September has arrived, and already we’re starting to see slightly cooler and darker weather. However, if you’re a keen gardener, you don’t have to hang up your gloves and watering can just yet.
This time of year is perfect for getting outside and planting certain seeds which you can harvest in a few weeks, or keep growing all the way until next year. Gardening expert Huw Richards and gardening equipment company Gardena have shared three of the best things to plant in September. Making the right produce choices now means you can enjoy fresh harvests through autumn and lay the groundwork for strong growth in spring.
Speedy greens
Both spinach and chard are excellent choices for this time of year because they establish quickly and can survive in the cooler temperatures. Pak choi is also another good option, and it’s a great ingredient to add to salads and stir-fries.
As well as these, loose-leaf lettuces are another good choice if you want to harvest little and often. Unlike traditional hearting lettuces, you can cut outer leaves as needed, allowing the plants to continue producing fresh growth until it starts to get frosty. By sowing in small batches every couple of weeks, you can stagger harvests and keep a continuous supply all the way through autumn.
Salad greens
If you’re looking for leafy greens that grow quickly, mustards, rocket, and mizuna are the best choices for autumn sowing. These Asian and Mediterranean salad crops are very quick to mature, and are usually ready to start harvesting in just three or four weeks.
They also cut-and-come-again, so rather than pulling up the entire plant, you simply take off the outer leaves and leave the centre to regrow.
Root vegetables
The underrated gems of the season, turnips and winter radishes, are great if you are looking for crops to place in any empty spaces in your garden, ensuring every patch of soil is getting used.
They cope well in cooler conditions, and by sowing now, you can keep pulling fresh roots through autumn.