My Planting Calendar

What to plant in September in zone 9

USDA zone 9 has winter lows of 20 to 30°F, a typical last spring frost around Feb 20 and first fall frost around Nov 30, roughly 280 frost-free days. September is the "peak growing season" there.

28 crops have a sowing or planting window this month, including broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, cucumber, fennel (bulb), zucchini / summer squash - and 6 of those windows close during September.

Dates come from the typical frost dates of USDA zone 9 (last frost Feb 20, first frost Nov 30). 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: 28Start indoors: 0Harvesting: 0

Zone 9: planting activity through the year

70
83
63
9
9
9
4
9
28
20
2
25
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Frost riskFrost-free: Feb 20 – Nov 30
Bars count the vegetables, herbs and fruit with a sowing or planting window in each month, from the state’s average frost dates. 28 have one in September; the busiest month is February (83).

Last chance in September

Broccoli (start transplants for fall, by Sep 7) · Cabbage (start transplants for fall, by Sep 7) · Cauliflower (start transplants for fall, by Sep 7) · Cucumber (sow for a fall crop, by Sep 14) · Fennel (Bulb) (sow for a fall crop, by Sep 14) · Zucchini / Summer Squash (sow for a fall crop, by Sep 14)

For fall and winter harvests (28)

Sowings counted back from zone 9's first fall frost, so the crop matures before the cold - or, for garlic and similar, planted after it.

CropWhat to doWindowThis month
BroccoliStart transplants for fallAug 21 – Sep 7Last chance - ends Sep 7
CabbageStart transplants for fallAug 21 – Sep 7Last chance - ends Sep 7
CauliflowerStart transplants for fallAug 21 – Sep 7Last chance - ends Sep 7
CucumberSow for a fall cropAug 28 – Sep 14Last chance - ends Sep 14
Fennel (Bulb)Sow for a fall cropAug 28 – Sep 14Last chance - ends Sep 14
Zucchini / Summer SquashSow for a fall cropAug 28 – Sep 14Last chance - ends Sep 14
Bush BeanSow for a fall cropSep 4 – Sep 21Sep 4 – Sep 21
CarrotSow for a fall cropSep 4 – Sep 21Sep 4 – Sep 21
KaleSow for a fall cropSep 4 – Sep 21Sep 4 – Sep 21
RadicchioSow for a fall cropSep 4 – Sep 21Sep 4 – Sep 21
Collard GreensSow for a fall cropSep 11 – Sep 28Sep 11 – Sep 28
Endive & EscaroleSow for a fall cropSep 11 – Sep 28Sep 11 – Sep 28
Napa CabbageSow for a fall cropSep 11 – Sep 28Sep 11 – Sep 28
ParsleySow for a fall cropSep 11 – Sep 28Sep 11 – Sep 28
PeaSow for a fall cropSep 11 – Sep 28Sep 11 – Sep 28
Swiss ChardSow for a fall cropSep 11 – Sep 28Sep 11 – Sep 28
BeetSow for a fall cropSep 18 – Oct 5Opens Sep 18
Cilantro / CorianderSow for a fall cropSep 18 – Oct 5Opens Sep 18
Bok Choy / Pak ChoiSow for a fall cropSep 25 – Oct 12Opens Sep 25
BorageSow for a fall cropSep 25 – Oct 12Opens Sep 25
DillSow for a fall cropSep 25 – Oct 12Opens Sep 25
Fava Bean (Broad Bean)Sow for a fall cropSep 25 – Oct 12Opens Sep 25
Green Onion / ScallionSow for a fall cropSep 25 – Oct 12Opens Sep 25
KohlrabiSow for a fall cropSep 25 – Oct 12Opens Sep 25
LettuceSow for a fall cropSep 25 – Oct 12Opens Sep 25
Mache (Corn Salad)Sow for a fall cropSep 25 – Oct 12Opens Sep 25
MizunaSow for a fall cropSep 25 – Oct 12Opens Sep 25
Rapini (Broccoli Raab)Sow for a fall cropSep 25 – Oct 12Opens Sep 25

Peak growing season: September garden jobs in zone 9

  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. 11 weeks until the average first frost (November 30). Fall crops start now: broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, cucumber. 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 9 in September?

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

When are the last and first frost in zone 9?

The typical last spring frost is around Feb 20 and the first fall frost around Nov 30. 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 9

AlabamaArizonaCaliforniaFloridaGeorgiaLouisianaMississippiNevadaNew MexicoOregonSouth CarolinaTexasUtahWashington

Zone 9 in other months

JanuaryFebruaryMarchAprilMayJuneJulyAugustOctoberNovemberDecemberZone 9 overview →

What to plant in September in other zones

Zone 3Zone 4Zone 5Zone 6Zone 7Zone 8Zone 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.