Zone 9a planting calendar

What to plant in September: zone 9a

A rule-of-thumb starting point for zone 9a: last spring frost around February 28, first fall frost around December 5. Zones are set by winter lows, not frost dates, so two gardens in the same zone can be weeks apart. Measure your ZIP below for dates from your area's own 30-year record.

These are zone-average dates. Check an area-level frost estimate from thirty years of nearby weather history and this calendar retimes itself.
Typical last frost: February 28
Typical first frost: December 5
Winter lows: 20 to 25 °F
Zone 9a Almanac. What growers here actually recorded: sowing weeks, days to first pick, and yields.

Direct sow for fall

  • Bush beanaround Sep 3

    Fall bush bean window opens. Sowing now beats the last-minute date by a month of growth.

  • Lettuce2 sowings: Sep 4 and Sep 25

    Succession sowing 3 of 3. Sow every 21 days for a steady cut. Sowing again a few weeks later keeps the harvest coming instead of arriving all at once.

  • Peaaround Sep 8

    Fall pea window opens. Sowing now beats the last-minute date by a month of growth.

  • Cilantro2 sowings: Sep 9 and Sep 30

    Succession sowing 3 of 3. Sow every 21 days for a steady cut. Sowing again a few weeks later keeps the harvest coming instead of arriving all at once.

  • Carrotaround Sep 9

    Fall carrot window opens. Sowing now beats the last-minute date by a month of growth.

  • Beetaround Sep 13

    Fall beet window opens. Sowing now beats the last-minute date by a month of growth.

  • Dillaround Sep 13

    Fall dill window opens. Sowing now beats the last-minute date by a month of growth.

  • Spinacharound Sep 25

    Succession sowing 3 of 3. Sow every 21 days for a steady cut.

  • Parsleyaround Sep 26

    Counts back 70 days from your first frost. Takes a light frost with cover.

Start indoors for fall

  • Broccoliaround Sep 7

    Seedlings need 5 weeks before they go out for a fall harvest.

  • Kalearound Sep 24

    Seedlings need 4 weeks before they go out for a fall harvest.

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