The answers to your questions can be found in the OSU factsheet on Fall Gardening which I've linked below.

On the page that has suggested planting dates, the dates are shown as a range. The earliest date is the recommended planting date for more northern portions of the state and the latest date is for more southern portions of the state.

For beans, you are almost too late. It is too late to plant pole beans from seed. You still can plant Lima Beans or Bush Beans from seed, but for NE OK you need to get them into the ground ASAP. Folks further south have through August 20th to get theirs into the ground.

For the others, check the recommended dates, but understand that for broccoli, for example, you should plant transplants and those transplants should be started from seed 3 to 5 weeks prior to the recommended planting date. On the date chart, they suggest either seeds or transplants or both, depending on which is most appropriate for a fall garden. With a fall garden, we're always pushing the limits and hoping the weather doesn't get too cold too early. For fall crops, it is usually best to choose short-season types of plants that mature quickly. For example, choose a broccoli variety that matures in 50-60 days instead of 80-90 days or later.

So, based on the OSU-recommended planting dates, it is too late to plant broccoli or cauliflower unless you either can find and purchase transplants and get them into the ground very soon, or unless you've already started your own transplants and have them at the right size to transplant now (broccoli) or within the next 10 or 12 days (cauliflower).

With it being almost mid-August, we're about 90 days from our first frost of autumn, assuming it arrives at the average time in any given location. Since moving to southern OK, we've seen a first frost as early as Sept. 28th and as late as mid-December, although the average is mid-November. In northeastern OK, your first autumn frost should arrive before ours.

This has been a very hard garden year for many people, but if the weather cools a bit, and if it cools on time, we still have a lot of time to get a good fall harvest of various crops.

Dawn

Here is a link that might be useful: Fall Gardening

Last year I planted broccoli the first of Aug, transplanted in early Sept and picked in late Oct. Got small heads because last Oct there were only 5 days of sun for the month. But since brocolli can take a light frost, you might get something IF our first frost holds off till mid Nov instead of coming in mid Oct. This is if you plant a short DTM variety. Early Emerald and Early Dividend are my favs. In the spring I allow only 90 days from seeding to yanking the plants. First of Mar to end of May and I almost always get a good crop.

I planted bush beans last year in mid Aug and got a decent crop last fall in Oct. Evidently they don't need as much sun to bear as brocolli. They didn't have the flavor of spring planted beans tho. Chinese Cabbage seeded in early Aug and planted in the garden in early Sept produced very well last year and didn't kill out until the temps were in low 20s. Tough stuff that and absolutely delicious.

The most reliable crops for fall are leafy greens. Lettuce, spinach, turnips and mustard can all be planted in early Sept and make a crop. In a mild winter spinach will overwinter. Last year I picked the last of fall planted spinach in April of this year before it finally bolted to seed. Lettuce is generally not as hardy although some specially bred "winter lettuces" can stand into the teens. (The spinach last winter survived zero temps--well mulched with oak leaves.)

Radishes, both spring types--French Breakfast is our fav--and winter types--Daikon and Chinese Rose can take more cold and will last longer and make much larger radishes--can be planted in early Sept. These two are available from Baker's.

Of course the success of a fall garden depends on the weather, so we really need a cool down and some rain.

And the long-range forecast for Sept-Oct-Nov for us calls for warmer-than-average temperatures and gives us even odds on there being average, below average or above average rainfall. What does that mean for the fall gardens?

IF they are right, I think we could plant warm season crops a little late and expect a harvest, but only with adequate rainfall or irrigation. Cool-season crops may be harder to start if Sept., for example, stays significantly warmer than usual.

I don't know what I'm going to do for fall, but need to decide something soon. So far, I'm just basically raising the August garden for the grasshoppers, except I am getting great okra and pepper yields and a few tomatoes here and there.

We finally got our desparately needed rain here in NE OK, actually...a torrential downpour!In fact, it was raining so hard, I could hardly see to drive home from the grocery.

It's 74 degrees as I speak, so now perhaps the toms and sweet peppers will start setting blossoms, and I can start getting some fall seed into the previously dry soil :)

My cantaloupes did well this summer but had zero luck with the large watermelons I planted. This may be crazy but taking a chance, I planted some Blacktail Mountain about 6 days ago in some unused space. The DM said 75 days. Maybe they'll make it, maybe not. Like everything else here, it's a gamble where weather and rain are concerned.

Oddly enough, the waterlogged toms I had earlier this year due to excessive rains are now the best looking plants I have.

Barbara