Top 5 Vegetables to Plant in September

September marks the official beginning of fall, the time when gardeners start expecting cooler weather and planning for fall plantings. Planting veggies in September is an excellent idea as it provides a crop before the end of the year or in earlier spring. You can grow a few fast-growing vegetables we can plant this month to get abundant harvests quickly before the first frost in most hardiness zones or come spring. After spring, fall provides the best opportunity to get vegetables in the ground. It is an ideal time to plant because the soil is warm, air temperatures start cooling, plants need less water, and they focus on growing robust roots. In the fall, we can grow root crops like carrots, turnips, radishes, leafy greens like spinach and lettuce, onions and garlic.

Here is a list of top vegetables that are perfect to start planting in September, depending on the hardiness zone you live in.

1. Onions

Onions are an easy-to-grow vegetable that grows quickly and takes up little space in the garden. Autumn planting onions are hardy, overwintering onion varieties that can grow outside over the winter and deliver crunchy onions come spring. Onions grow underground so their roots can survive the cold weather.

You can plant onions in your vegetable garden or in a pot or container and set them on the patio or sunny window. They are excellent options for planting in September, which means you will get an earlier crop in the coming year. Choose a variety perfect for autumn sowing, such as Japanese onions, troy, or radar.

Learn More: How to Grow Onions

2. Garlic

Garlic is another top vegetable that can be planted in September for a larger and earlier harvest in spring or mid-summer. They grow best in ground or raised beds. The bulbs will be ready the following spring, allowing you to spice up your food with the freshest home-grown garlic.

Garlic can add wonderful flavors to soups, pasta, roasts, and almost all kinds of dishes. Additionally, it contains antioxidants, which have anti-inflammatory effects. You can choose between two main varieties: hardneck garlic, which has a stronger flavor, and softnecks garlic varieties, which contain multiple cloves in each bulb and are common in mild climates.

Learn More: How to Grow Garlic

3. Spinach

Spinach should be on your to-do list for essential vegetables to plant in September. It is a cool-weather vegetable that can grow anywhere there's a month or two months of cool weather. Spinach is hardy to light freezes and frosts. Choose a hardy spinach cultivar and a sunny area for planting, and you can enjoy the abundant harvest in late fall and winter.

Sow spinach seeds in pots or well-prepared soil. Cover them with fleece or row cover from October onwards. Choose autumn-sown varieties with thicker leaves that are less likely to bolt. Some popular varieties that produce excellent yields are Mikado, Violin, Amazon, Palco, and Apollo.

4. Carrots

Carrots are another cool-season vegetable that can tolerate light freezes. It is said that frost will increase their sweetness. They develop normally under multiple temperature conditions except hot temperatures. Late summer to early fall is a perfect time to plant this root crop. Carrots require sandy soil with a pH range of 6-7 to thrive fully.

If you are growing kale, Swiss chard, and other greens for your spring salads, include some carrots in them. Plant them in September to give them enough time to grow. They usually stop growing in peak winter, so the earlier you plant them, the bigger the crops you will get in spring.

5. Turnips

September is a perfect time to plant turnips in bare soil. They are one of the fast-growing and low-maintenance crops that thrive in cool and moist conditions. If planted now, you can harvest golf-ball-sized crunchy baby turnips in around six weeks. Sliced turnips are delicious and healthy snacks on their own. However, they can also add a delightful crunch to your salad. Since turnips are grown underground, they can tolerate cold temperatures.

Flea beetles and other tiny insects can make holes in turnip greens. Grow the crops under insect-proof mesh or fleece to prevent them. However, this is not a serious issue because turnips are the fastest growing, so they quickly outpace any damage. Try White Lady, Hakurei, Purple Top Milan, and Tokyo Cross varieties for fall planting.

Fall Gardening Care Tips

• Mulch your carrots, turnips, and beets before the ground freezes. Mulching will help the plants' roots survive in winter, and you can often harvest the crop during the winter.
• Plant vegetables in fertile soil with organic matter and water properly with an efficient irrigation system.
• Determine the growing season in your location and choose plants that fit your season.
• Add slow-release fertilizer to help plants develop stronger roots to survive the winter.
• Consider covering tender plants with a frost cloth or any breathable fabric in winter.
• To determine when to plant what vegetable, check the first frost date in your area and consider the days to maturity of the crops you plant to grow.

Cool Season Vegetables to Plant in September: Spinach, carrots, radishes, lettuce, beets, cabbage, kale, Swiss chard, turnips.

Warm Season Vegetables to Plant in September: Basil, cucumber, squash, oregano, thyme, pumpkin.

The Bottom Line

Many vegetables do well in fall and winter, allowing you to have a beautiful and nutritional vegetable garden. In September, fewer weeds will be on the ground, and plants will face less competition for soil nutrients. Sow root crops, savory greens, and spring cabbage now, and they will flourish on warm ground and in cooler temperatures.

September is not just for the usual suspects like spinach and carrots. It's also the perfect time to consider planting a variety of other popular vegetables such as eggplants, broccoli, radishes, lettuce, kale, chard, and Brussels sprouts. Don't be afraid to add a new vegetable to your fall garden to keep it thriving. While we've listed the top vegetables to plant in September, remember to consult the USDA Hardiness Zone map to ensure the success of your chosen crops for your garden.