Fall Into Gardening: What to Plant, Prep & Plan This Month

As the summer heat begins to wane and the air turns a little crisper here in Fayetteville, NC, September marks the beginning of a whole new gardening season. Whether you’re growing veggies, sprucing up your landscape, or planting for pollinators, this is a perfect time to get your hands dirty again.

At Green Biz, we love helping our community grow—literally. Here are our top September gardening tips tailored to the Sandhills region.

🌱 1. Plant Your Cool-Season Veggies

While it might still feel like summer during the day, the soil is ready for fall vegetables. You can direct sow or transplant the following now:

• Leafy greens like collards, kale, lettuce, and spinach
• Root crops such as carrots, radishes, turnips, and beets
• Brassicas including broccoli, cabbage, and cauliflower

👉 Tip: Use shade cloth or mulch to protect young seedlings from lingering heat.

🌸 2. Add Fall Color to Your Landscape

Time to swap out tired summer annuals with fresh fall blooms! Consider adding:

• Pansies and violas (plant in late September)
• Mums for quick and easy color
• Ornamental kale and cabbage for texture and color

Don’t forget to check your perennials and divide or transplant if needed.

🌳 3. Prep for Tree & Shrub Planting

Believe it or not, fall is the best time to plant trees and shrubs in Fayetteville. The soil is still warm enough for root growth, and cooler temps reduce stress.

✔️ Start prepping your soil this month—amend with compost and plan your placement.

🌾 4. Reseed or Repair Your Lawn

If you have fescue grass, September is prime time to aerate, overseed, and fertilize. The cooler temps and fall rains help the seed germinate and establish strong roots.

👉 Green Biz Tip: Test your soil before fertilizing to make sure you’re not overdoing it.

🐝 5. Support Pollinators Before Winter

Early fall is a crucial time for pollinators gathering energy for the winter. Keep some summer flowers blooming and consider planting:

• Goldenrod
• Asters
• Native milkweed (still!)

Leave a corner of your garden “wild” to offer shelter for overwintering insects.

🧹 6. Start Your Garden Clean-Up (But Not Too Much!)

Begin removing diseased plants and weeds, but avoid excessive tidying. Beneficial insects often overwinter in leaf litter and stems.

✔️ Compost healthy clippings and fallen leaves to enrich your soil naturally.