Zone 3 - What to Plant in September

Zone 3 - What to Plant in September

Zone 3 growers typically don't have too many options to plant in September. With your first frost right around the corner theres not much hardy enough to withstand the cold weather thats coming. That being said, September is the perfect time to plant garlic and cover crops in your garden. Planting garlic in September will give it an early start come spring. Cover crops are good for naturally adding back nutrients to your garden. Below is a list of items that can be planted in zone 3 in September.

The Mammoth Red Clover is a large, fast growing clover that is an ideal grazing crop and can be sowed in spring, summer or fall! Mammoth Red is a popular biennial clover used for Nitrogen addition and hay crops. This red clover may be the best choice for frost seeding; it is extremely cold hardy and does well in most soils and growing conditions. The Mammoth Red Clover will fix up to 70-110 lbs. nitrogen per acre. This variety's long tap roots loosen soils and mine phosphorus and other nutrients from deep in the soil. Uses: Bees & Beneficial Insects, Chicken Forage, Compaction Control, Deer Attractant, Erosion Control, Forage, Green Manure, Nitrogen Fixation, No Till, Weed Suppression

The Medium Red Clover is fast to establish and can be grown in most soil types as well as sowed in spring, summer or fall! This clover works well for hay or silage. The Medium Red Clover can be used as a cover crop between rows of vegetable crops if mowed to maintain manageability. This clover can fix up to 150 lb. of nitrogen per acre. Uses: Bees & Beneficial Insects, Chicken Forage, Compaction Control, Deer Attractant, Erosion Control, Forage, Green Manure, Nitrogen Fixation, No Till, Weed Suppression

The Austrian Winter Pea, sometimes called black pea or field pea, is a great cool season legume for cover crops, wildlife and winter grazing! This cool-season, annual legume has good, nitrogen-fixing capabilities. The Austrian Winter Pea is a low-growing, viny legume which has been shown to fix over 200 pounds of nitrogen per acre per year. It has hollow, slender and succulent stems, 2 to 4 feet long. The foliage is pale green, and the flowers are colored, usually purple, pink or reddish. Uses: Chicken forage, deer attractant, forage, green manure, nitrogen fixation, no till, organic matter (biomass), weed suppression

The Thoroughbred Barley is a widely adapted variety of barley that is high yielding, with a great straw strength and a high test weight. This grain is a good standing six-rowed barley. This variety is resistant to powdery mildew and barley yellow dwarf virus. Uses: Bees & Beneficial Insects, Erosion Control, Green Manure, Nitrogen Scavenger, No Till, Organic Matter (Biomass), Weed Suppression

The Jerry Oats is a grain that is a quick growing green manure that will kill off any winter weeds and will hold soil with a mat of vegetation! This high yielding oat can produce over 100 bushels per acre. This grain variety is great for garlic beds and other vegetables. The oats stay green into November and form a mulched bed for spring planting. The Jerry Oats are also great for underseeding with a legume. Uses: Erosion prevention, Green Manure, Nitrogen Scavenger, No Till, Organic Matter, Weed Suppresion

Inoculants help free nitrogen from the air and into a usable form for plants. Seed Inoculants are able to convert and use this "free" nitrogen from the air into a usable form for the plant. This natural process gives your garden legumes the ability to provide their own organic fertilizer. Resulting in a more bountiful yield. Naturally. Natural, dry, peat-based cultures of beneficial bacteria. Treats up to 8 lbs. of beans, peas, vetch and more. OMRI/Organic.

Using the Field Peas and Oats Blend throughout your garden is a great way to fix nitrogen and add organic matter to the soil! This blend contains a great ratio of grass and legume cover crop for fixing nitrogen, winter cover, weed suppression and more. The Field Peas and Oats Blend should be sown from early spring to late summer. Sow no later than 6 weeks before first fall frost in your area. This variety is gold hardy enough to grow long into the fall leaving behind a great mulch for soil protection. (75% peas / 25% oats by weight) Seed Coverage: - 5 lbs covers 2,000-4,000 sqaure feet - 100 lbs covers 1-2 acres Uses: Deer Attractant, Green Manure, Nitrogen Fixation, No Till, Organic Matter (Biomass), Weed Suppression

Switchgrass is a rhizomatous, warm-season bunchgrass that is native throughout most of the U.S. It is a major component of the Tallgrass Prairie ecosystem. Alamo originates from Live Oak County, Texas. It is late maturing and was developed as a renewable biofuel resource for the southern U.S. Recommended for pasture mixes, erosion control and soil stabilization. It also provides good nesting habitat, cover and food for many different types of wildlife.

Iron and Clay cowpeas makes a great cover crop for smothering weeds and adding Nitrogen to soil. This variety of cowpeas are grown just like soybeans. Iron and Clay is a fast growing plant that can reach 3'. The best time to plant is during spring for best results as the frost will kill the cowpeas. Iron and Clay has long taproots that help withstand drought conditions and can produce as much as 300 lb./acre nitrogen. This variety has a high organic matter production. Broadcast up to 120 lb./acre, 1/2 to 1" deep. Try with cowpea inoculant for maximum Nitrogen fixation.

