Zone 9 - What to Plant in October

Zone 9 - What to Plant in October

It's finally cooling down a bit in zone 9 and this gives us a good window to grow some crops before the first frost in mid-December. Try growing a mix of fast growing warm and cool season crops. Below is a list of items that can be planted in zone 9 in October.

The Sweet Oversize Onion is just like its name, is oversized and super sweet! Get a head start with these oversized, sweet and delicious onion sets.

Elephant is certified and the largest "garlic" you can get! This variety of "garlic" looks like garlic and tastes like a mild hardneck type, but it is actually a type of leek. Just like its name, Elephant is large with 1 1/2" cloves that have a great mild garlic-like flavor. Elephant's bulbs can easily weigh a pound or more! This variety is very easy peeling and keeps very well. Each bulb averages 3-5 cloves. Approximately 9-14 garlic cloves per pound. Hardneck Garlic

German Giant is just like its name says, a very large garlic with an excellent flavor! This garlic variety is a large garlic that has become popular for its strong, spicy flavor. Many believe German Giant to be one of the best tasting garlics available! This garlic is off-white often with deep purple streaks. Approximately 6 garlic bulbs per pound. Approximately 6-8 cloves per bulb.

Spanish Roja garlic is a certified, early season garlic harvest! This variety is a gourmet best-selling garlic for home gardens with an excellent classic rich flavor! Each bulb has about 8-12 cloves. Spanish Roja's outer wrapper varies in color, from a rich cream to deep purple stripes. Its cloves are large with a brownish red color and are easy to peel. This garlic keeps well, 4-6 months. During curing, many bulbs lose their stems. Approximately 8-12 cloves/ bulb. Approximately 65-85 garlic cloves/ pound.

California Early is an excellent planting garlic variety that produces bulbs great for culinary use and is an early season garlic harvest! This variety is likely the most commonly grown variety in the U.S., and for good reason. It is a medium, easy to grow softneck, with a nice mild flavor and excellent storage ability. Cal-Early is one of our "work-horse" varieties we depend on, year after year, for fresh market and garlic braiding. The skins are a nice off-white with a purple blush and it produces 10-16 cloves per head.

Music garlic is a "Garlic Lovers" garlic! This garlic variety is prized for it's mild flavor and ease of peeling. Its flavor is well developed without any bitterness, and it does not disappear when cooked. Just one clove can add so much flavor to any recipe, so it is time-saving! This variety keeps well until April or May when stored properly. Most bulbs average 4-5 cloves.

Gypsy is a hybrid broccoli that produces well in warmer growing zones. An excellent variety for greenhouse production. Gypsy has a strong root system and intermediate downy mildew resistance. Gypsy yields excellent, smooth, dome-shaped heads with medium-small beads.

Little SnapPea Crunch is perfect for smaller gardens or container growing! These pea plants are compact yet very productive. Little SnapPea Crunch produces crunchy, sweet, juicy, edible pod peas in about 58-60 days. These peas do well as the weather warms and pea shoots, mature in 13 days and displays very short internodes. Leaves are great as a garnish or as a stand-alone salad green.

Brunswick cabbage is a traditional variety known for its hardiness and adaptability, making it a favorite among gardeners in cooler climates. Originating from Europe, Brunswick cabbage features large, tightly packed heads that can reach sizes of 3-5 pounds. The leaves are thick, dark green, and slightly crinkled, providing a robust texture. The flavor is mild and sweet, especially after exposure to frost, which enhances its natural sugars. Brunswick cabbage is typically harvested in late summer to early fall, and it can store well, making it ideal for winter use. This variety is often used for sauerkraut, coleslaw, and various cooked dishes due to its versatility. Brunswick cabbage plants grow upright and can reach heights of about 18-24 inches, preferring well-drained soil and full sun. Their resilience to cold weather makes them suitable for early spring and fall planting, allowing gardeners to enjoy fresh produce throughout the growing season. Overall, Brunswick cabbage is valued for its robust flavor, adaptability, and long storage life.

Walla Walla onions are a distinctive, sweet onion variety renowned for their large size, mild flavor, and delicate texture. Originating from the Walla Walla Valley in Washington State, these onions have a history dating back to the late 1800s. Their bulbs are typically round or slightly flattened, with smooth, pale yellow to light brown skins, and their flesh is exceptionally sweet and mild, making them ideal for raw consumption in salads, salsas, or on sandwiches. Known for their low sulfur content, which contributes to their sweetness, Walla Walla onions are a long-season crop, requiring a full growing cycle to reach maturity. They are beloved by gardeners for their ability to grow in a variety of climates, though they flourish best in well-drained, fertile soil with ample sunlight.

This cabbage is known for its solid head and excellent flavor. Early Flat Dutch is a big cabbage, it is a good keeper and the standard early season variety. Heads form up to 12 inches and weigh as much as 15 pounds. Early Flat Dutch has an excellent flavor.

The Bouquet Dill is an early maturing dill variety with dark feathered green leaves that produces an intoxicating, tangy aroma. This early flowering favorite is now available in organic seeds! The Bouquet is easy to grow and is popular for its flavor and uniform foliage. It can be used to enhance salads, soups and more. Along with its amazing culinary properties, the Bouquet is also perfect for filling in bouquets and cut flowers.

Crunchy Red produces large tops and very uniform dark red, round roots. This variety is very slow to develop pith. It performs well under cool conditions. It’s usually a few days earlier than standard varieties. Crunchy Red is desirable where larger roots are required.

The Spicy Salad Blend is the perfect balance of lettuce and mustard greens. This blend produces a great flavor profile that will spicy up any regular salad mixture.

The Halloween Mix contains a "spooky" mix of purple, yellow, black and white radishes. These radishes are mildly spicy and only 5 centimeters in diameter. Everyday can be a scary fun holiday if you succession plant this mixture every two weeks throughout the spring and fall! This radish mix will bring lots of colors to your dishes.

An early cabbage with a blue-green color. Produces beautiful globe-shaped heads that have a blueish color. Very good holding ability. 3-5 lb. heads produced on low, compact plants. First introduced by Harris Moran.

Just like its name, the Tom Thumb Pea is a tiny bush pea plant perfect for containers! If you are hurting for space but want to grow some delicious peas, try the Tom Thumb! This pea variety produces pea pods on a tiny pea plant.

Katarina cabbage has a perfect smaller head size (4”) and shape to be grown successfully in containers on patios, decks or in-ground beds, possibly as an ornamental/edible border.