What Foods to Plant in September (Vegetables, Fruit & Herbs)
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September is when summer starts to leave us behind and is also the month when preparing for the fall and winter garden starts to really gain momentum. After a few weeks of enjoying the sunshine, it is time for some planning and works to get everything ready and we are already looking ahead to spring.
So let’s look at what foods to plant in September including vegetables, fruit and herbs.
What vegetables to plant in September
A lot of the work done now is for autumn and even winter crops. That means a mixture of indoor and outdoor work.
Direct sow outdoors
September is often when certain quick-growing, tough crops are planted for winter harvest. An example is lamb’s lettuce (also known as corn salad in some parts of the world). Other salad leaves that have a short growing time will also work fine being planted.
Hardy spinach such as ‘Perpetual’ as well as onions like the ‘Hi Keeper’ variety can be sown in prepared seedbeds. Turnip seeds and winter lettuce are also sown now. You can try sowing carrots but keep a very sharp eye for carrot fly when thinning those seedlings.
The last of the summer radish go into the ground in September while at the other end of the scale, winter-hardy spring onions such as ‘White Lisbon’ can be planted with the aim of harvesting in spring.
Don’t forget garlic bulbs and spring cabbages as well as any onion sets for autumn crops.
Sow in the greenhouse or indoors
You can direct sow spinach in September but used cloche protection to keep it going through cooler weather and harvest it in autumn and winter.
Spring cabbage can also be planted indoors as well as pak choi, again use cloches for them to get baby leaves in autumn.
What fruit to plant in September
There’s not much to plant in September in terms of fruit, it is more of a maintenance time of the year.
What herbs to plant in September
Herbs being planted in September are quite few but you can plant things like chicory and fennel that will survive through the winter.
Other jobs to do
September is the time to start a few of the different food crops, especially in the vegetable department. But there’s also plenty of jobs to do to keep you busy!
Vegetable jobs
If you have leeks and brassicas grown for a winter supply, these should be planted out now if you haven’t already done it.
Cordon tomatoes by removing the main shoot. That means looking for the leaf above the fourth truss (the developing fruit) and cut there. The aim of this is to get all of the fruits to ripen by the end of the season. Don’t worry about this if you have bush tomato varieties.
Climbing beans can maximise cropping by removing the tops as well. Don’t forget to keep watering them and ensure they are securely tied if the wind starts to puck up.
Fruit jobs
Keep going with the work of training fan-trained trees and complete summer pruning including with gooseberries, red and white currants and cherries. Also, prune any kiwi if you haven’t already done it.
If you have indoor melons, make sure to pollinate the flowers then pinch out 2cm beyond the flower. For outdoor ones, pinch out twice, at four-week intervals. Keep watering and feeding them regularly.
Watch out for suckers and aphids on fruit stress and ensure they are still getting enough water to avoid drought stress. Liquid feed is ideal for plants in containers.
