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Zone 5A — September

What to Plant in September in Zone 5A

September in Zone 5A: 0 crops to start indoors, 0 to plant or direct sow outside, and 135 entering harvest window. Last frost averages May 7. Reference city: Des Moines, IA.
Updated May 13, 2026 · Frost data from NOAA 1991-2020 Climate Normals
0 Start Indoors
0 Plant Outside
135 Harvest
Frost risk: Cleared

Frost season has cleared in Zone 5A. The last spring frost typically passed by May 7, and the very latest 10% chance closed by May 21. Tender crops are safe to plant out.

See full Zone 5A frost outlook

Start Indoors in September

Nothing to start seeds indoors in September for Zone 5A.
Next window: January — 1 variety, including Green Onion.

Plant Outside in September

Nothing to plant or sow outside in September for Zone 5A.
Next window: October — 12 varieties, including Asian Tempest Garlic, Chengdu Garlic, Chesnok Red Garlic.

Harvest in September

Plant Type Planted / Sown Harvest Window
Atlantic Giant Pumpkin squash May 14 Sep 1
Big Max Pumpkin squash May 14 Sep 6 – Sep 11
Chayote squash vegetable May 21 Sep 18 – Sep 27 (before frost)
Cinderella Pumpkin squash May 14 Sep 6
Goldrush Potato root vegetable May 14 Sep 2 – Sep 11
Grano Red Onions allium May 7 Sep 4
Grano White Onions allium May 7 Sep 4
Green Hubbard Winter Squash squash May 14 Sep 1
Harris Model Parsnips root vegetable May 14 Sep 6 – Sep 11
Indian Spring Mix Hollyhock Flowers flower May 7 Sep 4 – Sep 27 (before frost)
Kennebec Potato root vegetable May 14 Sep 1 – Sep 26
Mammoth Sandwich Island Salsify root vegetable May 14 Sep 11
Pacific Giant Pumpkin squash May 14 Sep 6 – Sep 16
Southport Red Globe Onions allium May 7 Sep 4
Southport White Globe Onions allium May 7 Sep 4
Summer Carnival Mix Hollyhock Flowers flower May 7 Sep 4 – Sep 27 (before frost)
Tepin Hot Peppers pepper May 21 Sep 18 – Sep 27 (before frost)
Alaska Early Pea (fall planting) legume Jul 25 Sep 20
All Year Round Cauliflower (fall planting) brassica Jul 25 Sep 28
America Spinach (fall planting) lettuce Jul 25 Sep 18
Astro Arugula (fall planting) lettuce Jul 25 Sep 3
Beauty White Radishes (fall planting) root vegetable Jul 25 Sep 3
Black Seeded Simpson Lettuce (fall planting) lettuce Jul 25 Sep 9
Blonde de Paris Lettuce (fall planting) lettuce Jul 25 Sep 23
Bloomsdale Longstanding Spinach (fall planting) lettuce Jul 25 Sep 15
Blue Curled Scotch Kale (fall planting) lettuce Jul 25 Sep 23
Bok Choy (fall planting) lettuce Jul 25 Sep 23
Boltardy Beets (fall planting) root vegetable Jul 25 Sep 23
Bouquet Dill (fall planting) herb Jul 25 Sep 28
Broadleaf Classic Endive (fall planting) lettuce Jul 25 Sep 23
Broccolini (fall planting) brassica Jul 25 Sep 23
Bull's Blood Beets (fall planting) root vegetable Jul 25 Sep 18
Burgundy Boston Lettuce (fall planting) lettuce Jul 25 Sep 18
Buttercrunch Lettuce (fall planting) lettuce Jul 25 Sep 18
Butterhead Lettuce (fall planting) lettuce Jul 25 Sep 28
Calabrese Broccoli (fall planting) brassica Jul 25 Sep 28
Calendula (fall planting) flower Jul 25 Sep 23
