What to Plant in September

While gardens start to wind down in the northern states in September, it is the perfect time to start a garden in the southern states. However, depending on where you live, autumn is the perfect time to grow some veggies that do well in cooler weather. You may be surprised at all the vegetables, fruits, and herbs you can plant in September. 

I try to update this list each year so it is as current as possible. This year food prices have shown an increase, with much of the increase due to the flood conditions in the Midwest and Southeast and the ongoing drought in the West. If you want to keep a step ahead of price increases going forward, you really should consider trying to grow more of your own food, it only makes sense. This is where I buy all of my seeds: SeedsNow

How I store my garden seeds: 

Plastic Photo Container and Label Maker

I highly recommend these products for your seedlings: CowPots and Organic Seedling Soil. This way you plant your seeds indoors and then place the CowPots in your garden when the temperatures are right.

Why Have a Fall Garden?

Planting crops in September allows you to continue growing and eating fresh healthy foods at home. Not only is this a great way to continue to eat your own food, but there are a lot of interesting cool-weather plants to try.

While you might miss your sweet peppers and tomatoes of summer, fall veggies offer you healthy, flavorful foods you can enjoy just as much or even more. 
You also get a lot of benefits from your fall garden. Here are just a few you may enjoy: 

• Water your plants less. With cooler temps, you won’t have to water your garden as much. This means less sweat and cost for you. 
• Fewer pests. Fall offers your garden a respite from many garden pests you get in the spring and summer. That means fewer treatments to rid the garden of pests.
• Frost Sweetens some veggies. While the summer heat can make arugula and lettuce bitter, frost actually sweetens their flavors. 

How to Have a Fall Garden

Almost everything that you plant in the spring can be grown in your fall garden, too. Spring-sown seeds are cool-season plants. This means they can tolerate a light frost, thrive in less light, and perform best in mild temps. 

Before you can get started on your fall garden, you will want to know what the frost dates are in your region. Check here to find your zone.

What is a Frost Date?

Frost dates are defined by the day on which there is a 50/50 chance of frost. You will want your plants that are planted in September to reach maturity about 2-weeks before this date to be on the safe side. 

When to Plant Your Seeds

You’ll want your plants to be at maturity before the first frost. Here is what you will need to do:

• Check the seed packet for maturity information.
• Check your region’s frost dates. You can look up the dates by zone. See the link above to save some time.
• Count back from the frost date to a suggested plant date to see when the best time to plant your garden is. Of course, this is based on how long it takes for particular plants to mature. 

Give Basic Care

Just like your spring or summer garden, fall vegetables have four basic needs. These needs include: 

Sunlight

You still need to make sure what you plant in September receives the right amount of sunlight. Although fall veggies can tolerate shade, you’ll want to plant them in an area where they can get quite a bit of sun as well. 

Soil

No matter where you live, plants need great soil. Soil needs to be rich in nutrients and well-draining. You can improve your traditional garden with garden-specific soil. Please try adding some mulch to your soil. I buy Organic Raised Bed Mix

Water

Although you may not have to water your plants as often, you still need to water your plants consistently. A good rule of thumb is to give your plants an inch of water per week. You can use an inexpensive rain gauge to see if you need to add more water during the week. 

Food

When you feel hungry, you don’t perform your best. The same is true with plants. In order for plants to flourish, whether in spring, summer, or fall, you’ll need to provide your plants with a good top-shelf fertilizer. You can also put natural ingredients such as earthworm castings, kelp, and bone meal into your garden as a needed nutrition for your plants. Quality fertilizer should be available at your local garden store. They also should be able to advise you which nutrients are best for this time of year.

Are you ready to find out what you can plant in September? 

What to Plant in September

Arugula (the image below) is one of my favorite items to plant this time of year! I could eat a fresh salad every night! My dream would be to grow my tomatoes year-round. Mark and I would love to have room for a small greenhouse, but it probably isn’t in the cards.

Once you have determined when your frost dates are, it is important to know what you can and can’t plant in your region. Below, you will find out what you can plant in your region/state in the month of September. 

Related: What to Stock Up on In September

What to Plant in September by Zone

Please keep in mind with Climate Change, or whatever, the weather has changed in the different zones. We have droughts, flooding, hurricanes, wildfires, and tornadoes. Please follow your local weather channel for temperatures.

Zones New England Region

The New England Region of the United States is the easternmost part of the U.S. The states in this region include Maine, Rhode Island, Vermont, Connecticut, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts. This region is characterized by bitterly cold winters and semi-humid summers. 

Due to the climate of this region, the vegetables that do well here in September include: (The image below is Bok Choy). In case you missed my post, Healthy Bok Choy Salad Recipe

• Arugula
• Bok Choy
• Lettuce
• Mache
• Radishes
• Spinach

Zones Mid-Atlantic Region

The Mid-Atlantic region is south and west of the New England States. The states in the Mid-Atlantic are New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. Although the Mid-Atlantic region is quite different than the New England region, they have common climates. Some plants to consider are:

• Arugula
• Bok Choy
• Lettuce
• Mache
• Radishes
• Spinach

Therefore, for the most part, the same vegetables that can be grown in the New England States can be grown in the Mid-Atlantic states in September.

Zones Southern Region

States in the southern region make up the third region of the United States. These states include Virginia, West Virginia, Kentucky, Delaware, Maryland, North and South Carolina, Tennessee, Arkansas, Louisiana, Florida, Georgia, Alabama, and Mississippi. The southern region states are characterized by humid subtropical climates that include mild winters and hot, humid summers.

