Zone 10 · September · 11 weeks before first frost
What to plant in September in Zone 10
Typical last frost in zone 10 is around Feb 15, and first frost around Dec 1. Autumn sowing closes. Cold zones are ending their season; warm zones are entering the best month of their year.
Start indoors this month
Seed trays indoors, under a light or in the brightest window you have. These are slow crops that need a head start on the season.
Nothing in our dataset needs an indoor start this month in this zone.
Set out into the final container
Transplants go into the pot they will finish in. Hardening them off for four to five days first prevents most transplant shock.
No transplanting window is open this month here.
Direct sow
Sow straight into the final pot. These crops resent root disturbance, and transplanting them usually costs more time than it saves.
No direct-sowing window this month in this zone.
Sow for autumn
A second sowing timed backwards from first frost. Fewer pests, less watering, and better flavour in most cool crops.
- Bush Bean — window Sep 22 – Oct 13 (3 gal, 9" deep)
- Bush Cucumber — window Sep 22 – Oct 13 (5 gal, 12" deep)
- Zucchini — window Sep 22 – Oct 13 (7 gal, 14" deep)
Harvesting this month
Nothing from our dataset is in its harvest window this month here.
Not this month
- Hot Pepper — next window opens in December. Starting it now means 3 months of impatient waiting, or a plant that stalls.
- Cherry Tomato — next window opens in January. Starting it now means 4 months of impatient waiting, or a plant that stalls.
- Basil — next window opens in January. Starting it now means 4 months of impatient waiting, or a plant that stalls.
Zone 10 at a glance
Zone 10 is close to frost-free, which inverts the calendar: 'cool season' means winter, and summer is genuinely hostile to lettuce and spinach.
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