Zone 6 - What to Plant in September

Zone 6 - What to Plant in September

Zone 6 growers still typically have another couple months of growing season until the first frost hits. Zone 6 first frost usually occurs in late October. September is the perfect time to plant garlic, greens, kale, lettuce, peas, radish, spinach and more. 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 6 in September.

The Garden Sorrel has delicious lemon flavored leaves that go great with a zesty salad or savory soup! These greens are best harvested in early spring and late fall when it's most tender. Garden Sorrel has pointed leaves that form thick clumps. The Garden Sorrel is popular for being high in Vitamin C.

The Pink Beauty Radish is named after its beautiful, uniformed light pink exterior that is crisp and jam packed full of flavor. This round beauty has a bright white flesh that is crunchy and with the perfect radish taste. This quick-growing variety is a great addition to any garden! The Pink Beauty will add a nice pop of color to any garden or dish.

The Chrystal Batavian Lettuce is known for its beautifully colored leaves! This lettuce's coloring has a bright purplish red contrast on broad green loose leaves. The Chrystal Batavian is a summer crisp type of lettuce.

The Sparkler Radish is a bright scarlet colored radish with a sweet, juicy flesh and snappy flavor. This variety's scarlet skin fades to white on lower 1/3 of its round, to round oval bulb. This radish's medium tops are perfect for both home and market gardens. Sparkler can grow up to 1.5" diameter.

Buttercrunch is a popular bibb type lettuce that has sweet, high yielding leaves. This variety is a loose head lettuce that has thick green leaves and a small, tight head. Buttercrunch maintains its sweetness well when grown in the heat of summer and it goes into fall without bolting.

The Santa Fe Lettuce produces a small blanched head that is surrounded by green outer leaves with a tinged bronze-red tip. This variety is a favorite for being extra crunchy!

The Jericho Lettuce is known for its great baby leaf production and is very tolerant to hot weather. This lettuce is a blonde romaine that can be grown for both baby leaf and full-size heads. This lettuce variety is very attractive with its bright light-green leaves. Jericho is tolerant to both heat and tipburn. Certified Organic. Learn more about our organic seeds.

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 Early Frosty Pea is an old heirloom that, just like its name suggests, thrives in the colder climates. This variety does great in early spring or short season plantings. The vines are cold hardy and can grow to 30." This pea plant yields 3 1/2” pods filled with 6-7 delicious medium sized peas that are excellent for fresh eating or freezing for later use.

The Dwarf Grey Sugar Pea is one of our customer favorite peas! Produces an abundance of attractive purple and blue flowers. These flowers are edible, have a light pea flavor and look great on many dishes. The mature peas are very flavorful and is ideal for steaming, stir-frying or eating fresh out of the garden. Dwarf Grey Sugar Pea is suitable for northern and southern regions, as it is tolerant to heat and cold.

Crunchy Royale is a dark red, round radish ideal for bunching or cello pack. It yields high quality and extremely uniform roots. Overall, Crunchy Royale offers excellent internal and external color and a high pack-out rate for growers.

Lakeside smooth leaf spinach with dark green leaves. It has a round to oval leaf shape with an upright plant habit that makes it easy to harvest. It is a very versatile variety it can be used for baby leaf, bunch or clip.

Grand Rapid TBR lettuce is a versatile variety derived from the classic Grand Rapid lettuce, known for its resistance to diseases like downy mildew. Originating in the early 20th century, this loose-leaf type features frilled, light green leaves that form a rosette, offering both beauty and texture. The flavor is crisp and mild, making it a delightful addition to salads and sandwiches. Harvesting can begin around 45 days after planting, with the option to pick individual leaves for a continuous supply or to cut the entire head when fully mature. Grand Rapid TBR lettuce thrives in cooler climates and prefers well-drained soil, making it an excellent choice for both spring and fall gardens, particularly for home gardeners seeking a reliable and flavorful crop.

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.

The French Breakfast Radish has a delicate flavor and is an excellent variety for home gardens. This radish variety is an attractive uniquely shaped radish with elongated roots and red tops with white tips. The French Breakfast has an excellent flavor and texture, that is perfect for dips or as a garnish.

