9 Best Vegetables to Plant in September for Extended Harvests
What if I told you that planting just 9 specific vegetables in September could provide fresh harvests for the next 6 months—saving you $400 on grocery bills while your neighbors’ gardens sit empty? While everyone else thinks gardening season ends with summer, smart gardeners know September is actually the secret window that transforms your backyard into a four-season food factory.
September is a significant month to gardeners. It is believed that the planting season puts a stop with summer. This error causes them to miss six months of fresh and homegrown food and the money saved by making fewer purchases in the store. The reality is that planting in September opens lots of cold hardened vegetables. They thrive in colder climates, they are sweeter after frosting, and they keep growing when grocery prices are increasing.
How your garden can be a four-season source of food with September planting.
September is warm soiled, colder air, shorter days. This suits cool season plants well. The soil is kept at temperatures over 60F and this accelerates the sprouting of seeds and roots developing well. The plants produce more sugar in shorter days thus they are tastier compared to the plants planted in spring.
It also saves money. The price of planting the seeds in September is about 20 dollars. You can also receive 40-60lb of produce, which will cost you 180-240 at winter prices. Fall gardens require 70 percent of the care that is required by summer gardens. They require less watering, weeding and fewer pests.
The basics of soil preparation: the key to the success of fall gardens.
You need a good soil in order to grow well in September. Cool-season vegetables such as soil that is well drained, rich in nutrients and pH of 6.0-7.0. Check pH using a low end meter at the garden store. If it is low, add lime. If it is high, add sulfur.
Apply compost or any other organic material with a depth of 2 -3 inches on the top 6 -8 inches of soil. This assists soil of clay to drain and the sandy soils to retain water. It provides low-release nutrients as well. Apply a balanced fertilizer (555) at the rate of 2 pounds per 100 square feet, and bone meal applied to root crops, such as carrots and beets.
Remove all the summer plants and weeds. They may cause diseases and pests. Following planting, cover with a 2 inch layer of shredded leaves or straw over. This maintains a constant temperature of the soil and conserves moisture.
The 9 best vegetables to plant in September.
Garlic: the investment that doubles 400 percent.
Garlic that is planted in September produces 4-6 times the size of the bulbs compared to that of garlic planted in the spring. They are more appetizing and preservable. To produce good bulbs, the plant requires 4-6 weeks with temperatures below 40 o C.
Set separate cloves in place so that the stingy part is up. Plant 2 inches deep, 6inches between rows which are 12inches apart. When the ground is frozen, cut off 4-6 inches of straw, or shreds of leaves, and cover the ground very thickly.
Hardneck garlic such as Music and German Extra Hardy will do in zones 3-6. Softneck such as Californians Early are used in zones.
The next year harvest in June or July when the lower leaves are brown.
About 812 bulbs of seed per pound get. Store them 69 months after drying.
Leaf lettuce: the cut and come again king.
Planting in September Leaf lettuce can be harvested 3-5 times per plant over winter as long as it is covered. Low temperatures prevent it to be bitter and allow it to last 2- 3 weeks after picking.
Plant directly: sow seeds 1/4 inch deep and 1 inch spacing in rows 8 inches spacing. Thin so heads take root 4-6 inches in breadth or snatch baby greens on their path.
Select types such as Winter Density (romaine), Salad Bowl (loose-leaf), Buttercrunch (bibb) to zone 4-8. When the weather becomes cold at 25 o F or less, use row covers or cold frames to warm it up.
Baby greens- 21-28 days; full head-45-55 days.
It will yield 10-15 pounds per 10 foot row of harvests.
Spinach: the protein powerhouse of the cold weather.
September spinach has deep roots and can survive down to 15O F which means that it will yield harvests 6-8 weeks before spring planted spinach. Fall spinach contains vitamin C and iron 40 per cent more.
Plant: 2 inches deep, every 12 inches in rows, 2 inches between them. Take a small shade, lest the plant bolt in hot September days.
Best varieties are Bloomsdale Long Standing – used in zone 3-7, Geant d’Hiver -used in zone 5-9, and Tyee -used all-year-round.
Apply rich, well-drained soil of a high organic content. Aim for pH 6.5–7.0.
Baby leaves are prepared in 25 -35 days: mature plants in 45 -50 days.
