What to plant in September
Find out which vegetables, fruit, shrubs, trees and flowers can be planted in September.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sow | yes | |||||||||||
| Plant | yes | |||||||||||
| Flowers | yes | yes | yes | |||||||||
| Fruits | yes | yes | yes |
Planting in September provides you with an earlier crop in spring, makes use of otherwise empty soil and saves you time on spring planting. Plenty of vegetables and ornamental plants can be sown or planted in the UK in September, including hardy annuals like pot marigold and love-in-a-mist, which will bloom a couple of weeks earlier than those from a spring sowing. In the vegetable patch, crops like garlic and broad beans can be planted now, for earlier harvests the following spring and summer.
You will need:
As temperatures dip, you'll need cloches and fleece to protect vulnerable crops from frost, plus all the usual kit for sowing and planting.
- Tools, pots and supports: a hand trowel is a great tool for many planting jobs. Our expert testers have put a range of styles through their paces to find the best garden hand trowels, so you can buy in confidence.
- Greenhouse: for those of you who have been toying with the idea of a greenhouse, we’ve got handy guides packed with information about how to choose the best greenhouse, as well as 12 of the most useful greenhouse accessories. No outside space? No problem – our round-up of the best indoor greenhouses is just for you.
- Cold frames can be invaluable at this time of year, as you can protect plants from light frost and heavy rain, which can lead to rotting. We've tested a range of cold frames and come up with a list of the best garden cold frames in 2025
Vegetables to grow in September
Spinach
When to harvest: March to May.
How to grow: sow hardy spinach varieties, such as 'Giant Winter' direct in shallow drills in well-prepared soil, or in pots. Delay sowing if temperatures are still hot, as this can lead to erratic germination, but don’t leave it too late as plants need to become established before winter. Keep the soil or compost moist and weed free. Cover with fleece or a low cloche from October onwards, to protect from frost. The spinach will enter dormancy as temperatures drop, but will regrow as soon as they increase again in spring, giving you an early harvest.
- How to grow spinach
- Buy spinach seeds from Crocus, Thompson & Morgan, Suttons
Salad leaves
When to harvest: October to May.
How to grow: sow hardy salad crops, such as mustard leaf, mizuna and lambs' lettuce, in a sheltered spot outdoors, or in pots. Keep the soil or compost moist and cover with fleece or a cloche as soon as temperatures dip. The leaves should grow well enough for an autumn harvest and may provide you with winter pickings if kept under cover. They will resume growth after winter for an early spring harvest.
- Winter salads to grow
- Buy mizuna seeds from Crocus, Thompson & Morgan, Suttons
- Buy lettuce from Crocus, Thompson & Morgan, Suttons
Broad beans
When to harvest: May to June.
How to grow: by sowing broad beans in autumn you can save time on spring planting. The broad beans are quick to establish before temperatures fall, when they enter dormancy, but resume growth again as soon as temperatures increase again in spring. Although hardy, broad bean leaves can be scorched by frost, so cover with fleece when hard frosts are forecast. If you're in the south of the UK, wait until the end of September to sow them, as otherwise they may grow too tall and even start to flower before temperatures drop, which makes them less easy to protect from frost. Try broad bean 'Aquadulce Claudia', which does well from an autumn sowing.
- How to grow broad beans
- Buy broad bean seeds from Suttons, Thompson & Morgan, Crocus
Peas
When to harvest: May to June.
How to grow: 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' and cover with a cloche when frost is forecast.
- How to grow peas
- Buy autumn pea seeds from Suttons, Thompson & Morgan, Crocus
Radish
When to harvest: October.
How to grow: radishes mature in just a couple of weeks, so it's worth sowing a late batch of seeds on still-warm soil, that will mature before the first frosts. Sow radish seeds direct on well-prepared, weed-free soil. Cover with a cloche when temperatures fall and keep harvesting for autumn salads.
- How to grow radishes
- Buy radish seeds from Suttons, Thompson & Morgan, Crocus
Turnip
When to harvest: November to December.
How to grow: sow turnips direct on to well-prepared, weed-free soil. Keep well watered and thin seedlings to 15cm. Harvest as golf-ball sized, baby veg in around six weeks, but make sure you leave some for Christmas.
- How to grow turnips
- Buy turnip seeds from Suttons, Thompson & Morgan, Crocus
Onions
When to harvest: June to July.
How to grow: plant autumn planting onion sets, such as 'Shakespeare', 'Electric' or 'Snowball' sets to overwinter, for an earlier crop the following year. Plant them 10-15cm apart, allowing 30cm between rows, into well-prepared, moisture-retentive, fertile soil in full sun. Plant them just below the soil surface, with just the tips showing. Keep the area weed free and water when dry. The onions will enter dormancy in autumn and resume growth when temperatures increase again in spring. Harvest them from early summer, when they're big enough to eat or the foliage has turned brown and started to wither.