Great Lakes 118 lettuce is a classic butterhead variety that has gained popularity among gardeners since its introduction in the mid-20th century. Known for its compact, dense heads and vibrant green, slightly crinkled leaves, this lettuce offers a pleasing texture and rich, buttery flavor. The taste is mildly sweet and crisp, making it ideal for salads and sandwiches. Harvesting typically occurs around 60-75 days after planting, when the heads are firm and fully developed; gardeners can either cut the entire head or pick individual leaves as needed. Great Lakes 118 thrives in cooler temperatures and well-drained soil, making it a favorite choice for spring and fall planting, and it’s particularly valued for its ability to withstand heat and maintain flavor.

Mizuna Green Mustard is a tasty Asian spinach variety that is amazing raw in different salads or cooked. This variety's narrow green leaves are very tasty and have a non-pungent flavor. Mizuna Green Mustard is fast growing and produces high yields. This green is popularly used in many salad mixes! Organic seed available.

The Purple Plum is an amazing purple skinned radish with a crisp, mild and sweet white flesh! This unique radish is different from the "typical" radish coloring. This small round shaped radish is early to harvest, which makes it great for home and market growers. Purple Plum is a nice variety to blend with other colors in mixes!

The Progress No. 9 Pea is a very prolific and early yielding shelling pea! This wrinkle-seeded pea is fast growing and produces plump dark green pods. Enjoy 7-9 delicious peas per pod that are perfect for soups or as a side dish. The Progress No. 9 holds well on the vine and is also disease resistant. Certified Organic. Learn more about our organic seeds.

The Golden Sweet Pea is really the gold standard for yellow shelling peas! This yellow pod snow pea grows to be around 3 inches long. This pea has a wonderful sweet taste and can be eaten raw in salads or steamed as a side dish. The large 5-6 foot vines need to be trellised and will grow beautiful purple flowers. Certified Organic. Learn more about our organic seeds.

The Sugar Magnolia Pea is a beautiful deep purple colored sugar snap pea that is the result of over 15 years of development! This spectacular beauty has a very sweet flavor and is best before the pods get too fat. Make sure that this climbing variety has a trellis, as its sturdy vines reach to be 6-7 feet tall. Add the Sugar Magnolia to fresh salads or as a steamed side dish for a pop of color!

The Taiwan Sugar Pea is known as the queen of the Orient, making it the ultimate sugary sweet pea for stir fries and salads. These crisp pods are delicious cooked or raw and will just melt in your mouth! These large sweet pods originated in Taiwan and like cooler temperatures to give it its fresh sweet flavor. Certified Organic. Learn more about our organic seeds.

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.

Crunchy Crimson radish is a high yielding root with superior quality and uniformity. These roots have bright red skin with excellent interior quality and are very slow to develop pith. Crunchy Crimson grows well under cool conditions.

Riverside is a smooth spinach with dark green leaves. Grown mostly for its spade-shaped baby leaf harvesting. Riverside produces at normal rates with an upright plant habit. Excellent for growers who want premium quality product. Riverside is also very resistant to downy mildew.

Tango Lettuce is a fun curled baby leaf lettuce variety! This lettuce has a crisp clean texture and holds up well with numerous salad dressings. This attractive uniform plant forms tight erect rosettes that are 12" across and 6-8" tall. Tango is an oak leaf variety.

The Ruby Red Lettuce is an early variety that produces good yields of bright green to ruby red colored leaves. This beautiful variety is a very heat tolerant lettuce that is slow to bolt. Ruby Red's color does not fade in the hot weather! This lettuce is excellent for adding color to salads or garnishes.

The Selway is a Lolla Rossa type lettuce with beautiful light green and dark purple coloring. This variety has deeply curled loose leaves with frilled dark-purple edges edges. The Selway is an essential in salad mixes for its color and taste. For baby leaf production, this variety can be harvested in 30 days and for full sized leaves, it can be harvested in 55 days and can be cut repeatedly!

