My Planting Calendar

What to plant in September in zone 5

USDA zone 5 has winter lows of -20 to -10°F, a typical last spring frost around Apr 30 and first fall frost around Oct 5, roughly 160 frost-free days. September is the "fall garden season" there.

1 crop has a sowing or planting window this month: radish - and 1 of those windows close during September.

Dates come from the typical frost dates of USDA zone 5 (last frost Apr 30, first frost Oct 5). A zone covers many climates, so for dates tuned to your town use the planting calendar, or pick your state below.

Fall garden seasonSow or plant: 1Start indoors: 0Harvesting: 44

Zone 5: planting activity through the year

0
18
53
76
69
28
35
28
1
2
1
0
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Frost riskFrost-free: Apr 30 – Oct 5
Bars count the vegetables, herbs and fruit with a sowing or planting window in each month, from the state’s average frost dates. 1 have one in September; the busiest month is April (76).

Last chance in September

Radish (sow for a fall crop, by Sep 7)

For fall and winter harvests (1)

Sowings counted back from zone 5's first fall frost, so the crop matures before the cold - or, for garlic and similar, planted after it.

CropWhat to doWindowThis month
RadishSow for a fall cropAug 21 – Sep 7Last chance - ends Sep 7

Harvesting in September

First harvests expected this month from crops sown or planted on time earlier in the season.

Leek · Jul 25 – Sep 13Salsify · Aug 4 – Sep 13Pumpkin · Aug 5 – Sep 4Rosemary · Aug 5 – Sep 4Celery · Aug 8 – Sep 17Luffa (Loofah Gourd) · Aug 12 – Oct 11Peanut · Aug 15 – Oct 4Zucchini / Summer Squash · Aug 17 – Sep 18Sweet Potato · Aug 19 – Sep 18Cucumber · Aug 22 – Sep 28Broccoli · Aug 25 – Oct 6Cauliflower · Aug 25 – Oct 11Cabbage · Aug 25 – Oct 21Bush Bean · Aug 29 – Sep 25Kale · Aug 29 – Sep 30Lettuce · Aug 30 – Oct 16Brussels Sprouts · Sep 3 – Oct 20Bok Choy / Pak Choi · Sep 4 – Oct 6Mizuna · Sep 4 – Oct 1Swiss Chard · Sep 5 – Oct 2Napa Cabbage · Sep 5 – Oct 17Mustard Greens · Sep 6 – Oct 8Fennel (Bulb) · Sep 6 – Oct 18Cilantro / Coriander · Sep 7 – Oct 19Carrot · Sep 8 – Oct 15Radicchio · Sep 8 – Nov 4Dill · Sep 9 – Oct 16Rapini (Broccoli Raab) · Sep 9 – Oct 16Pea · Sep 10 – Oct 12Collard Greens · Sep 10 – Oct 17Tatsoi · Sep 11 – Oct 13Chayote · Sep 11 – Oct 11Beet · Sep 12 – Oct 19Radish · Sep 12 – Oct 7Spinach · Sep 13 – Oct 8Arugula · Sep 13 – Oct 10Kohlrabi · Sep 14 – Oct 16Mache (Corn Salad) · Sep 14 – Oct 16Turnip · Sep 16 – Oct 23Chervil · Sep 16 – Oct 23Rutabaga · Sep 17 – Oct 14Borage · Sep 24 – Oct 31Parsley · Sep 25 – Nov 1Green Onion / Scallion · Sep 29 – Nov 5

Fall garden season: September garden jobs in zone 5

  1. The average first frost is October 5, about 3 weeks away. Pick tender crops (tomatoes, peppers, squash, beans) before it, or cover them on cold nights.
  2. Still time to sow or plant: radish. Fast greens and radishes are the safest bets this late.
  3. Row cover buys 4-6°F of frost protection and weeks of extra harvest - see season extension.
  4. Pull finished crops and sow a cover crop (cereal rye or crimson clover) into empty beds before the soil gets cold.

Questions gardeners ask

What can I plant in zone 5 in September?

1 crops have a window in September: radish. The tables above give the exact dates for each.

When are the last and first frost in zone 5?

The typical last spring frost is around Apr 30 and the first fall frost around Oct 5. 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.

What can I harvest in zone 5 in September?

From plantings made on time: leek, salsify, pumpkin, rosemary, celery, luffa (loofah gourd), peanut, zucchini / summer squash, sweet potato, cucumber.

September in states with land in zone 5

AlaskaArizonaCaliforniaColoradoConnecticutIdahoIllinoisIndianaIowaKansasMaineMarylandMassachusettsMichigan

Zone 5 in other months

FebruaryMarchAprilMayJuneJulyAugustOctoberNovemberZone 5 overview →

What to plant in September in other zones

Zone 3Zone 4Zone 6Zone 7Zone 8Zone 9Zone 10All 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.