Planting Fall Vegetables in September

by Mike Lieberman on September 13, 2010 · 11 comments

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Hard to believe that it’s the middle of September already. That means that it’s time to start planting your fall vegetables.

Ok, it’s been time to plant your fall vegetables, but now it’s really time.

The best thing to plant in the fall, especially if you are container gardening, are greens. Lots of greens.

They will survive the slight chill, you will be able to pack them into the containers and you will get the most food from them.

Greens are also great if you only have access to a shady area, which is all I have on my balcony garden, they will survive. I have four self-watering containers, one regular container and two soda bottle self-watering containers that I sowed my seeds into.

Here is what I planted for my fall vegetables in September:

    Four self-watering containers

  • 3 rows: Leaf lettuce, kale, leaf lettuce. When planting the kale, I accidentally spilled some seeds into the container, so I have some extra thinning to do.
  • 3 rows: Kale, leaf lettuce, kale
  • 3 rows: Mesclun mix, kale, mesclun mix
  • 2 rows: Kale

    Two soda bottle self-watering containers

  • Romaine lettuce
  • Leaf lettuce
    Regular container
  • 2 rows: Cilantro and dill

Crazy as it is that it’s f’n mid-September already, you gotta stop holding on to summer and the excuses for not growing your own food. I’m going hard with the greens.

What are you planting for your fall garden?

  • Mike Lieberman

    Sweet. I still wanna get much more planted as well.

  • http://faroutflora.wordpress.com/ Matti

    Yeah, it is a little disturbing it is mid Sept already. We are a little out of synch with our plantings. We are just getting tomatoes and peas at the moment, and just about to start eating out last planted lettuce. We are still in debate about what to plant for fall, but lettuce is one of them. Matti

  • Mary C.

    Good plan you have there.
    I’m starting my lettuces and onions, also kale. Very soon I shall start my snap peas which I’m very excited about. Also lots of fall annual flowers form mom like pansy and violas. I’m testing how far I can go with tomatos and actually started some 60-70 day ones last weekend.

  • Mike Lieberman

    Nice the tomato plant on my balcony are still blooming and fruiting. Hurting slightly from not getting watered when I was away, but doin good.

    You grow any flowers to help with pests?

  • http://lovingnaturesgarden.com Alison Kerr

    I planted greens a couple of weeks ago outside and lettuce one week ago inside. The outdoor ones are ready to be thinned (I’ll eat the thinnings), though the rabbits and bugs have already had a nibble. I’ll be checking them tomorrow.

    Here in Eastern Kansas the cabbage family (kale) is not really worth growing in the fall. The cabbage white butterfly population seems much higher than it is in the spring and they just get devastated. Perhaps that’s less of an issue for you in the built up urban environment? And I don’t imagine the rabbits can make it onto your balcony!

  • Mike Lieberman

    Definitely had some cabbage worm and aphid problems in the spring. Gonna need to keep an eye out on them and maybe make some row covers for the fall.

    Funny you mention that about the rabbits because someone across the way keeps rabbits and lets them run free, but they haven’t ventured to my balcony yet.

  • Amber

    Hey there Mike,
    I’m growing kale, mesclun, and bibb lettuce. This is my first urban garden and I just harvested my first bowl of mesclun baby greens today! I was so excited. When I first got started with planting my own food I was so nervous about messing it up, but I read a bit, my cousin helped me out, and then I found your website. Thanks for the tips and help. If you’d like, I’ve been writing about my transition to more greens and a raw food diet. I wrote a little piece on my new harvest http://goo.gl/dSh8.

    Thanks again and keep growing your own food. I love how you say that you’re not a gardener but somebody who grows his own food. lol.
    Amber

  • Mike Lieberman

    Nice Amber. Keep planting the mesclun seeds, so you can continually harvest them and have a steady supply on hand.

  • Amber

    Do you think it’s too late in Seattle to plant now? Do you keep planting all the way through the winter? I know your in LA now so it’s a little warmer there. Your thoughts?

  • Mike Lieberman

    Here’s a good resource for you to help answer that question http://www.thevegetablegarden.info/resources/planting-schedules/zones-7-8-planting-schedule

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