The 12 Best Things to Plant in Southern California in September

As September heads to the mid-way point, many gardeners are starting to think to cool weather crops. These plantings may result in autumn or winter produce, spring flowers, or even summer berries. But which plants do best planted in September in Southern California?

Let’s take a look at the 12 best things to plant in Southern California in September.

Berries

For plentiful, sweet harvest next summer, plant your strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, and vine berries in September in Southern California. Provide them with composted soil for a spring to summer harvest that increases each year.

Make sure you amend to soil to suit each kind of berry, though, as blueberries prefer acidic soil and others prefer lower pH levels.

Bok Choy

A fast and easy grower is Bok Choy, that beloved vegetable used in many Asian dishes. This veggie doesn’t form a head like traditional cabbages do, so it’s easier to grow and develops a sweeter taste. The plant does best when planted in September and trimmed all season. For the long-lasting harvest, trim just the outer leaves when they’ve reached 6 to 10 inches.

Celery

The best celery you’ll ever eat is the stuff you grow yourself. Home-grown celery is bushy and flavorful, unlike a lot of the stuff you get from the supermarket. Plant this vegetable in September and expect rich harvests from November to mid-July. For best results, plant a few new plants continuously all autumn.

Plants in the Brassicas Family

Broccoli, arugula, kale, broccolini, cauliflower and mustard greens all belong to the Brassicas family. These plants love cold weather, so do best when planted as the cold creeps into the garden. Some folks start planting them as early as September, with others going as late as October. The cooler the weather, the better, as far as these plants go. You can expect a healthy harvest all winter long, when properly cared for.

Root Vegetables

When mid-September rolls into Southern California, it’s time to plant beets, carrots, radishes, parsnips, and turnips. These root veggies do best in cooler climates, so thrive when planted when the night reaches 55 degrees Fahrenheit and daytimes peak at 75 degrees. Plant new root veggies every couple of weeks to extend your harvest.

Leafy Vegetables

Leafy greens love the cool weather! In fact, spinach, romaine, iceberg, and pretty much all other leafy greens should be planted in September. Ideally, look for the varieties best suited to warm climates. Then, as the autumn rolls through, start harvesting parts of the plants and enjoy a long, fruitful (or is that veggie-full?) harvest all season long.

Snap Peas

Known as either sugar snap peas or snap peas, these beautiful plants thrive when planted in September in Southern California. The annual plants may reach up to 72 inches in length, as vines, and do best in loamy, moist soil. Be sure they have well-draining soil and acidic to neutral soil for best results. Plant them where they will receive either full or partial sun.

Chives

Chives, like many other Alliaceae plants (onions, garlic, leeks) thrive as cool-weather perennials. Summer months bring out their dormancy, but they pop up in autumn and spring with their flavorful vegetables. Chives should be planted in September in Southern California to produce early spring vegetables and then again later autumn produce, if harvested correctly.

Lavender

Establishing lavender in September in Southern California is your best bet. Most folks find this easier to do from nursery plants rather than seeds, but either way, autumn is your best season for planting. The herb will produce beautiful purple to blue blooms in June to July the following year. Use the heady fragrance in your own DIY concoctions, make tea with dried lavender, or simply enjoy the gorgeous blooms.

Fruit Trees

Planting in September in Southern California calls for most fruit trees. Any citrus, like kumquats, lemons, or grapefruit, do best planted this time of year. Mulberries, fig trees, apples, pears, quince, and stone fruit also love September plantings.

The key with these beautiful trees is ensuring each is planted in soil with the right pH, any amendments they require, in well-draining soil.

Calendulas

Vibrant yellow and orange flowers, calendulas thrive in Southern California. Be sure to plant them in partial shade to keep the lovely bloomers healthy. Fertile, well-draining soil will produce healthy plants up to two feet in height when they bloom in autumn all the way to spring. Proper care produces long-lasting blooms.

Peonies

Low maintenance and gorgeous in one, peonies are the perfect flower to plant in September in Southern California. The eye-catching blooms come in many colors, from yellow to red, white, pink, or orange, and others. The gorgeous plants require moist soil and full sun, so plant them carefully. Ensure their soil is well-drained and keep them well watered.