17 Vegetables You Can Still Plant In September For A Fall Garden Harvest

After Labor Day, we start shaking out our sweaters for chilly fall days and adding our first hints of Halloween decor to our spaces. But the fact is, summer is still upon us, and in many places, there are months left of the growing season. Even if your first frost could happen any time, September isn't too late to tuck some hopeful seeds into the soil for a fall vegetable garden.

Depending on where you live, there are leafy things to plant that haven't been able to tolerate stifling summer heat for months, like lettuces and cilantro. Maybe the rapidly cooling nights in your zone are telling you that root vegetables like beets and radishes are your best bet for a late-season harvest. Frost hardy brassicas like cauliflower and broccoli fit perfectly into a fall vegetable patch. The surprising variety of veg that you can start this month can have you eating fresh and truly local until the winter holidays.

Spring-planted spinach (Spinacia oleracea) is swaying under the weight of seeds by September, but the cooler air and summer-warmed soil are ideal for sprouting a fall crop. One of the best things about spinach is that it can grow well in USDA Hardiness Zones 2 to 11. However, if your area experiences high temps, wait; seeds won't germinate when it's over 85 degrees Fahrenheit. Conversely, spinach is cold-tolerant enough that mature plants handle temperatures as low as 20 degrees Fahrenheit! Sow seeds in full to part sun, and you'll be harvesting it in as few as 35 days.

Sweet fresh lettuce (Lactuca sativa) picked from your own soil is a treat, but it's often a treat that's not possible after late spring. It's also perfect for beginner gardeners. Start the makings of some delicious fall salads this September. Grow this mealtime staple in Zones 3 to 10. Similar to spinach, lettuce doesn't sprout in high temperatures, so if your region is still pretty toasty this time of year, plant seeds in part shade or wait a few weeks. Your leaves should be ready for eating 25 to 45 days after planting.

Flavorful mustard greens (Brassica juncea) might never have crossed your mind as a desirable crop. These greens are versatile enough to eat raw in salad when they're young, but mature leaves cook up beautifully, as well. Like many other leafy edibles, mustard greens prefer cooler temperatures below 75 degrees Fahrenheit. Plant these tasty leaves in full sun to light shade in Zones 4 to 10, and you'll be enjoying the spicy leaves in as few as 20 days.

Carrots (Daucus carota) settle in comfortably once soil has cooled off, but only plant them in September if you still have at least 10 weeks before your first frost. They'll tolerate temperatures no lower than 20 degrees Fahrenheit, and they prefer full sun. Carrots thrive in Zones 2 to 11, but they can be a bit tricky to grow. Up your chances of a harvest with these easy tips that make growing carrots a breeze. Harvest baby carrots as early as 35 days after planting, and mature ones should be ready between 60 and 80 days.

Radishes (Raphanus sativus) are some of the first fresh bites from the garden come spring, and they can just as well be among the last for the year when planted in early fall in Zones 2 to 11. Get these spicy roots going in full sun to part shade about 4 to 10 weeks before your first frost. Like carrots, radishes can suffer damage below 20 degrees Fahrenheit. Thin the sprouts to about 2 inches apart for best results. Expect a harvest between 25 and 35 days after sowing.

Keeping your garden stocked with growing arugula (Eruca vesicaria) is a way to have fresh salads for months, whether it's a sweltering 90 or sub-freezing 20 degrees Fahrenheit in Zones 2 to 11. This September, plant a final crop of arugula for the year when you've got between 4 and 6 weeks before freezing temps roll in. If your area is chilly, you can speed up germination by placing a row cover over the soil. Plant seeds in a sunny to partially shaded spot for a harvest after 25 to 40 days.

A staple of Deep South cuisine, if you've never tasted collard greens (Brassica oleracea var. viridis) done right, they will win you over at first bite. Collards grow equally well in Zones 4 to 11, and the leaves become even more flavorful after a light frost. In fact, collard greens are more cold-tolerant than other hardy greens. Plant seeds in full sun, and you'll be tasting home grown goodness after as few as 50 days.

Kale (Brassica oleracea var. acephala) is a garden toughie that's well worth growing on repeat. One of the best things about kale is that it grows in Zones as cool as 2 and can make it through the winter with a little help from a row cover or thick mulch in Zones 7 and up. It's best to get these seeds into a sunny bit of earth 12 or more weeks before the first frost. Once your little leaves are established, they can weather a serious freeze as low as 10 degrees Fahrenheit.