You have 8-12 pounds to the 10 feet row, and you clip out the outer leaves as they grow up.
Kale: the freezer-sweetened superfood.
Kale is better when frozen since sugar accumulates when it is frozen. Plants planted in September provide 2-3 times more leaves in comparison to spring and are tender.
Sow or transplant plant seeds or transplant in 24 inch row spacing 12 to 18. Allow them to develop under full sun to shade.
Select zone 3-9 as Winterbor (curly), Lacinato (dinosaur), or Red Russian. Kale is able to endure up to 5 o F with no row covers and up to -10 o F with row covers.
In 30 days, baby leaves are ready and in 60-65 days, big leaves. Gather more than half a year.
During a long growing period you can produce 1220 pounds per plant.
Carrots: the storage king of winter.
Fall carrots are sweeter and last longer than summer carrots. Cold converts starches into sugar, and candy-sweet roots that will last 4-6 months in proper store.
Plant 4-inch-deep, 2-inch-spacing in 12-inch-spacing rows. Then thin to 34 inches with the seedlings at 2 inches high.
Good ones: In zones 4-9, one can use Napoli (55 days), Bolero (75 days), or purple haze (70 days). Deep loose soil, no rocks. Heavy clay soil is assisted by raised beds.
Carrots take 55-75 days to mature; they can over winter with a 6 inch covering of mulch on the ground.
You have 1012 pounds a 10 foot row or so, 3040 carrots.
An all-round root crop: Beets.
In September, beets produce leafy greens within 25 days and sweet roots within 55-70 days. They are rich-colored and have a better taste than summer beets.
Plant 1/2 inch deep, 2 inches between, rows 12 in. apart. Preferably, soak the seeds overnight so as to germinate fast.
Good varieties: “Detroit Dark Red” or Chioggia (candy-striped) or Golden (doesn’t bleed) in zones 3 -10.
Greens Beets are ready after 25 days; baby beets in 55-65 days; big beets in 70- 80 days.
The yield of roots is 810 pounds to the row and the greens, 46 pounds.
Arugula: the fast-growing gourmet green.
Arugula is planted in cool soil (45 o F ) and crops within a period of only 21 days. Arugam gained in fall with a more complicated taste and without a summer bite of heat.
Plant in 4 inch deep, 1 inch spacing between rows which are 6 inches apart. Continuous picking will require adding a row every 2 weeks.
Goods: Astro (mild), Wild Rocket (intense), or Dragons Tongue (red veins) in zones 311.
Growing 21 days to baby; 3540 days to maturity.
You get 6-8 pounds to the 10 feet row through numerous plantings.
Cabbage: the storage necessity of winter.
At the end of November, the heads of early September cabbage transplants are full and provide 2-3 months of fresh heads in storage. Compared to summer heads, winter cabbage is longer lasting, has more vitamin C.
Plant spacing with 1824 inch interval between the plant seedlings and 30 inch interval between the rows. Place them 1-2 weeks beneath the pot to hold them in position.
Good varieties: “Early Jersey Wakefield” (65 days), Farao (65 days) or Tendersweet (71 days) on zones 4-9.
Row covers should be used when the temperatures fall below 25 degrees Fahrenheit to ensure that the heads do not brown.
Harvesting 65- 75 days when the head is firm.
You have 8-12lb per head; 10ft row per 3-4 head.
Radishes: the gratification now crop.
The quickest ones are the radishes which become edible after 25-30 days. Fall radishes are sweeter and light-hearted compared to spring radishes, which very soon flatten out in the heat.
Plant in 1 inch deep, half an inch spacing between rows 6 inches thick. Adding a row every 7-10 days, continue picking until October.
Good varieties: French Breakfast, Cherry Belle or White Icicle in zone 3-11. Light, draining soil- keep the soil light and draining, heavy clay may cause misshapen roots.
You have 1520 bunches in every 10 feet row of consecutive plantings.
Modern methods of large scale cultivation.
Successive planting practices.
Plant small quanta with a 714 days interval in the case of quick growers such as lettuce, arugula, radishes, and spinach. This puts you to fresh greens at any given time rather than a surplus followed by a gap.
In the case of root crops, plant two times, once in early September with a fall harvest and once in late September with winter storage. The second crop sown prolongs the cold and sweetens.
Winter survival protection techniques.
These are easy methods to preserve crops that are alive even after the first frost.
