Garden Q&A: What vegetables should I plant in September?

  Whether you're a gardening beginner or expert, Irish Examiner columnist Peter Dowdall has the answer to your questions  

You can sow hardy crops like spinach (pictured) and rocket, winter lettuce, and oriental greens such as pak choi and mizuna for autumn and winter harvesting at this time of year. File picture

Question

What should I be doing in the veg patch this month? Is there anything that I can plant there now?

Answer

September is a brilliant month to give yourself a head start in the veg patch. The soil is still warm, allowing seeds to germinate quickly; however, the cooler nights slow pests and reduce stress on young plants.

You can sow hardy crops like spinach, rocket, winter lettuce, and oriental greens, such as pak choi and mizuna, for autumn and winter harvesting. 

Broad beans and overwintering onion sets planted now will root over winter and shoot away early in spring, giving you earlier harvests than spring-sown crops.

Garlic can also go in this month in milder areas. If beds are empty, dig in compost or well-rotted manure so nutrients are ready for spring planting. 

Keep weeds down to reduce competition, and cover bare soil with a green manure crop to protect and enrich it. These small jobs now mean your plot will be more productive and ready to burst into life next year.

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