What to plant in September in zone 8
USDA zone 8 has winter lows of 10 to 20°F, a typical last spring frost around Mar 20 and first fall frost around Nov 5, roughly 230 frost-free days. September is the "fall garden season" there.
27 crops have a sowing or planting window this month, including collard greens, endive & escarole, napa cabbage, parsley, pea, swiss chard - and 18 of those windows close during September.
Dates come from the typical frost dates of USDA zone 8 (last frost Mar 20, first frost Nov 5). A zone covers many climates, so for dates tuned to your town use the planting calendar, or pick your state below.
Zone 8: planting activity through the year
Last chance in September
Collard Greens (sow for a fall crop, by Sep 3) · Endive & Escarole (sow for a fall crop, by Sep 3) · Napa Cabbage (sow for a fall crop, by Sep 3) · Parsley (sow for a fall crop, by Sep 3) · Pea (sow for a fall crop, by Sep 3) · Swiss Chard (sow for a fall crop, by Sep 3) · Beet (sow for a fall crop, by Sep 10) · Cilantro / Coriander (sow for a fall crop, by Sep 10) · Bok Choy / Pak Choi (sow for a fall crop, by Sep 17) · Borage (sow for a fall crop, by Sep 17) · Dill (sow for a fall crop, by Sep 17) · Fava Bean (Broad Bean) (sow for a fall crop, by Sep 17) · Green Onion / Scallion (sow for a fall crop, by Sep 17) · Kohlrabi (sow for a fall crop, by Sep 17) · Lettuce (sow for a fall crop, by Sep 17) · Mache (Corn Salad) (sow for a fall crop, by Sep 17) · Mizuna (sow for a fall crop, by Sep 17) · Rapini (Broccoli Raab) (sow for a fall crop, by Sep 17)
For fall and winter harvests (26)
Sowings counted back from zone 8's first fall frost, so the crop matures before the cold - or, for garlic and similar, planted after it.
| Crop | What to do | Window | This month |
|---|---|---|---|
| Collard Greens | Sow for a fall crop | Aug 17 – Sep 3 | Last chance - ends Sep 3 |
| Endive & Escarole | Sow for a fall crop | Aug 17 – Sep 3 | Last chance - ends Sep 3 |
| Napa Cabbage | Sow for a fall crop | Aug 17 – Sep 3 | Last chance - ends Sep 3 |
| Parsley | Sow for a fall crop | Aug 17 – Sep 3 | Last chance - ends Sep 3 |
| Pea | Sow for a fall crop | Aug 17 – Sep 3 | Last chance - ends Sep 3 |
| Swiss Chard | Sow for a fall crop | Aug 17 – Sep 3 | Last chance - ends Sep 3 |
| Beet | Sow for a fall crop | Aug 24 – Sep 10 | Last chance - ends Sep 10 |
| Cilantro / Coriander | Sow for a fall crop | Aug 24 – Sep 10 | Last chance - ends Sep 10 |
| Bok Choy / Pak Choi | Sow for a fall crop | Aug 31 – Sep 17 | Last chance - ends Sep 17 |
| Borage | Sow for a fall crop | Aug 31 – Sep 17 | Last chance - ends Sep 17 |
| Dill | Sow for a fall crop | Aug 31 – Sep 17 | Last chance - ends Sep 17 |
| Fava Bean (Broad Bean) | Sow for a fall crop | Aug 31 – Sep 17 | Last chance - ends Sep 17 |
| Green Onion / Scallion | Sow for a fall crop | Aug 31 – Sep 17 | Last chance - ends Sep 17 |
| Kohlrabi | Sow for a fall crop | Aug 31 – Sep 17 | Last chance - ends Sep 17 |
| Lettuce | Sow for a fall crop | Aug 31 – Sep 17 | Last chance - ends Sep 17 |
| Mache (Corn Salad) | Sow for a fall crop | Aug 31 – Sep 17 | Last chance - ends Sep 17 |
| Mizuna | Sow for a fall crop | Aug 31 – Sep 17 | Last chance - ends Sep 17 |
| Rapini (Broccoli Raab) | Sow for a fall crop | Aug 31 – Sep 17 | Last chance - ends Sep 17 |
| Chervil | Sow for a fall crop | Sep 7 – Sep 24 | Sep 7 – Sep 24 |
| Mustard Greens | Sow for a fall crop | Sep 7 – Sep 24 | Sep 7 – Sep 24 |
| Spinach | Sow for a fall crop | Sep 7 – Sep 24 | Sep 7 – Sep 24 |
| Tatsoi | Sow for a fall crop | Sep 7 – Sep 24 | Sep 7 – Sep 24 |
| Turnip | Sow for a fall crop | Sep 7 – Sep 24 | Sep 7 – Sep 24 |
| Arugula | Sow for a fall crop | Sep 14 – Oct 1 | Opens Sep 14 |
| Watercress | Sow for a fall crop | Sep 14 – Oct 1 | Opens Sep 14 |
| Radish | Sow for a fall crop | Sep 21 – Oct 8 | Opens Sep 21 |
Harvesting in September
First harvests expected this month from crops sown or planted on time earlier in the season.
Fall garden season: September garden jobs in zone 8
- The average first frost is November 5, about 7 weeks away. Pick tender crops (tomatoes, peppers, squash, beans) before it, or cover them on cold nights.
- Still time to sow or plant: collard greens, endive & escarole, napa cabbage, parsley, pea, swiss chard. Fast greens and radishes are the safest bets this late.
- Row cover buys 4-6°F of frost protection and weeks of extra harvest - see season extension.
- 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 8 in September?
27 crops have a window in September: collard greens, endive & escarole, napa cabbage, parsley, pea, swiss chard, beet, cilantro / coriander, bok choy / pak choi, borage and more. The tables above give the exact dates for each.
When are the last and first frost in zone 8?
The typical last spring frost is around Mar 20 and the first fall frost around Nov 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 8 in September?
From plantings made on time: zucchini / summer squash, cucumber, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, bush bean, kale, lettuce.
September in states with land in zone 8
Zone 8 in other months
What to plant in September in other zones
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.