What to plant in September

Vegetables to plant in September

Spinach

Spinach can be sown now for pickings next spring. Sow direct in shallow drills in well-prepared soil, or in pots. Cover with fleece or a low cloche from October onwards.

• How to grow spinach
• Buy spinach seeds from Crocus

Salad leaves

There's still time to sow salad crops to harvest in the coming weeks. Sow in a sheltered spot outdoors, or grow in pots. Try mustard leaf, winter salad mixes, and mizuna. Winter lettuces such as 'Winter Density' can be sown under glass.

• Winter salads to grow
• Buy mizuna seeds from Crocus
• Buy lettuce from Crocus

Broad beans

Sowing broad beans in autumn means plants can establish over winter and crop earlier the following spring. Cover plants with fleece during hard frosts or snow. Try broad bean 'Aquadulce Claudia', which does well from an autumn sowing.

• How to grow broad beans
• Buy broad bean seeds from Suttons

Peas

Like broad beans, hardy peas can be sown in September to overwinter and produce an early crop. Choose winter-hardy varieties like 'Douce Provence' or 'Meteor'.

• How to grow peas
• Buy autumn pea seeds from Suttons

Radish

Radishes mature in just a couple of weeks, so it's worth sowing a late batch of seeds now. The warm soil and mild conditions will ensure they mature in time for autumn salads.

• How to grow radishes
• Buy radish seeds from Suttons

Turnip

Turnips are another fast-growing crop that can be sown on bare soil in September – they do best in cool, moist conditions. Harvest as golf-ball sized, baby veg in around six weeks. Perfect for the Christmas table.

• How to grow turnips
• Buy turnip seeds from Suttons

Onions

Planting onion sets in autumn means you will get an earlier crop the following year. Choose a variety that's ideal for autumn sowing, such as 'Troy' or 'Radar'.

• How to grow onions
• Buy onion sets for autumn planting from Suttons

Garlic

Garlic can be planted from September. Plant cloves 2.5cm deep and 25cm apart, in well-prepared, fertile soil. Shoots should appear before autumn and overwinter, then put on fresh growth in spring.

• How to grow garlic
• Buy garlic sets from Suttons

Flowers to plant in September

English marigold (Calendula officinalis)

English marigold (Calendula) has deep orange petals, which are perfect for a hot border or for cutting. It’s easy to grow – from an autumn sowing it should flower from May. Sow direct into shallow drills or on the surface of moist peat-free compost, in pots.

• Buy Calendula officinalis from Crocus

Love-in-a-mist (Nigella damascena)

Nigella damascena (love-in-a-mist) is a cottage garden favourite and makes a lovely cut flower. Its dried seedheads are attractive, too. Sow in modules for planting out later, or direct where it is to flower (either the soil or in pots). Flowers will appear from early spring from an autumn sowing.

• How to grow love-in-a-mist
• Buy Nigella damascena from Crocus

Cornflower

Centaurea cyanus often forms part of pictorial and annual meadow schemes, and makes an excellent cut flower. The blue-flowered variety is the most commonly grown, but different cultivars may have red, pink, white and dark purple flowers. Sow in September for an early spring display.

• Buy Centaurea cyanus from Crocus

Queen Anne's lace (Ammi majus)

Ammi majus is best sown in autumn, resulting in bigger, better flowers in early summer. It bears clouds of cow-parsley like white flowers and is perfect for cutting. Sow direct where it is to flower or in modules for planting out later.

• Buy Ammi majus at Crocus

Poppies

Opium poppy (Papaver somniferum, pictured), field poppy (Papaver rhoeas) and ladybird poppy (Papaver commutatum) can all be sown in autumn for an early summer display. Sow direct on patches of bare soil or in modular seed trays to plant out in spring.

• How to grow poppies
• Buy poppy seeds from Crocus

California poppy

California poppy (Eschscholzia californica) brings swathes of bright orange-yellow to borders. Sow direct or in modular seed trays to plant out later.

• How to grow California poppy
• Buy Eschscholzia californica from Crocus