Texas Planting Tips - September

Wow is it hot!  With the heat like it is I think planting indoors would be suggested on everything but root plants (carrots, onions, etc.). That's just a guess.  Also, it may help to give your plants some shade.  Dorris at FlipFlopGardener suggests plant umbrellas (and gives some nifty instructions on how to set them up.   I've used plastic flowers to shade my read seedlings until they were strong enough to grow without shade.   If you decide to venture into the garden now, here's whats usually is grown this month...

• This is the month to transplant iris and calla lily.  There's a great video on how to divide and transplant iris here.
• In Zones 8b and 9 plant bush snap beans early in September.  In Zones 7 and 8a they should be planted by September 1st.
• Plant carrots and mustard by the first week of September, and kale before October 1.
• Plant broccoli and cauliflower seeds now (in north Texas use transplants).  Since we're expecting more heat you might want to start these indoors.
• Plant bulbing onions, bunching onions,  leeks, and shallots this month (cut off date for these is October 1).   Shallots sets are planted, not seeds.  The rest  should always be direct seeded into the garden.  
• Find out what other vegetables and herbs you can plant this month HERE.  But I would hold off a little longer on any plant that can be planted next month or later, with this heat wave still continuing.

I'm no gardening expert...just an amature trying to figure things out.  I find most of my info about when to plant in the book Month to Month Gardening in Texas, which I highly recommend, especially if you are new to Texas!  I also suggest reading the fall newsletter at Signature Gardens.