2–3 lbs. Sweet flavor, good storage. 12–15" tall. Plant 18–24" apart.

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Cabbage: Pixie, Hybrid
Fast growing baby cabbage is just 5" across. Sweet and crisp. Plant 10" apart

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Cauliflower: Cheddar, Hybrid
Like a regular cauliflower, but orange! Sweet and tasty, with about 25 times as much beta carotene as white cauliflower. No blanching needed. Delicious and striking. 18–24" tall. Plant 24–30" apart.

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Cauliflower: Fioretto Sprouting, Hybrid
Loose heads have tender stems that elongate as they mature. Harvest sprouts up to 8" long. 18–24" tall. Plant 24–30" apart.

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Cauliflower: Purple of Sicily, OP
Purple Italian heirloom. Big heads with fine flavor, turn green when cooked. 18–24" tall. Plant 18–24" apart.

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Cauliflower: Romanesco Veronica, Hybrid
Light green heads with incredible swirls that form amazing fractal shapes. Sweet nut-like taste. 18–24" tall. Plant 24–30" apart.

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Cauliflower: Snow Crown, Hybrid
Early snowball type is pure white, round and flavorful, weighing up to 2 lbs. each. 18–24" tall. Plant 24–30" apart.

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Cauliflower: Mixed
Mixed four-pack of cauliflowers. A fun way to try different varieties! Plant 24–30" apart.

Chard: Bionda di Lione, OP
Large, light green leaves on thick white stems. Excellent flavor. 18–24" tall. Plant 12–18" apart.

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Chard: Bright Lights, OP
Gorgeous stems are red, yellow, gold, orange, white, pink, violet, and striped. Delicious and tender. Multicolored stems and leaves make a wonderful show. 18–24" tall. Plant 12–18" apart.

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Chard: Peppermint Stick, OP
Beautiful chard with hot pink and white striped stems, delicious as well as ornamental. 18–24" tall. Plant 12–18" apart.

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Collards: Georgia Southern, OP
Harvest delicious outer leaves for a constant supply. Cabbage/kale flavor. 24–36" tall. Plant 12–18" apart.

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Fennel: Di Parma, OP
Superior bulbing fennel, large and uniform, with great flavor. Flowers attract beneficials and swallowtail butterflies will lay eggs on the feathery greens. 24–36" tall. Plant 10–12" apart.

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Italian Greens: Mixed
Mix of chicories (such as Sugarloaf chicory, Blonde Full Heart escarole, Orchidea Rossa radicchio, Cuor d’Oro frisée, or La Rosa del Veneto). 8–12" tall. Plant 12–18" apart.

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Kale: Black Magic Lacinato, OP
Improved lacinato kale. Same great rumpled leaves grow more tightly, also more bolt resistant. 18–20" tall. Plant 12–24" apart.

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Kale: Dazzling Blue, OP
This striking kale features blue-green savoyed leaves with dramatic pink midribs. Upright growth. New from Wild Garden Seed. 24–30" tall. Plant 12–18" apart.

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Kale: Mars Landing, OP
Beautiful leaves in bronzy maroon color with scalloped edges. Stays tender, holds well. 24–30" tall. Plant 12–18" apart.

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Kale: Premier Blend, OP
You'll get a beautiful variety of colors, textures, sizes and flavors with this special five kale blend (Dwarf Blue Curled, Improved Dwarf Siberian, Lacinato, Premier, and Red Russian). 24–30" tall. Plant 12–18" apart.

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Kale: Rainbow Lacinato, OP
Beautiful cross between Redbor and Lacinato kale. Some plants turn deep purple in cold weather. 24–36" tall. Plant 18–24" apart

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Kale: Tronchuda Beira, Hybrid
Portuguese variety. Paddle-shaped, deep green leaves with mild, rich flavor. 24–30" tall. Plant 12–18" apart.

Kohlrabi: Kohlibri, Hybrid
Beautiful purple bulbs look like alien vegetables. The white flesh inside is sweet and juicy. Can be eaten raw or cooked. 8–10" tall. Plant 4–6" apart.

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Kohlrabi: Superschmelz, OP
Giant 8–10" green bulbs stay sweet and tender even at full size. Can be eaten raw or cooked. 10–16" tall. Plant 6–12" apart

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Leek: Carentan, OP
3½" pot. Long, thick leek grows strong and vigorously, with a delicate and delicious flavor. Up to 2 inches across. An old European heirloom variety. 18–24" tall. Separate the individual seedlings and plant them 4–6" apart in trenches. Gradually fill in the trench as they grow to promote a long, blanched stalk. When leeks are planted early enough in the fall, they will start to size up in early winter, so can be harvested all winter long.

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Leek: Sweet Garleek, Hybrid
3½" pot. Unusual leek with a garlicky flavor. Best harvested at ½" diameter when tender enough to use tops and all. 12–18" tall. Plant 4–6" apart.

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Lettuce: Buttercrunch, OP
Loose butterheads with sweet, crisp, thick, delicious leaves. 5–7" tall. Plant 8–10" apart.

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Lettuce: Italian Mix, OP
A beautiful mix of 14 different red and green lettuces. Plant closely (2–4") for cut and come again harvesting

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Lettuce: Salad Bowl Blend, OP
Sweet red and green oak leaf lettuces make a delicious heat tolerant blend. Plant closely (2–4") for cut and come again harvesting or space apart 8–10" for heads.

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Lettuce: Skyphos Red, OP
Large, dark red butterhead with green centers. Resistant to downy mildew and mosaic virus. 6–8" tall. Plant 10–12" apart.

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Lettuce: Summer Bibb, Butterhead OP
Loose heads with sweet, crisp, thick, delicious leaves. Heat tolerant. 5–7" tall. Plant 8–10" apart.

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Lettuce: Sweet Valentine, OP
Green leaves blushed with bronzey-red edges form a loose head. Sweet flavor, slow to bolt. 8–10" tall. Plant 8–10" apart.

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Lettuce: Truchas, OP
Compact, dark red mini romaine heads are crisp and delicious. Mildew and virus resistant. 6–8" tall. Plant 6" apart.

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Mustard: Mixed
Tasty and ornamental mix of mustards (such as Spicy Green, Ruby Streaks, Red Giant, and Mizuna). 12–15" tall. Plant 6–12" apart.

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Peas: Tall Telephone (shelling), OP
Large pods of delicious peas on tall vines. Heirloom variety. Needs a trellis. 6' tall. Plant 4" apart.

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Peas: Mammoth Melting Sugar (snow pea), OP
Heirloom variety with sweet 4–5" long flat pods are borne on vigorous vines. 4–5' tall. Plant 3–4" apart.

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Peas: Super Sugar Snap, OP
Vigorous vines yield heavy crop of delicious, edible-podded sugar snap peas. Healthy and mildew resistant. Thick, juicy pods are great raw or cooked. 5–6' tall. Plant 3–4" apart.

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Spinach: Oriental Giant, Hybrid
Giant arrowhead-shaped leaves are sweet and crisp, on long stems held high off the ground. Vigorous plants will produce all winter long. 18–24" tall. Plant 8–10" apart.

Turnip: Scarlet Ohno Revival, OP
Smooth scarlet turnips in rounded to flattened shape. Glossy green leaves have pink to red stems. 10–12" tall. Plant 2–4" apart.

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Turnip: White Hakurei, Hybrid
Smooth, crisp white turnips, excellent for eating raw or lightly cooked. Greens are smooth and tender. Best harvested young, at 2" or smaller. Plant 2" apart.

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