11 Seeds to Start in September for a Fall and Winter Harvest

Though summer is the time of tomatoes, beans, and eggplants, fall is the season of nutritious greens and swollen root vegetables. Cooling temperatures and shortening days create the perfect conditions for rapid growth. 

Some are quick growers that mature in a month or two, while others are overwintering crops that tolerate frosty weather. A mix of the two creates a resilient garden with repeat harvests from September through the winter. 

Which seeds to start in September depends on your taste preferences and the conditions in your region. The first frost date arrives at different times for all of us. You can start these seeds now in raised beds, containers, or in the ground. 

Slow Bolt Arugula

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Slow Bolt Arugula Seeds

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Fava Bean Cover Crop

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Fava Bean Cover Crop Seeds

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Warrior Bunching Onion

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Warrior Bunching Onion Seeds

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Arugula

	botanical name Diplotaxis tenuifolia, Eruca vesicaria ssp. sativa
	sun requirements Full sun
	height 1-2’
	hardiness zones 2-11

Arugula packs a punch. It’s a leafy vegetable that’s perfect for salads, sandwiches, and cheese plates. Its flavor is nutty and spicy, and it blends well with other salad greens like lettuce and endive.

Arugula needs cool weather and consistent moisture to thrive in the home garden. It’ll often reseed itself, and you’ll notice seedlings sprout in spring and fall. 

There are two types of arugula to choose from to start seeds in September, and a myriad of varieties. Choose from annual or perennial cultivars. Perennial arugula survives the winter in USDA hardiness zones 5 through 9, and sometimes zone 10. 

Beet

	botanical name Beta vulgaris
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 1-1.5’
	hardiness zones 2-11

Beets are delicious and nutritious! They’re a swollen root vegetable with edible leaves. Treat the leaves like spinach in cooked recipes, and boil or bake the roots with salt, pepper, and oil. 

Beets grow best during cool weather in spring and fall. Start their seeds in early September, and you’ll have a ready harvest in 50 to 75 days, depending on the variety you’re growing.

Try planting ‘Detroit Dark Red.’ Its roots reach between two and three inches when they’re ready for picking, and they take about 60 days to mature after sprouting. 

Bok Choy

	botanical name Brassica rapa ssp. chinensis
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 1’
	hardiness zones 2-11

Bok choy is a quick sprouter, and it’s versatile in the kitchen. Chop its leaves fresh for a crunchy salad, or cook the bok choy whole in soups and sautés. The plant needs chilly temperatures and ample moisture to thrive, meaning you can start seeds in September in most regions.

Plant bok choy seeds a quarter inch deep, and keep them moist while they sprout. Harvest the plants a month or two after they sprout, when the leafy clusters form tight bunches. 

There are medium, small, and tiny varieties available. Opt for ‘Choko’ for tiny clusters; they’re ready at four inches tall! For a larger, more substantial harvest, try ‘Baby Choi’ or ‘Toy Choy.’

Cabbage

	botanical name Brassica oleracea (Capitata Group)
	sun requirements Full sun
	height 1-2’
	hardiness zones 2-11

Cabbage forms tight, crunchy heads full of flavor. It’s essential during the winter for roasts, sauerkraut, stews, and sauces. Start seeds in September for a late winter to early spring harvest. 

Cabbage needs a few months to form its head. It’ll overwinter in some zones, though it won’t survive repeated severe frosts. Mulch the roots with plenty of compost, and add a cover on cold nights to protect the head while it forms. 

Choose from red or green cabbage cultivars of all different shapes and sizes. ‘Red Acre’ is a purple-leaved variety, and go for ‘Green Express’ for a traditional green head.

Carrot

	botanical name Daucus carota ssp. sativa
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 3”-3’
	hardiness zones 2-11

Carrots are root crops ideal for the fall and winter seasons. They’ll overwinter well in most regions with mulch protection, and you can harvest them as you want to eat them throughout the seasons. 

Carrots need consistent moisture to sprout, and many growers struggle with this first step, including myself! You’ll need to water the seeds daily, unless rainfall keeps them moist. Watch for slugs and snails, as they’ll decimate the seedlings overnight.

Carrots weren’t originally orange! Common ones were yellow and purple. Nowadays, you can find them in oranges, whites, yellows, blacks, and purples. Try ‘Carnival Blend’ for a mix of multiple hues. 

Endive

	botanical name Cichorium endivia
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 10”-2’
	hardiness zones 4-9

Endive tastes bitter, which is why it isn’t as popular in the U.S. as it is in other countries. It’s nutritious, though, and it balances salad mixes with its distinct flavor. 

Endive is also incredibly ornamental in the vegetable garden. Its lacy, frilly leaves decorate the space with their unique shapes. The leaves form a rosette that’s pretty, like ornamental kale. 

Start endive from seeds indoors and transplant seedlings a month to six weeks later. Or, direct sow seeds eight to ten weeks before your first average frost in fall. 

Fava Bean

	botanical name Vicia faba
	sun requirements Full sun
	height 2-6’
	hardiness zones 2-11

Fava beans work well in a variety of garden situations. They’re ideal cover crops over the winter, and their various harvests are delicious during the fall, winter, or spring.

Fava beans produce edible beans in tough pods. They’re tasty as young shelled beans, and more hearty as dry beans later in the season. 

Start fava bean seeds in September to use the plants as cover crops. They struggle to bloom in fall or winter, and they may flower the next spring if they survive the winter. 

Lettuce

	botanical name Lactuca sativa
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 6-12”
	hardiness zones 2-11

Lettuce is a leafy green that matures quickly. It’s superb in the fall garden, especially if you start seeds in September. 

For repeat harvests, sow lettuce seeds consistently every week or two until about a month before the first frost. They’ll mature at different times and give you lettuce leaves whenever you need them in the kitchen. 

Some lettuce cultivars are frost-tolerant. Try the summer crisp variety ‘Ice Queen.’ It’s succulent, crispy, and flavorful.

Kale

	botanical name Brassica oleracea (Acephala Group)
	sun requirements Full sun
	height 1-1.5’
	hardiness zones 2-11

Kale is a close relative of cabbage, bok choy, and broccoli. It’s incredibly diverse, and many cultivars offer various features like red or white leaves and frilly or flat textures.

Unlike cabbage, kale quickly grows leaves to harvest. You’ll be picking them in less than a month in ideal conditions.

Kale is a biennial. If it survives the winter, it’ll flower and produce seeds. Chop it down and replace it with other crops, or let it flower and reseed itself in the garden. 

Radish

	botanical name Raphanus raphanistrum ssp. sativus
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 6”-3’
	hardiness zones 2-11

Radishes are the root vegetables to grow in September! Cooling temperatures create the ideal conditions for them to swell up and grow spicy. Radishes need cool weather, and they’ll bolt and flower if it’s hot in your garden.

Start radish seeds throughout the yard in September, or plant them in rows in your vegetable plots. They tuck in nicely below other taller plants, like cabbage and kale. 

Opt for winter radishes when you start seeds in September. These types tolerate frost and need shortening day lengths to mature. ‘Round Black Spanish’ is my favorite winter radish, as it’s both beautiful and divine in flavor. 

Scallion

	botanical name Allium spp.
	sun requirements Full sun
	height 1-3’
	hardiness zones 6-9

Scallions are winter hardy from zones 6 through 9, but they grow well as annuals in most regions. Also called green onions, scallions are non-bulbing onions that produce a leafy harvest. Snip their leaves whenever you need fresh, mild onion flavor.