Row covers
Light fabric canopies enable the crops to remain up to 20 o F. Install hoops to avoid the plants being trampled down by the snow.
Cold frames
Clear-lided bottomless boxes trap heat. Maintain the inside 10-15 0 F warmer than the outside.
Mulch insulation
Just apply a layer of 6-8 inches of shredded leaves or straw onto top of carrots, beets and garlic to keep them in the ground throughout winter.
Cloche protection
Put individual tender plants under glass or plastic cloches to keep the most tender crops warm.
When to water and when to fertilize.
In September, plants do not require as much water. Water 1 time a week, approximately 1 inch, unless it pours up. Cool weather may cause rotting through overwatering.
During the growing period feed the plants at 3/4 weeks in liquid fish emulsion or compost tea. To allow the plants to harden naturally, stop fertilizing 6 weeks prior to the first hard freeze.
Fall gardens: Pest and disease management.
Cool-season plants do not deal with the same pests as the summer gardens. Watch out cutworms, powdery mildew, cabbage worms and aphids.
Prevention strategies
- Place row covers immediately after planting to inhibit insects.
- Take out debris and weeds that attract pests to reoccur.
- Change the place of planting by every year to prevent soil issues.
- Plant helpful insects such as calendula and nasturtiums.
Organic treatment options
- Apply insecticidal soap on aphids.
- Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) is to be used against caterpillars.
- Neem oil is applied to fungal problems and soft bodied bugs.
- Sprinkling pests with diatomaceous earth.
Time of harvesting and storage procedures.
Harvest your crops before the initial hard freeze (under 25 o C) unless you are preserving them.
Storage guidelines
Carrots and beets: cut tops, place in damp sand at 3235 C and 90 per cent humidity.
Cabbage: harvest with 2-3 leaves wrapped, store at 32 o C with 90% humidity.
Garlic: cure 2 to 3 weeks at a dry warm place then long-term store.
Leafy greens: this is better taken out as the leaf grows, and washed and stored in breathable bags.
Growing zone-specific climate adjustments.
Zones 3-4: target fast growing varieties; cold frames or hoop houses; harvest the majority of crops by December.
Zones 5-6: harvest till January, using row covers; ideal in overwintering garlic and roots.
Zones 7-8: longest fall time; a lot of crops are able to survive winter with minimal assistance; good locations to plant successively.
Zones 9-10: plant late (October-November); select varieties that are heat-tolerant, which will withstand light winters.
Problems in planting common in September.
Poor germination: hot soil with temperature above 75o F injures seeds. Sow in the shade, in water in the evening, or indoor in the first place and then water.
Premature bolting: early shifts in the temperature cause plants to ripen prematurely. Maintain soil moisture and cover the row when temperatures vary.
Pest pressure: fall gardens are attacked by different pests. Companion plant, make use of beneficial insects, and use organic treatments.
Reduced growth: reduced number of daylight hours decelerates all. Take it and strategize on extended harvest periods.
Getting the most out of your investment.
Investment of 25 dollars in September seeds would produce 5075 pounds of products valued at 200300 in the winter prices. Less water, less weeding, increased harvesting, and September planting may be the best garden bargain.
Fall fruits include 20-40 percent higher vitamins than food in stores. It is priceless to be able to walk to your garden to get fresh greens when your neighbors are shoveling the snow.
Plant your September garden. These are the nine vegetables that will transform the way you produce food throughout the entire year even without spending a lot of money and at the same time getting the best nutrition. It will pay off in the future as the January bill will be lower and you will pick fresh, organic veggies in the yard.
These cold-hardy plants can be planted and you have not done so yet, another September has passed. The harvest lasts only a season, as long as 4 or 6 weeks according to your location, yet the fruits endure months. Turn your garden into a 4 season food factory and find out why good gardeners refer to September planting as a secret of constant plenty.
Sources:
Extension – University of New Hampshire: Using Row Covers in the Garden
Sustainable Market Farming: Success with Spinach for Fall, Winter and Spring
Giving Ground Seeds: Fresh Carrots All Winter
Oregon State University Extension: Garlic
Montana State University Extension: The Science of Frost and Plants
University of Illinois Extension: How to Grow Garlic
Harvesting History: Kale and Collards – Some of the Cold Hardiest Vegetables