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.

The red veined Red Tabby Spinach has beautiful tender smooth leaves. This variety is an excellent baby leaf spinach that does well in spring, fall and winter. Its uniform, smooth leaves grow straight and upright. Red Tabby is also resistant to downy mildew races 1-13.

All The Year Round Lettuce is a medium-sized green headed lettuce that is just like its name, good for all the year round! This slow bolt variety is solid even in hot weather, and good for far northern areas as it is very hardy. Sow All The Year Round in spring or late summer!

Carmona Red is a favorite among many market growers! This lettuce variety produces big, bright red heads with lime green hearts. The Carmona Red has a nice silky texture and is very disease resistance.

Black Spanish Round Radish is a unique black old heirloom that has a nutty and slightly spicy flavor! This black beauty radish is making a comeback! Its firm flesh holds up well in meals. The Black Spanish Round is best grown from late winter to early spring and is a healthy spring vegetable.

The Sunset is a beautiful deep red looseleaf lettuce that is slow to bolt. The very attractive crinkled leaves make it a favorite in any salad or dish. This lettuce was an AAS winner in 1987, and since has been known to be a rare lettuce leaf. The delicious Sunset lettuce is a great variety for home and market growers alike. Certified Organic. Learn more about our organic seeds.

Just like its name, the Tom Thumb Pea is a tiny bush pea plant perfect for containers! If you are hurting for space but want to grow some delicious peas, try the Tom Thumb! This pea variety produces pea pods on a tiny pea plant.

The Little Marvel Pea is a well known old time home garden favorite, that is really a marvel! This pea is an excellent choice selected for its high yield potential and excellent sweet flavor making it the most satisfactory pea in the home garden. This variety's plants are very productive and compact and will grow up to 30" tall. Little Marvel produces small bright green pods with luscious, sugary peas that stay tender and sweet even when fully ripe!

The Sugar Snap Pea is a garden staple pea that has unmatchable taste! This variety has tall vines that with support can grow up to 6 feet plus! The Sugar Snap Pea plant produces 3" long pods that are a 1/2" across, and bear over a long picking period. This is pea is so tasty that people will eat it directly after picking! Sugar Snap yields well in both hot and cold weather.

Feng Qing Choi cabbage is a slow bolting Mei Qing Choi type with good plant size and dark leaf color. This variety has excellent holding ability and uniformity.

California Late is the most commonly used garlic in the United States. This variety produces large bulbs with 12-16 good size cloves. California Late is more on the hot side with a classic garlic flavor. California Late is later maturing than California Early, as it ripens in July. It stores for about 8-12 months. California Late is a really great all around use garlic that is also excellent for baking.

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!

The Prizehead Lettuce produces luscious slow bolting heads of loose, large green leaves with curled maroon tips. This variety is a popular lettuce for both home gardens and markets. Prizehead is truly a prize for its flavor being great in salads and sandwiches.

The Green Frills Mustard is a vibrantly frilly green with deep cuts. With an upright growth habit, this variety's leaves are a bright green with a delicious, crisp peppery taste. Green Frills Mustard is great at resisting bolting!

Interior texture is smooth and dense with bright white color, even when roots get large. Exceptional quality and taste when picked young, but still tasty if allowed to sit in the garden longer, giving gardener an extended harvest opportunity.

The Crisp Mint Lettuce is a big romaine variety with mint green-colored leaves that will be sure to stand out in any home garden! This bold lettuce is only mint in color, not taste. However, its sweet and crunchy leaves will be a favorite addition to any salad or sandwich. Crisp Mint's heads will reach 10 inches tall making it perfect for a container garden!

The Fiesta Blend is a five color radish blend of red, pink, yellow, white and purple! This colorful blend will be sure to a pop of fun color to any garden. Serving up the Fiesta Blend in salads or dishes is a great addition to any party or gathering!

The Cincinnati Market Radish is a uniquely skinny and elongated pink to red radish that is a fresh-from-the-garden-favorite! This six inch variety has a delicately mild taste with a very tender and crisp texture, making it perfect for fresh eating. The early maturing radish has been an heirloom garden favorite since 1885. You can enjoy the delicious Cincinnati Market from spring to fall.

