Autumn Sowing: Recommended Crops for September Gardening
Prepare to say goodbye to those last tomatoes on your vine and embrace the crisp autumn air. It's time to roll up your sleeves and start planning a stunning fall garden. Don't let the slight chill get you down - cool-season veggies thrive in this weather, and beautiful perennials will liven up your landscape.
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Why, you ask? Autumn brings about invaluable benefits that make your garden task more manageable:
- excessive rainfall usually outweighs summer showers, which means less watering will be necessary for your garden.
- fewer insects, weeds, and diseases make gardening less of a tedious chore
- the cool weather provides the perfect climate for cool-season crops, and many have a sweeter taste after a gentle frost
So, whether you bask in the warm sun of a southern USDA plant hardiness zone or battle the cool winter winds of a northern one, you have options for your astounding fall garden.
Perennials to Savor
1) Russian Sage (Perovskia atriplicifolia)
This striking plant stands tall at around 6 feet, showcasing gray-green leaves on upright stalks topped with stunning blue-lilac flowers during summer and autumn. Give it full sun in well-draining soil, and it will endure winter weather down to USDA zone 4.
2) Lemon Queen Sunflower (Helianthus 'Lemon Queen')
Who wouldn't crowd around a sunflower? This sunny beauty reaches a height of 6 feet, topped with yellow flowers from summer until autumn. Not only does it provide a rich source of nectar for pollinators (including hummingbirds), but it contributes lovely cut flowers for indoor arrangements. Plant this showstopper in a sunny spot toward the back of a bed for an extraordinary focal point, USDA zone 4 hardy.
3) Coral Bells (Heuchera americana)
Fancy yourself some colorful flair? Coral bells provide a beautiful, compact array of leaf shades, ranging from nearly black to silver, pink, orange, and chartreuse. In spring, they dose your garden with flowers. These marvellous plants only grow to a foot tall and 18 inches wide. Choose a partial-shade, rich, well-draining soil site in USDA zones 5 to 9.
4) Black-Eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta)
A favorite of many, the Black-eyed Susan claims its space with brilliant yellow flowers and dark centers. Growing on 3-foot stems, these vibrant flowers bloom from summer until autumn. They attract insects such as butterflies and bees, and they spread up to a few feet wide in a sunny location with well-draining soil. USDA zone 4 hardy.
5) Spring Bulbs
A delightful secret: spring flowers grow from fall bulbs! If you desire tulips, daffodils, grape hyacinths, iris, hellebore, allium, snowdrop, or crocus in your spring garden, plant those bulbs in autumn. Imbued with myth and magic, spring bulbs are dormant perennials that require cool soil and moisture to break dormancy. Fall is the perfect season to help them awaken and grow roots.
Vegetables to Savor
If you're looking to give your autumn table an edible pop, try your hand at a fall vegetable garden. Many incorporate cool-weather vegetables that grow best in autumn, so you can enjoy a varied and flavorful harvest. These recommendations cater to gardeners in different USDA hardiness zones.
Bok Choy
Don't stress about where you live (unless you're in a polar region) – you can plant a bountiful crop of bok choy in your fall vegetable garden. Choose a baby variety to speed up the growing process and enjoy it in just over a month. Additionally, autumn weather keeps the insect population at bay, which means your hard work will be rewarded with a healthy harvest. Plant in a place with at least 6 hours of sunlight each day.
Cabbage (Brassica oleracea)
If you fancy getting your hands on cabbage heads, sow the seeds for your autumn garden now. In cooler weather, these mouth-watering plants will form heads in about 90 days. Select a type that thrives in colder weather if you'd like to collect throughout the frosty season. Plant in a site with good drainage and full sun.
Radishes (Raphanus sativus)
You can plant radishes in every USDA hardiness zone in the continental United States. The cool autumn weather supports fast growth for this crunchy root vegetable. Opt for regular radishes instead of winter varieties if you'd like to see fruit around a month after planting. Sow the seeds in a sunny location 4 weeks before the anticipated first frost.
Arugula (Eruca versicaria)
Lovers of this peppery, leafy green can enjoy it all year-round in USDA hardiness zones 2 through 11. Plant it in a location that gets at least 6 hours of sunlight each day. Quick-growing arugula matures in about 40 days in the autumn garden. Save a few days by soaking the seeds overnight before planting for even faster growth.
Potatoes (Solanum tuberosum)
Potatoes are as easy as they come when it comes to autumn gardening. Choose a seed potato and plant it in well-draining soil with full sun. Once the vines appear, cover the soil with straw as a preventative measure against frost damage. After a couple of months, the tubers will be ready to harvest just as the leaves start to die back.
Kale (Brassica oleracea var. acephala)
Kale, a classic cool-season option, flourishes best in cooler temperatures. It prefers a location in USDA zones 7 to 9 with full sun and well-draining soil. Sow the seeds between 6 and 8 weeks before the frost date for an extended harvest season. The leaves will provide a tasty addition to your salads and encourage happiness with their delightful, spicy flavor.
Remember, aside from potatoes, you want to make sure you choose seed varieties that are suited for autumn planting. These can be slightly harder to come by in the autumn season, so be sure to stock up when you find them.
Happy planting!
- To complement your charming fall garden, you might consider enhancing your lifestyle with some stylish fall recipes, fashion-and-beauty tips, or intriguing home-and-garden ideas.
- As you embark on the process of cultivating your stunning fall garden, don't forget to explore the world of food-and-drink for recipes that showcase the delightful flavors of cool-season crops like your freshly harvested cabbage or bok choy.
- After a fulfilling day of gardening and cooking, you can unwind by indulging in the scents of freshly planted perennials, such as the soothing aroma of Russian Sage, while savoring a warm beverage in your cozy, beautiful home-and-garden, now brimming with life.
