4 min readSeptember might feel like the end of the growing season, but it’s actually the ideal time to give your vegetable patch some attention.
“Autumn is the perfect time to start winter crops such as garlic, onions, shallots and leafy greens like chard and kale,” suggests Mervyn Montgomery, director of Hampton Greenhouses. “These hardy growers don’t mind the colder conditions and will give you fresh food even as the days get shorter.”
This month offers a window of opportunity many gardeners overlook, but one that will pay dividends. “Most people stop planting once August is out of the way, but that’s actually when some vegetables do their best,” says John Collins, nursery manager at Ashridge. ”They really like the cooler nights and gentler weather. If you get them in now, you’ll stretch out your growing season and end up with harvests later this year, plus a head start next spring.”
With that in mind, here are seven vegetables to plant in September.
Garlic
Garlic is one of the easiest crops to start in September, and once planted, it needs very little attention. Prepare the soil by digging it over and adding a general-purpose fertiliser, then pop the bulbs in with a trowel, spacing them about five inches apart.
“Plant one clove per hole with the fat end pointing downwards and the tip 1 inch below the surface of the soil. Protect the young plants by filling the holes and covering them with fleece. Water regularly when it's dry. Flower spikes should be removed,” advise the experts at British Garden Centres. By next summer, each will have divided into a full bulb, full of taste and flavor.
Remember, garlic likes sunshine and well-drained soil, so avoid planting them in damp spots where water sits. “If your garden tends to be heavy or clay-based, raised beds or pots filled with free-draining compost work really well,” suggests Collins.
Tip: Look for hardneck garlic in your local garden centre, as this tends to resist cold better.
Spinach
Spinach is perfectly suited to the cooler days of September, rewarding you with tender young leaves in just a few weeks. In mild parts of the country, it will keep cropping well into winter, pausing only in the harshest cold.
“Spinach needs constant moisture but hates being waterlogged,” warns Collins. “Work plenty of compost into the soil before sowing, then space seeds about two inches apart in rows 12 inches apart.”
Once seedlings appear, thin them out so that the strongest plants are left with about four inches of space each.
Collins recommends sowing in small batches every couple of weeks. “That way, you don’t end up with more spinach than you can eat all at once,” he notes. Harvesting the outer leaves regularly keeps the plant producing fresh growth. For smaller spaces, you can grow spinach in containers, but they'll need more frequent watering.
Fava Beans
Plant fava beans in September and they’ll settle in before winter, rewarding you with an earlier—and often more abundant—harvest than those sown in spring.
”Varieties like ‘Aquadulce Claudia’ or ’Super Aquadulce’ are especially good for autumn sowing,” Collins recommends. “Plant seeds about two inches deep, leaving eight inches between plants and 24 inches between rows.”
Choose a sunny, sheltered spot in your garden, as beans dislike strong winds, and cover young plants with fleece or a cloche in particularly cold temperatures.
As fava beans get taller, they'll benefit from support with canes or string. “Fava beans are quite sturdy, but a bit of wind protection makes a big difference,” says Collins. “Pinching out the growing tips when plants reach about a metre tall helps them branch out more and also discourages black fly, a common spring pest.”
Purple Sprouting Broccoli
When planted in autumn, purple sprouting broccoli will grow happily outdoors throughout winter for a delicious spring harvest. “Mix in general-purpose compost, horticultural sand and stone or potting grit to ensure good drainage,” say the experts at British Garden Centres. It should be ready to harvest by February, the perfect early spring treat.
Kale
Sow kale in early autumn so the plants can establish before the cold sets in. As hardy brassicas, they’ll keep producing leaves right through the winter, provided temperatures aren’t too severe. Harvest the outer leaves regularly, and the plant will continue to send up fresh growth—and it will bounce back readily again in early spring.
Cabbage
Sow spring cabbages now for delicious homegrown greens early next year. Transplant young plants into fertile, deep, alkaline soil enriched with organic matter. Water well in dry weather and harvest once they form compact, firm heads.
Radishes and Turnips
“Look out for fast-maturing winter radishes and turnips that can be sown in September,” say the experts at British Garden Centres. “These generally produce a quick crop before severe cold sets in, and in sheltered areas with a fleece covering, you may even be able to keep picking throughout the season.”
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