Zone 4 - What to Plant in September

Zone 4 - What to Plant in September

Zone 4 growers typically don't have too many options to plant in September. Zone 4 first frost usually occurs in late September to early October. That being said, there's still some items you can still plant. It's the perfect time to plant garlic so you get a fast start next spring. Also there are several cover crops that can be planted now to help bring nutrients back to the garden this fall and early spring. Below is a list of items that can be planted in zone 4 in September.

The Dazzling Blue Kale is a beautiful, cold-tolerant lacinato-type that produces large blue-green leaves with deep purple veins. This kale is sure to add a delicious pop of color to any salad! This variety will survive freezing temperatures better than other lacinato types and will even intensify with cool temperatures.

The Red Giant is a large mustard with an excellent, pungent flavor. This variety is a large purple-red leaf type. The Red Giant is great used as an ornamental or salad garnish. This variety's flavor has a slight hint of wasabi and grey poupon.

Garland Serrate Leaf Greens is a delicious Japanese green that is an edible chrysanthemum. This popular Japanese green has serrated, dark green aromatic leaves that have an excellent flavor that becomes stronger with age. Garland Serrate is easy to grow and produces high yields with side shoots.

The Red Russian Kale is a very tender, colorful specialty kale for salad mix and bunching. This variety is a special, refined strain. Its stems are purple and leaves are deep gray-green with purple veins. This flat, noncurled, and tooth-edged kale has a wonderful taste. Red Russian matures medium-tall and leaves are tender compared to other kales.

The Brilliant Rainbow Quinoa blends beautifully into meals or salads. Just like its name, this quinoa contains a spectrum of many different colored heads - red, orange, gold, white, and green. The Brilliant Rainbow Quinoa's leaves have a salty spinach-like flavor. Harvest for greens when 6-8" tall or let grow for beautiful tall blooms that can be harvested for grain. This Quinoa's grain has a nutty flavor that goes well with any dish!

The Win Win Choi Pak Choi is definitely a winner! This Bok Choy (Pak Choi) variety is has the perfect vase shape. Win Win Choi has large bulky uniform white-stems that are 10-12" tall and very tasty. This Bok Choy variety's green leaves are slightly smaller than the Joi Choi variety.

Tendergreen Spinach (Komatsuna) mustard is a prized leafy green known for its mild flavor and tender texture, making it a favorite in both culinary and gardening circles. This variety of mustard greens has its roots in traditional Southern U.S. agriculture, where it has been cultivated for its versatility and ease of growth. Characterized by its large, bright green leaves with a smooth, slightly wrinkled texture, Tendergreen mustard is valued for its mild, peppery flavor that becomes more pronounced when cooked. The plants grow rapidly, reaching maturity in about 40 to 50 days, and are known for their robust, upright growth habit, typically standing 12 to 18 inches tall. They produce small, yellow flowers in early spring if allowed to bolt, though they are primarily grown for their leaves. Tendergreen mustard thrives in cool weather and can be grown in a variety of soil types as long as they are well-drained. The plant’s resilience and quick harvest make it ideal for successive plantings, providing a continuous supply of fresh greens. With its rich flavor, adaptable growing conditions, and rapid growth, Tendergreen mustard is a valuable addition to any vegetable garden.

Tatsoi is a flavorful and versatile Asian green that thrives in cooler weather, making it a popular choice for spring and fall plantings. Known for its glossy, dark green, spoon-shaped leaves, Tatsoi has a mild, mustard-like flavor with a slight sweetness, making it a great addition to salads, stir-fries, or as a garnish. Tatsoi seeds produce compact, rosette-shaped plants that grow quickly and are easy to harvest, often within 30 to 40 days. This hardy green is also appreciated for its high nutritional value, offering a rich source of vitamins A, C, and K, as well as calcium and iron. Its adaptability and fast-growing nature make Tatsoi a favorite among both commercial growers and home gardeners looking to add a nutrient-dense and visually appealing crop to their gardens.

Li Ren Choi cabbage is good looking mini pak choi with light green stems and slightly darker green leaves. This variety develops a pak choi shape at a very early stage. It can even be planted in trays and harvested at transplanting time. It is one of the smaller mini pak choies on the market. Excellent production for pak choi hearts.

The Curled Cress is a highly nutritious aquatic green. This cress has been cultivated for hundreds of years. This peppery and pungent cress has the same tangy flavor as watercress, as they are of the same botanical family. Curled cress is great for seed sprouting or microgreen growing!

The Vit Mache, or also known as Lamb's Lettuce, is a green that is excellent for gourmet salads or as a garnish. Vit Mache produces good yields of 3" salad leaves. This green has a mild taste and is usually mixed together with Endive, Mustard, and Arugula. Vit Mache will produce a fall/winter harvest. Sow every 2 weeks.

The Lacinato Kale is an old Italian heirloom kale that has very large tender leaves. This favorite is now available in organic seeds! The Lacinato, or also known as Dinosaur kale, Black Magic or Toscano, is popular for home gardening and fresh markets. Its scaly, bumpy leaves are large dark blue-green and very delicious. Pick young for the most tender leaves. The Lacinato produces high yields and can be harvested continually. Certified Organic. Learn more about our organic seeds.

The Red Veined Sorrel is a delicate green with an excellent flavor! This Red Veined Sorrel is a fast growing green that adds a delicious flavor and texture to salads. This green's leaves are best young with a sharp tart flavor that is unique to this plant. The central vein is a dark maroon that webs out throughout the leaf. This variety has very showy leaves that is great for salads, soups, stews and more.

Mei Qing Choi cabbage is a Shanghai pak choi type with good heat and cold tolerance and bolting resistance. In the U.S., this variety is harvested as baby pak choi. It is smaller than Joi Choi, weighing about a quarter of a pound. This pak choi has an excellent flavor and is extra tender.

The Hon Tsai Tai has deep purple tender stalks with a slight mustard flavor that is great in different salads or cooked into stir fries! Its green leaves have petite florets that are best harvested right before the bright yellow blossoms open. Hon Tsa Tai is best grown in mid to late summer.

Scarlet kale seeds are a vibrant and intriguing choice for any garden enthusiast looking to add a splash of color and a touch of nutrition to their harvest. These seeds produce kale with striking red and purple leaves that not only brighten up your garden but also provide a visually stunning addition to your plate. Rich in antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals, scarlet kale is as beneficial as it is beautiful. Its bold flavor, with a slightly peppery bite, can elevate a variety of dishes from salads to soups. Easy to grow, these seeds thrive in cooler weather and are resilient to frost, making them a versatile option for extending the growing season. With scarlet kale, you're not just cultivating a nutritious vegetable; you're enhancing your garden's aesthetic appeal with a vibrant, healthful crop.

The White Russian Kale is a delicious dark green oak leaf cut kale with white stems that is amazing when cooked or eaten raw. This variety has a crisp sweet flavor that only intensifies when it is cooked. This popular kale is also disease resistant.

The Dwarf Siberian Kale leaves are perfect as a garnish and in hearty winter dishes. This frilly green and purple kale dances in the crisp early morning cold and thrive. Why? Because its roots are from Russia!