The Viroflay Spinach is a gourmet French heirloom that was developed prior to 1866. The big, smooth leaves of this Spinach variety is a deep green color and grows up to 10 inches long. This very fast growing plant is popular for fall planting.

The Lincoln Pea is an extra tender variety with a sweet flavor and high yields. This pea variety was introduced just after World War II during the peace time. Lincoln quickly became a popular home garden variety due to its versatility, as it can be eaten fresh, froze or canned. Its pods can reach 4-5" in length and are full of 6-9 sweet, tender peas. Lincoln does well in heat and should have a small pea fence or some sort of support or its vines.

The Oregon Giant Pea plant has excellent yield potential. This variety is a home garden favorite that offers a great flavored pod if eaten while young and its peas have a great sugar flavor!

This pak choi's tender leaves and crisp sweet stalks are a tasty addition to recipes or eaten raw. Swap stalks for celery sticks, add to soups and stews, or grill on the barbecue. Plant every couple of weeks for successive harvests in spring and fall; Bopak retains it’s nice flavor even in warmer weather.

Countryside is a beautiful dark green very uniform baby leaf spinach variety. It has thick smooth round oval leaves. Countryside has good holding ability for baby leaf and it has acceptable bolt tolerance for fresh market growers. Due to its moderate growth habit, it has performed well in many West Coast baby leaf growing slots.

Bogatyr garlic are small and intense. Its bulb wrappers are thick and parchment-like with white skin showcasing purple and violet stripes. As you peel away the outer wrappers, the purple striping intensifies, becoming almost a solid mix of purple hues surrounding the cloves. A single bulb will house five to six plump cloves. The peeled cloves are creamy white and dense. Bogatyr garlic is known for its fiery, raw heat that diminishes quickly to a mild and pleasant flavor.

The Little Gem Lettuce is an old time favorite, its truly a gem! This variety can be served whole or as a miniature green romaine. This lettuce produces tender green leaves with a blanched thick heart. Little Gem's heads are about 4 inches across and are prime eating from 4-6 inches tall. The plants can be spaced 6 1/2 by 6 1/2 inches for maximum yields.

The Green Towers Lettuce is an easy to grow, tasty green leaf lettuce. This lettuce variety offers a mild flavor with an attractive semi-savoyed texture. The Green Towers is a favorite for its adaptability and dense habit! This lettuce will grow great in any climate!

Crimson radish is a vibrant and flavorful variety of radish that stands out for its striking color and crisp texture. Originating from traditional radish cultivars, Crimson radish has been cultivated for its eye-catching appearance and peppery taste. This variety is known for its round, smooth roots, which boast a deep red to crimson skin and a white, crunchy interior. The flavor is typically sharp and tangy, with a satisfying bite that enhances salads, sandwiches, and garnishes. Crimson radishes generally mature in about 25 to 30 days, making them a quick and rewarding crop for gardeners. The plants exhibit a compact, upright growth habit, growing to a height of about 6 to 12 inches with a spread of 6 to 8 inches. They thrive in cool weather and well-drained soil, preferring full sun to partial shade. Their rapid growth and ease of cultivation make them ideal for successive plantings, providing a steady supply of fresh radishes throughout the growing season. With their vibrant color, crisp texture, and zesty flavor, Crimson radishes are a popular choice for adding both visual appeal and flavor to the garden and kitchen.

Iceberg Lettuce is the tried and true lettuce that is an easy to grow, slow bolting crisphead. This variety has proven to be one of the most popular crispheads for years! Iceberg is a great lettuce that performs exceptionally well under warm weather conditions. This compact lettuce plant features better leaf texture and quality than other varieties. This variety resists rib discoloration and tip burn.

The Braising Mix Blend is growing trend in the market which uses a blend of different delicious mustard and arugula varieties. Our dealers can help you develop a custom braising mix for your specific market or growing region. This blend is used for multiple picking in home gardens. This very healthy alternative to lettuce blends is becoming very popular.

