Summer is drawing to a close, but that doesn't mean it's time to call it quits on the garden. If you are looking to grow your own food, you might think that the time has passed and planting anything else is useless - but you'd be wrong. Some vegetables are happy to get growing in cooler weather, so September is a great time to get these planted.
Jo McGarry, garden design expert at Caragh Nurseries, has shared four vegetables you can still plant this September for a flourishing crop later in the year. These seeds will happily grow through the colder months, meaning you can enjoy home grown produce for longer.
Spinach and Rocket for Cooler Weather
Her first recommendation is spinach. She said: “Spinach is a really easy one to get going in September because it doesn't mind the cooler weather.
“Go for a hardy variety and you can keep picking fresh leaves through autumn, and some can even keep going through winter if the conditions are right.”
Another popular green will also be happy to grow in cooler weather - rocket. The peppery salad leaves grow quickly so it's a good thing to plant and enjoy fast.
Jo said: “It grows quite quickly, so you can still get a decent crop in autumn. Once the temperatures really start to drop it will slow down, but a sheltered spot can help you get a little more out of it.”
Spring Onions and Winter Lettuce
Her third suggestion for easy to grow vegetables are spring onions - they're easy to grow and compact enough to tuck into gaps. She said: “Spring onions are a really handy one to get in the ground in September, particularly if you go for a hardy variety.
“Getting them in now gives them time to settle before the colder weather really sets in.”
Jo's final recommendation is winter lettuce. She said: “If you want something fresh to pick as the weather gets cooler, winter lettuce is a good one to go for.
“September is a great time to get it in, especially if you've got somewhere a bit sheltered. You can just pick the leaves as you need them, so you don't have to pull up the whole plant at once.”