- How to grow onions
- Buy onion sets for autumn planting from Suttons, Thompson & Morgan, Crocus
Garlic
When to harvest: June to July.
How to grow: like onion sets, garlic can be planted from September, and will overwinter easily, providing you with an earlier harvest in summer. It's said that garlic needs a decent cold spell in order to separate the cloves, so sowing now could yield better results than from spring sowings. 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, Thompson & Morgan, Crocus
Fruit to grow in September
Strawberries
When to harvest: June to September.
How to grow: plant strawberries now and they'll establish well in the still-warm soil, before going dormant in winter and fruiting from mid-spring. Plant bare-root strawberries into well-prepared, fertile ground, around 35cm apart. Water well and continue to water regularly if conditions are dry.
- How to grow strawberries
- Buy strawberries from Thompson & Morgan, Suttons, Crocus
Peaches
Peach trees flower as early as February, so planting a peach tree now can mean it's well established by the time it needs to bloom. Bare-root plants aren't available until November, so plant a potted tree into well-prepared soil in a sunny position. Water thoroughly and then continue to water if conditions are dry. Bear in mind that you may need to protect the flowers from frost with a covering of fleece.
- How to grow peaches
- Buy peach trees from Thompson & Morgan, Suttons, Crocus
Flowers to grow in September
English marigold (Calendula officinalis)
Flowers: May onwards.
How to grow: 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.
- How to grow calendula
- Buy Calendula officinalis from Crocus, Thompson & Morgan, Suttons
Love-in-a-mist (Nigella damascena)
Flowers: May onwards.
How to grow: 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 sow 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, Thompson & Morgan, Suttons
Cornflower
Flowers: May onwards.
How to grow: cornflowers (Centaurea cyanus) often form part of pictorial and annual meadow schemes, and make an excellent cut flower. The blue-flowered variety is the most commonly grown, but different cornflower cultivars may have red, pink, white and dark purple flowers. Sow in September for an early spring display.
- How to grow cornflowers
- Buy Centaurea cyanus from Crocus, Thompson & Morgan, Suttons
Queen Anne's lace (Ammi majus)
Flowers: May onwards.
How to grow: 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 Ammi majus direct where it is to flower or in modules for planting out later.
- How to grow Ammi majus
- Buy Ammi majus from Crocus, Thompson & Morgan, Suttons
Poppies
Flowers: May onwards.
How to grow: 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 poppies 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, Thompson & Morgan, Suttons
California poppy
Flowers: May onwards
How to grow: California poppy (Eschscholzia californica) brings swathes of bright orange-yellow to borders. Sow direct in well-prepared, weed-free soil. Water when dry.
- How to grow California poppies
- Buy Eschscholzia californica from Crocus, Thompson & Morgan, Suttons
Daffodils
Flowers: February to April
How to grow: September is the ideal month to plant daffodil bulbs, as they can put on growth before temperatures dip, and then send shoots up as soon as temperatures increase in late winter. Plant them at a depth of three times the height of the bulb, in borders or pots. For a naturalistic look, throw bulbs in the air and plant them where they land.
- How to grow daffodils
- Buy daffodil bulbs from Crocus, Thompson & Morgan, Suttons
Crocus
Flowers: February to March
How to grow: like daffodils, crocus corms should be planted in September, so they can establish before winter sets in. Plant them 7-12cm deep, in well-prepared, weed-free borders, or pots of fresh multi-purpose compost. Cover with wire mesh to protect from squirrels.
- How to grow crocuses
- Buy crocus corms from Crocus, Thompson & Morgan, Suttons
Trees and shrubs to grow in September
All hardy trees and shrubs that are sold in containers can be planted in September, but for more choice and to save money, it's often best to wait until bare-root planting season, which begins in November. Bare-root plants are sold direct from the field they were grown in, and come without soil around the roots, so are cheaper to transport and therefore buy. However, planting pot-grown trees and shrubs in September means they can establish well before temperatures decrease, so they should have a strong growing season from spring.
Roses
Flowers: June to September.
How to grow: all types of container-grown rose can be planted now, which will establish quickly in the warm soil and then get off to a flying start in spring when temperatures increase again. Choose shrub roses for border displays, climbing roses to grow up an obelisk or trellis, and rambling roses to cover large areas such as a fence or to cover a shed roof. Plant them in fertile, moist but well-drained soil, and water well. Continue to water regularly if conditions are dry.
- How to grow roses
- Buy roses from Crocus, Thompson & Morgan, Suttons
Crab apple tree
Flowers: March.
How to grow: crab apples come in all shapes and sizes, with some, such as Malus 'Evereste' suitable for small gardens and even growing in a large pot. Plant container-grown specimens into well-prepared soil at the same depth they were in the pot, and water well. Continue to water regularly if conditions are dry.
- How to grow crab apples
- Buy crab apples from Crocus, Thompson & Morgan, Suttons