California Bluebell (fall planting) flower Jul 25 Sep 28
Calypso Cilantro (fall planting) herb Jul 25 Sep 18
Canary Yellow Swiss Chard (fall planting) lettuce Jul 25 Sep 23
Cascadia Sugar Snap Pea (fall planting) legume Jul 25 Sep 23
Catalogna Chicory (fall planting) lettuce Jul 25 Sep 18
Chervil (fall planting) herb Jul 25 Sep 8
Chinese Broccoli (Gai Lan) (fall planting) brassica Jul 25 Sep 13
Chioggia Beet (fall planting) root vegetable Jul 25 Sep 18
Copenhagen Cabbage (fall planting) brassica Jul 25 Sep 28
Crimson Forest Bunching Onions (fall planting) allium Jul 25 Sep 23
Crosby's Egyptian Beets (fall planting) root vegetable Jul 25 Sep 23
Curly Kale (fall planting) lettuce Jul 25 Sep 28
Cylindra Beets (fall planting) root vegetable Jul 25 Sep 23
Delicatesse Blue Kohlrabi (fall planting) brassica Jul 25 Sep 23
Delicatesse White Kohlrabi (fall planting) brassica Jul 25 Sep 23
Detroit Dark Red Beet (fall planting) root vegetable Jul 25 Sep 23
Di Cicco Broccoli (fall planting) brassica Jul 25 Sep 11
Dill (fall planting) herb Jul 25 Sep 18
Dukat Dill (fall planting) herb Jul 25 Sep 13
Dutch Lamb's Lettuce (fall planting) lettuce Jul 25 Sep 13
Dwarf Siberian Kale (fall planting) lettuce Jul 25 Sep 18
Early Purple Broccoli (fall planting) brassica Jul 25 Sep 28
Early Wonder Beets (fall planting) root vegetable Jul 25 Sep 13
Endive / Escarole (fall planting) lettuce Jul 25 Sep 28
Evergreen Bunching Onions (fall planting) allium Jul 25 Sep 28
Fairy Dwarf Mix Candytuft Flowers (fall planting) flower Jul 25 Sep 18
Fenugreek (fall planting) herb Jul 25 Sep 13
Florida Broadleaf Mustard (fall planting) lettuce Jul 25 Sep 13
Fordhook Giant Swiss Chard (fall planting) lettuce Jul 25 Sep 18
French Lamb's Lettuce (fall planting) lettuce Jul 25 Sep 13
German Chamomile (fall planting) herb Jul 25 Sep 28
Giant Red Mustard (fall planting) lettuce Jul 25 Sep 8
Golden Acre Cabbage (fall planting) brassica Jul 25 Sep 28
Golden Beet (fall planting) root vegetable Jul 25 Sep 28
Golden Detroit Beets (fall planting) root vegetable Jul 25 Sep 23
Golden Globe Turnips (fall planting) root vegetable Jul 25 Sep 13
Green Ice Lettuce (fall planting) lettuce Jul 25 Sep 8
Green Mountain Celtuce (fall planting) lettuce Jul 25 Sep 13
Green Wave Mustard (fall planting) lettuce Jul 25 Sep 8
Hot Pink Swiss Chard (fall planting) lettuce Jul 25 Sep 23
Kagraner Sommer Lettuce (fall planting) lettuce Jul 25 Sep 21
Lacinato Kale (fall planting) lettuce Jul 25 Sep 28
Lacy Phacelia Flowers (fall planting) flower Jul 25 Sep 23
Leaf Lettuce Mix (fall planting) lettuce Jul 25 Sep 18
Little Fingers Carrots (fall planting) root vegetable Jul 25 Sep 18
Little Gem Lettuce (fall planting) lettuce Jul 25 Sep 19
Little Marvel Pea (fall planting) legume Jul 25 Sep 26
Lollo Bionda Lettuce (fall planting) lettuce Jul 25 Sep 23
Lollo Rossa Lettuce (fall planting) lettuce Jul 25 Sep 19
Lunar White Carrots (fall planting) root vegetable Jul 25 Sep 23
Magenta Sunset Swiss Chard (fall planting) lettuce Jul 25 Sep 23
Mammoth Dill (fall planting) herb Jul 25 Sep 28
