EN·IT
Open Talea
Menu
PlantsAlmanacGuidesPestsOpen Talea
Gardening in the UK?→ September’s almanac for the British climate
ALMANAC · ITALIAN CLIMATE

The garden in September — Italy

September is one of the best months of the year. The soil is still warm, the rain returns and temperatures fall: ideal conditions for planting. Roots grow all through autumn and plants start the spring already established.

In the centre and south it's a true second spring: the winter veg patch is sown and planted, and many Mediterranean plants flower again after their summer pause. In the north the nights are getting cooler, and it's time to start thinking about where your tender plants will spend the winter.

Italy, from the Po valley and pre-Alps to the south and islands. In the north, the first nights below 10°C arrive at the end of the month; in the centre and south the rain returns and the heat eases. In the mountains and inland valleys, cold comes 2–4 weeks earlier.

AT A GLANCE

Spotlight: the autumn veg patch, Italy's second spring

In the centre and south, September and October matter more to the vegetable garden than spring does. The soil is still warm, the rain is back and the heat is fading: leafy and root crops grow without bolting, and many can be picked all winter.

This is when you plant out the cabbages, cauliflowers, broccoli and fennel sown in summer, along with lettuces and chard; and sow spinach, rocket, carrots and radishes direct — plus, from October, broad beans and peas for a spring harvest. Garlic and overwintering onions go in from late September to November. In the north the calendar is shorter: planting out should be done by mid-September, and sowings of spinach and winter lettuce need a tunnel cloche from October.

Before you sow, clear the remains of summer crops, dig in well-rotted compost and rotate your crop families: don't put brassicas where brassicas were, or legumes after legumes.

LettuceChardCarrotPeaOrnamental allium Propagation: sowing seed ›

In your area

NORTH

At the end of the month bring in tropical hibiscus, gardenias, gerberas and orchids that summered outdoors. Plant daffodils and grape hyacinths, perennials and evergreens.

CENTRAL

Plant out cabbages, fennel, lettuces and chard; sow spinach, rocket and early peas. An excellent time to plant container-grown trees and shrubs.

SOUTH AND ISLANDS

The real sowing season: broad beans, peas, carrots, lettuces and spinach; plant out cabbages and fennel. Bougainvillea, plumbago and lantana start growing and flowering again after their summer pause.

Jobs this month

Autumn planting

Warm soil and cooler air are perfect for new plants. Anything planted now will need far less water than the same plant put in during spring.

Plant daffodils, crocuses and grape hyacinths; wait until October for tulips. DaffodilCrocusGrape hyacinth
Plant or divide perennials such as heuchera, bergenia and rudbeckia. Propagation: division › HeucheraBergeniaRudbeckia
Plant evergreen shrubs: pittosporum, fatsia, nandina, escallonia, bay. PittosporumFatsiaHeavenly bambooEscalloniaBay
Sow sweet peas in deep pots (direct in the ground in the centre and south). Propagation: sowing seed › Sweet pea

Bringing tender plants in

Tropical plants that spent the summer outside need to come in before nights drop below their minimum. Check them for pests first and give them the brightest spot you have.

Bring in Chinese hibiscus, gardenias, gerberas and dendrobiums before nights fall below 10°C. Moving plants indoors/outdoors seasonally › HibiscusGardeniaGerberaDendrobium
Cymbidiums can stay out until just before the frosts: cool nights trigger their flower spikes. Moving plants indoors/outdoors seasonally › Cymbidium
In the north, bring yuccas and ponytail palms back indoors. Moving plants indoors/outdoors seasonally › YuccaPonytail palm
Check under the leaves for aphids, scale and mealybug before bringing plants inside.

The autumn and winter veg patch

September is the key month for vegetables you'll harvest from November to spring. In the south, far more is sown now than in spring.

Plant out cabbages, fennel, lettuces and chard. LettuceChard
Sow spinach, rocket, carrots and, in the centre and south, peas and broad beans. Propagation: sowing seed › CarrotPea
Plant garlic and overwintering onions at the end of the month (centre and south). Ornamental allium
Pick the last tomatoes and cucumbers and clear spent plants. TomatoCucumber

Lawns

Autumn is the best time to renovate a lawn: warm soil and rain help seed establish before winter. In the south it's the only realistic window of the year.

Aerate and scarify the lawn, then overseed thin patches. Lawn basics ›
Raise the mower blades as growth slows. Lawn basics ›

Sow and plant

Sow
  • Spinach, rocket, carrots, radishes
  • Centre and south: peas, broad beans, lettuces
  • Sweet peas
  • Lawns: sowing and overseeding
Plant out
  • Spring bulbs except tulips
  • Perennials and evergreen shrubs
  • Cabbages, fennel, lettuces, chard
  • Garlic and overwintering onions (centre and south)

Watch out for

First cold nightsIn the valleys and inland areas of the north the first cold nights arrive late in the month: keep an eye on the minimum temperatures.Grey mouldWith autumn damp, botrytis spreads on dahlias, fuchsias and late flowers.Scale insectsCitrus, oleanders and bay often reach late summer carrying scale colonies: clean them before bringing them in.

Questions

When should I plant daffodils?

From September to early October, at about three times their own height deep. Tulips go in later, in October–November, when they're less prone to disease.

When should I bring plants indoors?

Before nights drop below their minimum: around 10°C for tropicals such as Chinese hibiscus and gardenia; just before the first frost for tougher plants like cymbidium, bougainvillea and oleander.

Is autumn a good time to plant?

One of the best — and in the south, the very best. The soil is warm, rain is regular and plants root in before winter, so they'll need less water the following summer.