September in the vegetable garden

September is the transition between summer and autumn. The garden is still abundant, but it’s also time to prepare for the colder months.

🌱 What to sow in September

Lamb’s lettuce, autumn spinach, rocket, winter lettuces, radishes, turnips, chervil, sorrel, garden cress.
Also sow green manures: phacelia, mustard, crimson clover, vetch, rye.

🌸 Flowers to sow

Biennials like pansies, forget-me-nots and daisies for spring bloom.
Edible and pollinator-friendly flowers such as marigolds, nasturtiums and borage.

🥬 What to plant or transplant

Garlic, shallots, autumn onions, cabbages, winter leeks, chicories, winter lettuces.
Also strawberry plants and spring bulbs (crocuses, narcissi, tulips).

🍅 Harvests and maintenance in September

Tomatoes, courgettes, peppers, aubergines, carrots, beets, turnips, squashes, potatoes, apples, pears, plums, grapes.
Store pumpkins, onions and potatoes in a dry, cool, ventilated place.
Keep watering moderately, maintain mulch, remove spent plants, monitor pests and diseases.

🌿 Preparing for autumn and winter

Add mature compost or sow green manures, plan crop rotations and preserve harvests by making sauces, preserves or fermentations.

✅ In short

September is a lively transition month:

• Last sowings and plantings

• Feed and protect the soil

• Plant garlic, strawberries and bulbs

• Harvest and store crops

• Prepare the garden for winter