What's basically the cousin of a beet without a bulbous root, chard (Beta vulgaris var. cicla) is a tasty green whether it's cooked or fresh. Also known as Swiss chard, this crop looks identical to beet tops. Shiny leaves pop up reliably in gardens in Zones 2 to 11. Chard varieties with white stems tend to tolerate colder climates than ones with colorful stems. Plant these nubby seeds in full sun to partial shade, and cut tender leaves as early as 30 days later. The leaves taste best when harvested before temperatures dip below 20 degrees Fahrenheit.

If you've never grown turnips (Brassica rapa), this September is a great time to give them a go. Pick out a bit of sunny to partly-shaded soil that's recently vacated by a more tender plant, and tuck them in around 8 weeks before your first frost. While you can grow turnips in a vast range of Zones — from 2 to 11 — September may be too late to plant them in colder regions. Turnips will withstand a light freeze, and you could be trying your first one only 30 days after planting.

Love 'em or hate 'em, beets (Beta vulgaris) thrive in fall conditions. The warm soil and cool air promote lovely leafiness and sweet, earthy roots that might win over the beet-haters. They grow well in Zones 2 to 11, but you should only plant them in September if you have 6 to 8 weeks before your first frost. Beets can handle high freezing temps but not a hard freeze. Planted in full sun, you'll be adding baby leaves to salads after 30 days and pulling up ruby-red roots between 55 and 70 days after sowing.

Also going by pak choi, bok choy (Brassica rapa subsp. chinensis) is a fast-growing vegetable that handles a chill like a champ. Bok choy can take on a bitterness in heat, so September-sown plants will deliver on a sweetness you might not have tasted before. Bok choy grows best in full sun in Zones 2 to 11. The heads will be fully mature in about 6 weeks, but tender young leaves are ready after about 30 days. A bit of frost on these precocious greens adds extra flavor.

Herb lovers, how many times has your summer-grown cilantro (Coriandrum sativum) bolted and flowered beyond edibility before you could harvest more than a few sprigs? Planting cilantro in September ups your chances of a bumper crop. This leafy herb grows well in Zones 3 to 10 and can overwinter in Zones 8 and up. Plant cilantro seeds no less than 4 weeks before your first frost; it'll be 30 to 45 days before you'll have harvestable leaves. Cilantro likes cool weather, but it won't survive a cold snap.

Parsley (Petroselinum crispum) is so much more than a garnish on a plate. Grow and care for your own parsley plant this September, and you may have a winter-long supply with a bit of protection. This herbal staple is well-suited to Zones 4 to 10 and has the best chance of surviving winter under straw mulch in Zones 6 to 9. Scout out some soil in full sun to part shade for planting. Keep in mind that it takes 70 to 90 days for parsley to be ready to harvest, and this herb won't withstand a frost.

Cauliflower (Brassica oleracea var. botrytis) grows like magic in cooler weather. This versatile veg likes it so cool that you may need to start seeds indoors if Septembers near you are still steamy. Cauliflower is suited for Zones 2 to 11, but in lower zones, September may be too late to get seedlings going; start seeds in full sun no later than 6 weeks before your first frost. Temperatures lingering between 60 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit are the sweet spot for cauliflower, but plants will survive a light frost. Heads may be harvestable after as few as 50 days.

Sweet, crisp peas (Pisum sativum) are thought of as a spring treat, but they're delightful enough to go a second round. Peas grow successfully in Zones 2 to 11, but like a few other plants on this list, September might be too late for lower zones. Peas are frost-hardy, but once temperatures dip lower than 28 degrees Fahrenheit, cover them with a frost blanket. If you've still got a 10-week window before frost, you could be sinking your teeth into fresh pods by mid-November. Plant peas in full sun, and start picking pods between 60 and 70 days later.

Like its brassica brethren, broccoli (Brassica oleracea var. italica) is a fall garden favorite. This vegetable will grow happily in Zones 2 to 11. September's sun-warmed soil is the perfect nesting spot for seeds, but a bit of cold is what really makes broccoli come into its own. Broccoli withstands chills as extreme as 20 degrees Fahrenheit, and a few frosts will only make it tastier. Sow broccoli seeds in full sun 6 to 8 weeks before the first frost, and enjoy florets between 60 to 75 days later.