As summer winds down, the days get shorter, the sunsets come earlier and the evening air begins to cool. Now’s the perfect time to reflect on the growing season. What worked well? What didn’t? What will your Next Year Self thank you for remembering?

Make a few notes while the season is still fresh in your mind. What crops should you plant more of? Which ones didn’t thrive? What timing might need adjusting to get that ultimate harvest next year?

SECOND-SEASON PLANTING

Fortunately, September is often called the “second season of planting.” There’s still time to get crops in the ground or start planning ahead with intention.

This is when gardeners can stop deadheading annuals and let flowers go to seed. Let your poppies, zinnias and basil make seed you can collect for next year or leave them to become winter bird food. Perennials like echinacea, sedum, clematis and ornamental grasses are also setting seed now, which can also be gathered. Even seeds dropped from your neighbors’ plants or public landscaping can surprise you come spring.

September is ideal for planting bulbs and perennials that will flower in April and May. Getting them in the ground now gives their roots time to establish before winter, leading to earlier and bigger blooms.

Tulips, daffodils and alliums are popular for their over-wintering abilities, but don’t overlook fall planting for shrubs and trees either. This time of year often brings great end-of-season discounts on landscaping plants and the cooler weather is on your side.

Hold off on pruning and fertilizing now. Both encourage new growth, which can harm perennials that need to go dormant before winter. You can still give plants a dose of compost tea in early September, but granular fertilizers won’t benefit this year’s crop and could leach away over winter, wasting resources and money.

COOL SEASON CROPS TO PLANT NOW

September is also the perfect time for cool-season vegetables. These crops thrive in chilly weather and can extend your harvest well into late fall and beyond with the right protection.

Start with cut-and-come-again greens like lettuce, spinach, arugula and mustards (they can be cut for a meal and then will regrow). Group them in one bed to make winter protection easier. Even though they’re frost-hardy, simple setups like wire hoops with bed sheets, straw bale enclosures or plastic cold frames can help extend the harvest to Thanksgiving and later.

While cabbage, Brussels sprouts and cauliflower are cool-weather crops, they struggle to mature once daylight hours shorten dramatically in October. Save them for early spring. Instead, plant kale, chard and Asian greens like fast-growing tatsoi, bok choy, pak choi and Chinese broccoli, which matures quicker than traditional broccoli. Peas will keep growing into fall, but flower production will slow. Still, the tender shoots and tendrils are perfect for salads and stir-fries.

Radishes, mini daikon, turnips, beets, carrots, kohlrabi and leeks all grow well in cooler weather. Choose short-season varieties, especially for carrots, to ensure they mature before winter. They tend to be smaller, but they can handle lower light and chilly temps, and once hard frosts arrive, a heavy layer of mulch or tarp can insulate them in the ground and keep them from freezing and turning rubbery. I’ve harvested delicious roots straight through February by digging as needed with a pitchfork or shovel.

DON’T FORGET COVER CROPS

Consider planting a cover crop in garden beds you won’t be using this fall. These help prevent erosion, moderate soil temperature and feed the soil over winter. They also attract blowing snow, increasing soil moisture by spring.

Winter hardy options like wheat, barley, ryegrass and clover support soil biology and suppress weeds, but can be a challenge for gardeners as they need to be terminated in spring before planting. Winter-kill crops like mustards, peas, oats and radishes die back after freezing, leaving behind a natural mulch that adds organic matter and nutrients for next year’s crops. 

READER QUESTION

How do you move a flowering plant mid-season without shock?

A healthy flowering plant in my small vegetable garden was getting too big, so I carefully removed it to re-home it. Unfortunately, it went into shock. What are the best practices for moving a plant mid-season? And what can be done to save a plant once it’s in shock?

- Cathy

Bryan’s advice: Transplanting flowering plants is always tough. When a plant is in bloom, most of its energy is focused on producing flowers, so any disturbance to the roots makes it harder for the plant to recover. As a general rule, it’s best to transplant before flowering. For late-summer and fall bloomers, spring is the best time. In general, gardeners avoid transplanting during the heat of summer and instead aim for spring or fall. If you do need to move a plant mid-summer, here are some tips:

• Pre-water the new planting hole, and consider adding a little nutrient boost like kelp or humate to help recovery.

• When lifting the plant, dig well below the root ball to minimize damage.

• After transplanting, provide shade. Even something as simple as an old sheet or tablecloth can protect the plant from harsh sun.

• Gradually reintroduce sunlight—morning or evening light for a couple of days, then full exposure after about five to six days.

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