My Planting Calendar

What to plant in September in zone 10

USDA zone 10 has winter lows of 30 to 40°F, a typical last spring frost around Jan 30 and first fall frost around Dec 15, roughly 330 frost-free days. September is the "peak growing season" there.

18 crops have a sowing or planting window this month, including brussels sprouts, rutabaga, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, cucumber - and 2 of those windows close during September.

Dates come from the typical frost dates of USDA zone 10 (last frost Jan 30, first frost Dec 15). A zone covers many climates, so for dates tuned to your town use the planting calendar, or pick your state below.

Peak growing seasonSow or plant: 18Start indoors: 0Harvesting: 0

Zone 10: planting activity through the year

77
69
27
9
9
4
3
3
18
30
26
54
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Frost riskFrost-free: Jan 30 – Dec 15
Bars count the vegetables, herbs and fruit with a sowing or planting window in each month, from the state’s average frost dates. 18 have one in September; the busiest month is January (77).

Last chance in September

Brussels Sprouts (start transplants for fall, by Sep 1) · Rutabaga (sow for a fall crop, by Sep 15)

For fall and winter harvests (18)

Sowings counted back from zone 10's first fall frost, so the crop matures before the cold - or, for garlic and similar, planted after it.

CropWhat to doWindowThis month
Brussels SproutsStart transplants for fallAug 15 – Sep 1Last chance - ends Sep 1
RutabagaSow for a fall cropAug 29 – Sep 15Last chance - ends Sep 15
BroccoliStart transplants for fallSep 5 – Sep 22Sep 5 – Sep 22
CabbageStart transplants for fallSep 5 – Sep 22Sep 5 – Sep 22
CauliflowerStart transplants for fallSep 5 – Sep 22Sep 5 – Sep 22
CucumberSow for a fall cropSep 12 – Sep 29Sep 12 – Sep 29
Fennel (Bulb)Sow for a fall cropSep 12 – Sep 29Sep 12 – Sep 29
Zucchini / Summer SquashSow for a fall cropSep 12 – Sep 29Sep 12 – Sep 29
Bush BeanSow for a fall cropSep 19 – Oct 6Opens Sep 19
CarrotSow for a fall cropSep 19 – Oct 6Opens Sep 19
KaleSow for a fall cropSep 19 – Oct 6Opens Sep 19
RadicchioSow for a fall cropSep 19 – Oct 6Opens Sep 19
Collard GreensSow for a fall cropSep 26 – Oct 13Opens Sep 26
Endive & EscaroleSow for a fall cropSep 26 – Oct 13Opens Sep 26
Napa CabbageSow for a fall cropSep 26 – Oct 13Opens Sep 26
ParsleySow for a fall cropSep 26 – Oct 13Opens Sep 26
PeaSow for a fall cropSep 26 – Oct 13Opens Sep 26
Swiss ChardSow for a fall cropSep 26 – Oct 13Opens Sep 26

Peak growing season: September garden jobs in zone 10

  1. Water deeply two or three times a week rather than a little every day - about an inch a week, more in heat. See watering a vegetable garden.
  2. 13 weeks until the average first frost (December 15). Fall crops start now: brussels sprouts, rutabaga, broccoli, cabbage. See the fall and winter garden guide.
  3. Check the undersides of leaves twice a week - catching pests early is most of the battle (pest identification guide).
  4. Harvest often - picking regularly keeps beans, squash and cucumbers producing.

Questions gardeners ask

What can I plant in zone 10 in September?

18 crops have a window in September: brussels sprouts, rutabaga, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, cucumber, fennel (bulb), zucchini / summer squash, bush bean, carrot and more. The tables above give the exact dates for each.

When are the last and first frost in zone 10?

The typical last spring frost is around Jan 30 and the first fall frost around Dec 15. These are broad zone averages, so your own town can be a week or two either side: look yours up by ZIP code in the planting calendar.

September in states with land in zone 10

ArizonaCaliforniaFloridaNevadaTexas

Zone 10 in other months

JanuaryFebruaryMarchAprilMayJuneJulyAugustOctoberNovemberDecemberZone 10 overview →

What to plant in September in other zones

Zone 3Zone 4Zone 5Zone 6Zone 7Zone 8Zone 9All states →

Dates are computed from the zone’s typical frost dates and each crop’s timing in our crop database. Your garden may be a week or two either side.