September can feel rather like the closing chapter of the gardening year. The tomatoes are ripening more slowly, mornings arrive with a little more chill, and the first fallen leaves begin to gather around the garden.

Yet for the vegetable gardener, September is certainly not the end of the growing season.

Choose the right crops and there is still plenty worth sowing. Some will provide fresh leaves within weeks; others can establish themselves now and reward your patience later.

Here are 10 vegetables you can still start in September in the UK.

1. Spinach

Spinach rather appreciates the cooler conditions of early autumn. Sow in a sheltered position or under cover for tender young leaves, choosing a variety suited to autumn or winter growing.

2. Rocket

One of September’s easiest wins. Rocket is quick to establish and can be grown in beds, containers or a greenhouse. Sow little and often rather than all at once for a more useful succession of leaves.

3. Winter Lettuce

Summer may be disappearing, but salads needn’t. Hardy and winter varieties of lettuce can be sown in September, particularly where you can offer some protection as temperatures fall.

4. Radishes

If you enjoy quick results, radishes are difficult to resist. Early September sowings can mature surprisingly quickly in favourable conditions. They’re also an excellent choice when growing space is limited.

5. Spring Onions

Sow hardy spring onion varieties now for overwintering. Growth will naturally slow as temperatures fall, but established plants can continue developing when conditions improve.

6. Pak Choi

Cooler weather can suit pak choi particularly well. It grows quickly and can be harvested young for baby leaves or allowed to develop further. Protection becomes increasingly useful as autumn progresses.

7. Mustard Greens

Peppery mustard leaves bring something rather different to the autumn kitchen. They’re quick-growing, productive and well suited to harvesting as young leaves.

8. Turnips

An early September sowing can still be worthwhile, particularly for smaller, tender roots. Don’t overlook the leaves either — young turnip tops are edible and useful in the kitchen.

9. Broad Beans

Towards the latter part of autumn, suitable hardy broad bean varieties can be sown for overwintering and an earlier crop next year. Success will depend upon variety, location, soil and winter conditions, so choose seed intended for autumn sowing.

10. Peas for Shoots

You don’t necessarily need to wait for pods. Peas can be grown specifically for their tender shoots, making them an excellent choice for containers or protected growing spaces when the traditional vegetable season is winding down.

Make September Growing Count

The secret to growing vegetables in September in the UK is not trying to recreate July. Shorter days and falling temperatures change the pace of the garden, so choose crops that actually suit the season.

A greenhouse, cold frame or sheltered patio can extend your options considerably. Containers and GrowBags are useful where you want a manageable growing area, while a good-quality growing medium gives young roots the moisture, aeration and structure they need to establish.

At CoirProducts®, our Coir Potting Mix and GrowBags provide practical options for gardeners who want to make more of their available growing space as the seasons change.

And perhaps that is the pleasure of September gardening: you are not trying to hold on to summer. You are simply discovering what the garden can do next.

So, is September too late to grow vegetables?

Not at all. There is still plenty of growing to be done.