The Jackhammer Radish is a fast growing daikon radish variety that is a great scavenger that will start germinating immediately! This variety is very easy to grow. The Jackhammer Radish is good for winter kills and turns into great biomass. Radish (Brassica): Cool Season, broadleaf, Annual, Upright and spreading habit, Root Crop Uses: Nitrogen Scavenger, Green Manure, Forage, Organic Matter, Weed Suppression

When sown late summer, the Hairy Vetch spring regrowth is vigorous and nitrogen-producing, for tilling in before planting spring garden crops. You can sow with or without grain, grass or field peas! The typical nitrogen produced of this legume is 100 lbs. per acre. The Hairy Vetch has rapid growth that makes it a good weed suppressant. Uses: Bees & Beneficial Insects, Chicken Forage, Deer Attractant, Erosion Control, Forage, Green Manure, Nitrogen Fixation, No Till, Weed Suppression

All of the seeds below are very good at attracting deer to your property! Buckwheat - Improves top soil and an effective choke weed! Plant late spring to early summer. Establishes quickly. Matures in 60 days. Accumulates phosphorus and and potassium for following crops. Frost sensitive. All below packages come in 1lb. bags. Crimson Clover - Winter annual protects and improves soil! Plant fall or early spring. A good nitrogen fixer (70-150 lbs per acre per year). Showy crimson blooms in late spring are an excellent source of nectar for bees. Inter-seeds well with grass. Austrian Winter Pea - A great cool season legume for cover crops, wildlife and winter grazing! Austrian winter pea, sometimes called "black pea" and "field pea" is a cool-season, annual legume with good, nitrogen-fixing capabilities. Austrian winter pea is a low-growing, viny legume which has been shown to fix over 200 pounds of nitrogen per acre per year. Peas - Grow regular old peas in your deer food plot. One of the most preferred vegetables for deer. Oats - Oats will kill off winter weeds and hold soil with a mat of vegetation! A high yielding oat that can produce over 100 bushels per acre. Plant anytime of the year. Deer will graze oats all year round. Barkant Forage Turnip - Great forage crop that provides high energy feed! Barkant turnips are an improved, early maturing, diploid turnip wtih a large purple tankard shaped bulb. Barkant turnips have a high leaf to stem ratio and and provide very high contentrations of protein, sugar content and leaf yields. Barkant Turnips are ideally suited for wildlife. Dwarf Essex Rape - A cabbage related plant that is a perfect grazer! Dwarf Essex Rape is a perfect grazer plant that will persist well after the first frost. Ready to pasture 6-8 weeks after sowing. Hairy Vetch - Sow with or without grain, grass or field peas! When sown late summer, grows fast and will attract wildlife. Hairy Vetch has rapid growth that makes it a good weed suppressant.

The Barkant Forage Turnip is an improved, early maturing, diploid turnip variety with a large purple tankard shaped bulb. Turnips have a high leaf to stem ratio and and provide very high concentrations of protein, sugar content and leaf yields. This turnip is ideally suited for grazing and it is common to obtain 4-6 tons of dry matter per acre of this high-energy feed.  Uses: Chicken forage, deer attractant, forage

The California Blackeye #46 is similar to California Blackeye #5, but with smaller seeds. Bred by the UCLA and released in 1987. California Blackeye #46 plants are more erect than California Blackeye #5. The seeds are a typical blackeye type of Southern peas with cream-colored seed coats and black pigments around the eyes.  Heavy yielder. If using for Nitrogen fixation we highly recommend using a cowpea inoculant. Try with cowpea inoculant for maximum Nitrogen fixation.

The Winter Wheat is a cool weather grain that is quick to germinate, cold tolerant and is adaptable to a wide range of soils! This wheat can be sown in late summer for erosion control and tilled under in early spring to add organic matter. The Winter Wheat is winter hardy nearly anywhere, and won't go to seed until its second year of growth. Use: Erosion Control, Green Manure, Nitrogen Scavenger, No Till, Weed Suppression

Dixie Lee cowpea seeds are a popular variety of cowpeas known for their high yield, disease resistance, and adaptability to various climates. These seeds produce vigorous, heat-tolerant plants that thrive in warm, dry conditions, making them ideal for Southern and drought-prone regions. The Dixie Lee variety is particularly favored for its tender, flavorful beans that are often used in a range of culinary dishes, from soups to side dishes. The plants typically produce medium-sized, cream-colored pods with dark brown or black-eyed beans, and they can be harvested both as fresh beans or dry beans. As a legume, Dixie Lee cowpeas also enrich the soil by fixing nitrogen, benefiting crop rotation systems.

The Crimson Clover is an attractive winter annual that can be planted fall or early spring and will protect and improve the soil. This good nitrogen fixer (70-150 lbs per acre per year) blooms showy crimson flowers in late spring that are an excellent source of nectar for bees. This variety inter-seeds well with grass, making it a great way to ready your vegetable garden for the spring or beautify a landscape! Not to be confused with the tough perennial clovers that can take over a meadow. Uses: Bees & Beneficial Insects, Chicken Forage, Compaction Control, Deer Attractant, Erosion Control, Forage, Green Manure, Nitrogen Fixation, No Till, Weed Suppression

A multipurpose cover crop blend that is sowed in fall! This wonderful blend will help with nitrogen fixation, adding organic matter and weed suppression. Contains a blend of Austrian Field Peas, Crimson Clover, Hairy Vetch, Annual and Winter Rye. Cut right after flowering in spring and till into soil for green manure. (30% Field Pea, 20% Crimson Clover, 20% Hairy Vetch, 15% Annual Rye, 15% Winter Rye) Seed Coverage: - 5 lbs covers 2,000-4,000 sqaure feet - 100 lbs covers 1-2 acres Uses: Green Manure, Nitrogen Fixation, No Till, Organic Matter (Biomass), Weed Suppression