In September, you will want to plant the following plants:

• Arugula
• Beets
• Bok choy
• Broccoli 
• Brussels sprouts 
• Carrots
• Cauliflower 
• Collard greens
• Kale
• Lettuce
• Mustard greens
• Radishes
• Spinach
• Turnips

Zones Midwest Region

States in the Midwest are considered Interior Plains and part of the Interior Highlands regions. The states that encompass the Midwest region include Michigan, North and South Dakota, Iowa, Minnesota, Kansas, Nebraska, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, and Missouri. In the Midwest, you will find that temperatures can be drastically different from summer to winter, and the temperatures can vary from state to state. 

Because of the inconsistency in temperatures throughout this region, you’ll want to check your frost dates by zip code. Plants that do well in September in this region include:

• Arugula
• Collard greens
• Lettuce
• Mache
• Mustard greens
• Peas
• Radishes
• Spinach
• Turnips

Zones South-West Region

Part of the Atlantic Gulf Coastal Plain, the states in the South-West region includes Texas, Arizona, New Mexico, and Oklahoma. Most of the South-West region is an arid desert climate, so, very hot and dry. 

Although the climate is very hot and dry, there are still a lot of vegetables you can plant in September. If you live in this region, you can plant the following:

• Arugula
• Beets
• Bok choy
• Broccoli (transplants)
• Brussels sprouts (transplants)
• Cabbage (transplants)
• Carrots
• Cauliflower (transplants)
• Collard greens
• Kale
• Leeks
• Lettuce
• Mustard greens
• Radishes
• Spinach
• Swiss chard
• Turnips

Zones Rocky Mountains Region

This region is made up of states that run through the Rocky Mountains. States that run through the Rockies include Montana, Idaho, Colorado, Utah, Wyoming, and Nevada. The climate through the mountains becomes colder as the altitude gets higher. In some locations, the climate tends to be wetter than the surrounding flatlands. 

Because temperatures can change in the mountains by the hour, we only have a few plants that can be planted in September. These include:

• Arugula
• Lettuce
• Mache
• Spinach

Zones Pacific Coastal Region

The Pacific Coastal Region is made up of the states that lie beside the Pacific Ocean. The states found in the Pacific Coastal Region are California, Oregon, and Washington. These states generally have a Mediterranean type of climate with rainy winters and dry summers. 

You can plant the following in this region in September: 

• Arugula
• Bok choy
• Collard greens
• Lettuce
• Mache
• Mustard greens
• Radishes
• Spinach

Perennials to Plant in September

Another option to consider when planting in September is perennial vegetables and fruits. Perennials come back year after year, which is a great option for those of us who don’t want to plant stuff every year. The cooler fall temperatures give the plants a chance to become established and take root. Perennials, such as asparagus and strawberries, can be planted in the fall and harvested in the spring. 

Related: What You Need to Know About Growing Asparagus

Planting perennial herbs such as mint, thyme, oregano, sage, chives, lemon balm, lavender, and rosemary in September allows the plants to develop a good root system while avoiding heat stress. To find out if these plants are perennial in your region/zone, check here: USDA Hardiness Zone

What are you planning to plant in September? If you are worried about the cold, see if these Cloches (Plant Protectors) would work for you. A cold frame would work as well, depending on the temperatures you get in your area. Cold Frame

Greenhouse

How many of you have a greenhouse, big or small? I would love one. What do you like about it, does it work as well as you had hoped? Do you have to heat it? I know we need to place them where they get full sun.

What flowers are good to plant in September?

In September I always plant daffodils or tulips. Watch for the sales and get ready to sow those little bulbs! I dig the holes about 4-6 inches deep and place the bulbs in the holes and cover them with soil. Next spring you’ll see little green tips start to grow and pop up through your soil. My favorite daffodils are Lily Lent

Can I plant onions in September?

Typically you harvest onions in the fall and let them dry so you have onions year-round.

Can I use leaves to mulch my garden soil?

Fall is a great time to use a tiller or a shovel to mulch your leaves into your soil. They should break down by next spring. I highly recommend turning the leaves under your soil surface.

Clean Out Your Weeds

In the fall it’s a great time to clean up your yard and pull the weeds and debris leftover from your harvest.

Winter Squashes

If you planted some winter squash, you should be able to harvest it and let it cure over the winter to eat until you plant it next year. Winter squash has a thicker rind and therefore should last for several months. I’m talking about Acorn, Spaghetti, and Butternut squash. My mouth is watering right now, I love winter squash!

Please Check Out What To Plant Each Month:

• What To Plant In January
• What To Plant In February
• What To Plant In March
• What To Plant In April
• What To Plant In May
• What To Plant In June
• What To Plant In July
• What To Plant In August
• What To Plant In September
• What To Plant In October

Final Word

I hope you enjoyed today’s post on what to plant in September. There is something about digging in the earth that just makes me smile. Many gardeners don’t consider themselves as preppers, but what better way to help prepare for challenges in acquiring food than having your own garden? If you haven’t got a garden right now, consider making it part of your efforts to be self-sufficient in these challenging times.

You know when you plant those seeds, and you water them in and you wait for them to sprout, the anticipation is just fun. Life is so awesome when you start eating your harvest of healthy vegetables. May God bless this world, Linda

This is where I buy my garden seeds: SeedsNow

Copyright Images: Lettuce Growing Your Own Deposit photos_7522318_s-2019, Bok Choy Deposit photos_308249330_s-2019, Arugula Lettuce Deposit photos_130604196_s-2019, Radishes in the Garden Deposit photos_71340343_s-2019, Garlic Ready To Plant Depositphotos_225888192_s-2019

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