The Garden Mesclun Blend is a mixture of light green to emerald, and bronze to deep red lettuces as well as endive and radicchio for a crunchy, zesty flavor that is a perfect addition to any salad!

The Cimarron is a very beautifully colored romaine lettuce! This tasty lettuce has bright green-red leaves that fade to deep red tips. This romaine type lettuce has good disease and bolt resistance. Cimarron is a favorite among gardeners for its beautiful hue and crispy texture in salad mixes!

The Crayon Colors Mix is a mixture of primary colored radishes that literally paints a wonderful colorful palette in your garden! The color in this mix includes yellow, pink, red, and purple.

Sugar Ann is a 1984 All America Selections winner! This snap pea variety has an edible pod that offers earliness, productivity, and a compact growth habit. The crisp, sweet succulent 3 inch pods are ready to eat in just 10 to 14 days ahead of the original Sugar Snap, and remain in prime eating condition for days.

Green Arrow peas are a classic heirloom variety valued for their exceptional taste and reliable performance. Originating from the United Kingdom, this variety has been a staple in gardens for many decades. The Green Arrow pea plant is known for its vigorous, upright growth habit, typically reaching heights of 2 to 3 feet, making it suitable for small to medium-sized gardens and easy to manage without extensive support. The peas themselves are distinguished by their smooth, bright green pods and plump, tender peas that offer a sweet, fresh flavor. These peas are primarily used for fresh eating, though they are also excellent for freezing. They are generally harvested when the pods are fully formed but still tender, usually in late spring to early summer. The Green Arrow variety is appreciated for its high yield and disease resistance, which contribute to a bountiful harvest. With its sweet flavor, productive growth, and ease of cultivation, Green Arrow peas remain a popular choice among gardeners seeking a dependable and delicious pea variety.

A 1918 The Great Northern Seed Company says this variety is not withstanding its immense size. This variety does not get hollow or pithy and its flesh remains sparkling white, solid, crisp and juicy. This slower bolting variety has the mildest flavor with a tender, crunchy texture.

True Watercress is a delicious highly nutritious aquatic herb. This watercress has a wonderful fresh peppery-tasting flavor. Being semiaquatic, this cress is a creeping perennial whose leaves are popular in salads, sandwiches and as a garnish. True Watercress grow rapidly in in damp soil and can be grown in pots of soil placed in a tub of water if water is changed weekly.

The Red Salad Bowl is a very popular loose-leaf heirloom lettuce that is heat resistant. This variety is an appealing, slow bolting deep red leaf lettuce with finely divided leaves. The Red Salad Bowl has a sweet and tender flavor and is a colorful delight for many dishes and salads! This variety is a favorite for being quick grow and great for cut and come again harvesting.

Freckles Lettuce gets its name for being an unusual bright green romaine lettuce with crimson freckles! This uniquely colored lettuce is sun-loving and grows upright. This variety has a crisp texture that can be harvested early or late!

The Gourmet Mesclun Blend is a colorful mixture of our favorite gourmet leaves! This blend offers a pleasing mix of colors and types of lettuce that are delicious together in a salad. The Gourmet Mesclun Blend is also great for baby leaf production.

The Black Seeded Simpson Lettuce is a very early and dependable lettuce. This large upright, compact leaf-type lettuce produces delicious light green, wide, curled leaves. The Black Seeded Simpson is a productive variety!

The Winter Density Lettuce is a favorite cold weather Romaine! This variety produces compact, extra-dark green heads that are 8" tall and very tightly folded. The Winter Density gets its name for doing well in the cold weather!

The Tom Thumb Lettuce is a tennis ball sized Bibb type with a great flavor! This slightly savory, bright green lettuce produces small compact heads that have slightly crumpled leaves with a sweet, delicate flavor. One head will make a salad for two! Tom Thumb will grow beautifully in small pots, window boxes, hanging baskets and planted under trees. This variety is the oldest American lettuce still grown, dating back to 1830's! This rare find is a good one!