The 12 Best Things to Plant in Arizona in September

As September hits, now at a rushing push toward autumn, we’re thinking about our gardens and what we should plant for next year. For those in the southwest, September often makes the best planting month for vegetables, flowers, and herbs. If you’re specifically looking for your best options for planting in September in Arizona, these 12 plants are solid choices.

Just be sure to prepare your soil properly, plant them with the right companion plants, and take care of them as the winter sets in.

1. Sonoran Desert Natives

If you live near the Sonoran Desert region of the state, the best plants you’ll find are natives to the desert. These should be planted in September for best results. Some of these stunning plants suit xeriscaping (a process of gardening that decreases or removes the need for irrigation) best, but many ideally flourish in raised garden beds with your own produce such as cabbage and cauliflower. Some of the best choices include saguaro cacti, Parry’s agave, hop bushes, sugar sumac, desert willows, desert marigold, and desert ironwood.

2. Chamomile

Chamomile flowers often greet the world with their beautiful white blooms, destined for tea making. But the beautiful flowers thrive as fall-planted blooms in gardens as well, in Arizona. The cool-season annuals thrive in chillier months and particularly do well planted with onions and cabbage. They actually improve the flavor of these companion plants.

3. Gazania

Beautiful flowers known as gazanias, make for perfect September plantings in Arizona. These stunning flowers bloom from late October into June in Arizona. They’re typically considered perennial flowers, but frequently function as annuals in low deserts. They should be planted from mid-September onward.

4. Snapdragons

Snapdragons love cool weather, especially in dry weather conditions like those found in Arizona. The bright flowers “snap” when squeezed (thus the name) and grow tall among the garden beds. They can tolerate container garden planting but thrive in raised and standard beds.

The plants require minimal maintenance but do need some trim back on the bulbs to extend their blooming from early spring to mid-spring.

5. Petunias

The petunia is a lovely flower choice for planting in Arizona in September. These gorgeous blooms will attract the wintering hummingbirds, as well as other pollinators looking for cool weather food sources.

The many varieties of petunias generally do well in Arizona, as long as they have partial shade to avoid the hottest sunlight. They do well as potted flowers or in raised or standard garden beds.

6. Geraniums

Coming in blooms of pink, mauve, white, purple, and similar, geraniums do best when planted in September in Arizona. They need loads of sunlight, between five and six hours in winter and autumn. Plant them in healthy, loose soil, with proper drainage, and keep them watered without water logging them.

The perennials come in many varieties with almost any thriving in Arizona when properly care for. And, when well-grown, they’ll reach heights of 1 or 2 feet tall, making for excellent borders, garden bed plants, and container garden blooms.

7. Spinach

A leafy green that thrives in Arizona when planted in September, spinach is a winner in anyone’s book. The veggie comes packed with iron and other nutrients our bodies need, while making for the perfect salad base or omelet cook-in ingredient.

Spinach thrives in cooler autumn months of Arizona and can grow while snow and frost grace the season with their icy white. Plant spinach in September in garden beds or containers.

Popular varieties that do well in Arizona include:

• Savoy
• Semi-savoy
• Flat.

8. Lettuce

A cold-hardy and versatile plant, lettuce is perfect for planting in September in Arizona. Lettuce will grow through even a bit of snow or frost, if your part of the state sees those. Lettuce is also low maintenance, needing no fertilizer, and water just once a week. Plus, most varieties do well in any soil type. Lettuce may also be harvested any time of year, so plant in September for a healthy first crop and keep the plants going all year-round.

Just be sure to plant your lettuce in partial shade to avoid the flowering of the plant in summertime, which renders the plant inedible.

Great varieties for Arizona include:

• Butterhead
• Loose leaf
• Boston.

9. Kale

A winter-hardy leafy green you may want to plant in Arizona in September is the delicious kale plant. This particular plant may be grown throughout the year, though, not just specific seasons. So, plant away in September, and keep the plants growing and producing for harvest all year long.

Kale in Arizona is perfect for both garden beds and containers. For many, potted kale is ideal, though, because the plant does not do well in extreme heat. Whichever you choose, though, make sure the plant won’t be in direct sunlight in summertime, as this will cause the plant to flower and become inedible.

Best varieties for Arizona include:

• Curly
• Lacinato
• Ornamental
• Red Russian.

10. Squash

A number of squash plants do best when planted in September in Arizona. Acorn, zucchini, pumpkin, butternut, and spaghetti squash are just a few.

These squash, and several others, do best when planted in cool weather as a late fall harvest or summer harvest plant. Be sure the varieties you choose are cool weather if you want them before the season ends or summer harvest if you’re looking to next year.

11. Cauliflower

For folks who love cauliflower or those on a low-carb diet, cauliflower is the perfect veggie to plant in September in Arizona. The plant is frequently used to substitute rice, potatoes, and other things that are much higher in carbs. Plus, it’s packed with nutrients, including natural prebiotic fiber to help improve gut and hormone production health.

Cauliflower requires at least two months of cool weather before it will produce quality crops, so plant outdoors in mid-to-late September.

Some of the best varieties of cauliflower for Arizona include:

• Cheddar hybrid
• Graffiti hybrid (purple)
• Snowball Y (organic).

12. Broccoli

One fantastic cool weather veggie to plant in September in Arizona is broccoli. The fresh, organic plant at home is better than anything you’ll ever buy at the store. The plant thrives in cool weather and should be harvested while it’s still cool, that is, before warm weather hits.

Plant broccoli starting in September and as late as January for beautiful crops all cool season long! Be sure to harvest before the temperatures hit 75 degrees F.

Best varieties for Arizona include:

• Romanesco broccoli (heirloom)
• Chinese broccoli (Kailaan)
• Belstar broccoli seeds (organic, heat-resistant)
• Waltham 29 broccoli (heirloom).

Summary of the 12 Best Things to Plant in Arizona in September

Here’s a quick recap of the top 12 vegetables, flowers, and herbs to plant in September in Arizona.

The photo featured at the top of this post is © Alexander Knyazhinsky/Shutterstock.com