Marvel of Four Seasons Lettuce (fall planting) lettuce Jul 25 Sep 23
Matador Viking Spinach (fall planting) lettuce Jul 25 Sep 11
Minowase Daikon Radish (fall planting) root vegetable Jul 25 Sep 18
Mizuna (fall planting) lettuce Jul 25 Sep 13
Monstrueux de Viroflay Spinach (fall planting) lettuce Jul 25 Sep 13
Mustard Greens (fall planting) lettuce Jul 25 Sep 13
Nantes Carrot (fall planting) root vegetable Jul 12 Sep 25
Noble Giant Spinach (fall planting) lettuce Jul 25 Sep 13
Old Fashion Mustard (fall planting) lettuce Jul 25 Sep 13
Orange Swiss Chard (fall planting) lettuce Jul 25 Sep 18
Oregon Giant Snow Pea (fall planting) legume Jul 25 Sep 23
Paris Market Carrots (fall planting) root vegetable Jul 25 Sep 28
Phacelia cover crop and bee forage (fall planting) cover crop Jul 25 Sep 23
Premier Kale (fall planting) lettuce Jul 25 Sep 23
Progress No. 9 Shelling Pea (fall planting) legume Jul 25 Sep 25
Purple Top White Globe Turnip (fall planting) root vegetable Jul 25 Sep 13
Rainbow Mix Swiss Chard (fall planting) lettuce Jul 25 Sep 23
Rapini Broccoli Raab (fall planting) brassica Jul 25 Sep 28
Red Leaf Lettuce (fall planting) lettuce Jul 25 Sep 18
Red Orach (fall planting) lettuce Jul 25 Sep 8
Red Russian Kale (fall planting) lettuce Jul 25 Sep 13
Royal Carpet Alyssum Flowers (fall planting) flower Jul 25 Sep 23
Ruby Red Swiss Chard (fall planting) lettuce Jul 25 Sep 23
Salad Bowl Green Lettuce (fall planting) lettuce Jul 25 Sep 13
Shungiku (Edible Chrysanthemum) (fall planting) lettuce Jul 25 Sep 18
Slow-Bolt (Slo-Bolt) Cilantro/Coriander (fall planting) herb Jul 25 Sep 3
Snow Crown Cauliflower (fall planting) brassica Jul 25 Sep 23
Snowball Self-Blanche Cauliflower (fall planting) brassica Jul 25 Sep 28
Sugar Ann Snap Pea (fall planting) legume Jul 25 Sep 18
Summer Bibb Lettuce (fall planting) lettuce Jul 25 Sep 23
Swiss Chard (fall planting) lettuce Jul 25 Sep 23
Tango Lettuce (fall planting) lettuce Jul 25 Sep 9
Tatsoi (fall planting) lettuce Jul 25 Sep 8
Tendergreen Mustard (fall planting) lettuce Jul 25 Sep 13
Très Fine Maraîchère Frisée (fall planting) lettuce Jul 25 Sep 23
Vates Kale (fall planting) lettuce Jul 25 Sep 18
Vienna Purple Kohlrabi (fall planting) brassica Jul 25 Sep 28
Vienna White Kohlrabi (fall planting) brassica Jul 25 Sep 18
Violetta Purple Cauliflower (fall planting) brassica Jul 25 Sep 28
Watermelon Radishes (fall planting) root vegetable Jul 25 Sep 28
White Boston Lettuce (fall planting) lettuce Jul 25 Sep 13
White Detroit Beets (fall planting) root vegetable Jul 25 Sep 23
White Lisbon Bunching Onions (fall planting) allium Jul 25 Sep 23
Winner Kohlrabi (fall planting) brassica Jul 25 Sep 13
Winter Density Lettuce (fall planting) lettuce Jul 25 Sep 23
Winter Giant Spinach (fall planting) lettuce Jul 25 Sep 13

Key Tasks for September in Zone 5A

  1. 1 Check soil moisture before watering — stick a finger 2 inches into the soil. Water only when the soil is dry at that depth. Consistent moisture is more important than frequency.
Back to full Zone 5A planting calendar
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