Overview

• Outlets advise preparing beds and starting sowing from mid to late September, watching for late frosts and completing transplants of balled plants by mid‑October where advised.
• Fruit crops such as tomato, pepper, eggplant and squash are best started in seedbeds for later transplant, while leafy and root crops like lettuce, arugula, spinach, radish and carrot can be sown directly.
• Herbs including basil, parsley and cilantro, plus quick‑flowering ornamentals such as petunia, zinnia, cosmos, verbena, lobelia and sunflowers, are highlighted for immediate planting.
• Core practices emphasized now include at least six hours of sun, compost‑enriched, well‑drained substrates, evening or night watering without wetting foliage, and pest prevention through rotation, crop association and added biodiversity.
• New species‑specific guidance points to planting jasmine in late winter or early spring with partial sun, good drainage and moderate watering, sowing calendula now for summer color with full sun and weekly watering, and installing pansy seedlings before spring for abundant summer bloom with nutrient‑rich soil and strong drainage.