The weather has changed. Labor Day weekend was the coldest in Chicago history.
So I’m pruning tomatoes to encourage the plants to put energy into ripening the many green tomatoes rather than putting out new growth.
I also planted fall crops: spinach, lettuces, mesclun, rapini, kale and chard, turnips (for next spring). Some people plant a second crop of peas but I find there’s just not enough time between now and frost to get a second crop. (I believe you need about 75 days. Your call.)
Fall is the time when melons and winter squash, including pumpkins, grow rapidly and harden off the vine. Kale and parsley become sweeter and sweeter as the weather cools. Beets, parsnips, potatoes are ready for harvest.