September is a bountiful time in a vegetable garden, and some may regard it as a period when the plot is winding down after the summer peak. The reality is that it is a fabulous time to sow crops and there is a great choice if you’re looking for vegetables to plant in September.
Whether it is quick croppers that can fill spaces vacated by summer harvests, or vegetables to plant in fall for spring harvests, we’ve got both options covered here. As a former professional kitchen gardener, I have sown, grown and harvested crops in vegetable gardens year-round, and always found September a very productive month of harvesting, sowing, and much more.
1. Corn salad
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It goes by many names; some call it corn salad, while others may refer to it as lamb’s lettuce or mache. Whatever you know this salad crop by, there is no denying it is fantastic for sowing in late summer or early fall to provide a crop of tasty leaves throughout winter.
Sow seeds outdoors in cooler temperatures; the ideal time is when the temperatures are in the 60s. Lambs lettuce is very versatile. It is not particularly fussy about soil and can also thrive in pots – the one prerequisite it needs is sun. Sow seeds a half inch deep and 2-4 inches apart, keeping rows 12 inches apart.
Keep the soil moist, and you can start harvesting baby leaves within six weeks. Plants will reach full size by 12 weeks after sowing.
You can get corn salad seeds at True Leaf Market to sow this month.
2. Arugula
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Arugula is a fast-growing vegetable that can give you harvests of peppery leaves to spice up a salad bowl or sandwich in as little as 4-6 weeks from sowing. Also known as rocket in some corners of the world, arugula is a cool-weather crop that is ideal for sowing when the temperatures are lower in early fall.
Again suited to growing in the ground or in containers in a sunny position, sow seeds thinly into drills a half-inch deep and cover with soil. Keep the soil moist, and thin seedlings as they appear to six inches apart – arugula tends to take 7-10 days to germinate.
Harvest arugula as a cut-and-come-again vegetable by picking the outer leaves once they are large enough to use, and leaving the central leaves to continue growing.
See the range of arugula seeds at Amazon
See the range of arugula seeds at Walmart
See the range of arugula seeds at Burpee
See the range of arugula seeds at True Leaf Market
3. Fava beans
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You can plant fava beans in the fall or the spring. If you are looking for vegetables to plant in fall for a spring harvest, then growing fava beans is simple, plus sowing this month will save time and give you an early crop come spring.
A fall sowing of fava beans will develop roots quickly, before going dormant for winter. Once temperatures rise in spring, the plants spring into action and continue growing. It is the period of growth in the fall that gets them ahead, and means you can harvest fava beans that bit earlier next year.
An ideal hardy variety to sow in the fall is ‘Aquadulce’, and you can get Aquadulce fava bean seeds at Amazon to plant this month.
Wait until after the middle of the month to sow. But if you have a heavier soil type or your garden sits waterlogged in winter or suffers from strong winds, it is better to wait until spring.
4. Radish
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Growing radishes offers a quick and easy way to fill gaps in a vegetable garden and get a speedy crop of roots. There are radishes of various shapes, sizes, and colors that are suitable for sowing in September.
In addition to this month being the last window to plant summer radishes, there is also the opportunity to sow hardy winter radishes, which are sown in late summer or early fall to harvest in winter.
Sow radish seeds 1-2 inches apart into half-inch deep drills, and thin seedlings to at least two inches apart as they develop. You can plant radishes in any gaps in the garden for a quick crop. Keep the soil moist, and you can harvest radishes when the roots reach at least an inch wide.
Discover the full range of radish seeds at Amazon
Discover the full range of radish seeds at Walmart
Discover the full range of radish seeds at Burpee
Discover the full range of radish seeds at True Leaf Market
5. Winter lettuce
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There are winter cold-hardy varieties of lettuce that you can sow this month to provide a harvest of leaves throughout the colder months.
While many people think of growing lettuce as a spring and summer activity, these winter lettuce varieties grow happily in the fall and then slow down as temperatures drop – when they benefit from the protection of being covered by a cold frame, hoop tunnel, or cloche.
Plant lettuce seeds directly into their growing position in September, or start them indoors and transplant the seedlings outdoors in a few weeks.
Winter lettuces can withstand a mild frost, but ideally, get covers in place by October, so they will be able to give you harvests of lettuce leaves throughout the colder months.
An example of a great winter lettuce variety to sow this month is these Winter Density lettuce seeds at Amazon.
6. Elephant garlic
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September is an ideal time to plant garlic, but if you are looking for a different type of garlic to grow this time around, why not consider elephant garlic?
So-called for its huge baseball-sized bulbs, which have a milder flavor, September is also the best time to start growing elephant garlic.
Plant into a sunny position in the kitchen garden from September to October. This month is perfect as the crop needs a long growing season to develop and split into cloves. You can expect to harvest elephant garlic come June next year if you plant it this month.
Plant the bulbs with the pointed end upwards and push them 4-6 inches deep into the soil. Each plant needs a lot of space, so keep them at least eight inches apart. Elephant garlic produces garlic scapes in spring, which should be picked as they are a delicacy.
These elephant garlic bulbs to plant at Burpee will grow into large bulbs that can weigh up to 1lb.
7. Bunching onions
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Another crop that often goes by many names, you may hear the terms bunching onions, green onions, salad onions, spring onions, or scallions.
They are all very similar, with the only difference being that some, like bunching onions, don’t form a small bulb before harvesting, while others do, such as spring onions. The terms are often used interchangeably, and the types of onions are treated as identical in recipes.
Despite the potential confusion, there are hardy varieties of bunching onions and green onions you can sow in September. Sow seeds thinly in drills 12 inches apart, and keep moist for good germination before thinning seedlings to two inches apart.
The crops can provide a quick harvest in around eight weeks, or be covered with cloches or fleece to last long into winter.
An ideal variety to sow this month is Ishikura Winter Long from True Leaf Market, a hardy winter variety that is frost-tolerant and pest-resistant.
FAQs
Can I sow carrots in September?
You can sow carrots this month undercover in a protected environment, such as a greenhouse or polytunnel. Varieties such as ‘Nantes’ or ‘Parisian’ make great vegetables to grow in a greenhouse in the fall, and, depending on the variety, you can have a harvest in around 80 days. You can get Parisian carrot seeds at True Leaf Market that develop unique, short, globe-shaped roots.
There are also many opportunities to plant seeds or bulbs this month for glorious flowering displays. Our guides to flowers to plant in September and spring bulbs to plant in the fall can give inspiration to fill your beds with blooms next year.
This wooden cold frame is portable and can be put over plants when the temperatures drop to extend your harvests
This kit has hoops that can be connected at different heights and widths. It includes a mesh cover, but fleece can be added to cover rows in winter.
Protect plants from cold weather with this versatile frost cover made from non-woven polypropylene fabric.
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