What to Sow in September
The turn of the year — sow hardy crops and plant for spring.
September cools and the light softens. It is prime time to sow hardy greens and overwintering crops, and to establish plants that will give you the earliest harvests of next year. Cloches and cold frames extend the season further.
Dates assume a temperate Central European climate. Warmer regions can sow a little earlier; colder or higher areas a little later. Ask a coach if you’d like advice for your own climate zone.
Start indoors / under cover
Nothing needs starting indoors this month.
Sow direct outdoors
Winter lettuce & hardy salads
VegetablesSow 1 cm deep, ideally under cloches for reliable winter leaves.
Spinach & winter-hardy greens
VegetablesSow 2 cm deep for autumn picking and an early spring flush.
Overwintering onion sets & garlic (late month)
VegetablesPlant cloves and sets pointed-end up for next summer’s harvest.
Hardy annual flowers
FlowersSow calendula and cornflowers to overwinter for early, strong plants.
Tips for September
- Get cloches and fleece ready to protect late sowings as nights cool.
- Clear spent summer crops and sow green manure or mulch bare soil.
- Plant garlic and overwintering onions in well-drained ground.
Harvesting now
Main-crop potatoes, squash, sweetcorn, apples, pears, beans, and late tomatoes.