The vegetable garden on the balcony is a widespread trend. Having to hand lettuce, tomatoes, zucchini, onions without having to leave the house is a great advantage. Even more so is the reassuring knowledge of what we are actually serving to the table… because we have grown it ourselves!
September, with its beautiful days depicted by a mild climate and lower temperatures compared to the summer months is the perfect time to dedicate yourself to the balcony vegetable garden (or even to create one!) and planting those vegetables that you can enjoy during the long winter months. There are many plants, but also flowers to seed or replant at this time, everything from spinach and leeks, to lettuce and onions.
Balcony vegetable garden in September: where to start?
Often when we get back from one or a few weeks’ vacation, the situation we find our balcony in is not the best. So, the first thing to do is to get our vegetable garden back in shape. Let's start by cleaning up the pots and removing plants and weeds. Then we buy some soil with fertilizer and start fertilizing the soil that we have in the pots or seedbeds. A good idea is also to use homemade compost with food waste instead of commercial fertilizer. Before starting to plant anything new it’s essential the soil is rich with nutrients. That's why the first thing to do is the fertilization. Only then can we proceed with seeding.
What to plant in September?
So, let’s think about which vegetables to plant. Our mind considers the cold winter evenings when it’s typical to savor hot soups and minestrone at the table. You will be pleased to know that this is the best time to seed vegetables such as lettuce, chicory, rocket, rocket, Catalonia, endive, spinach as well as leeks, onions, turnip tops, radishes, carrots, and cabbage. All these vegetables, especially the latter, you can grow safely in pots, naturally taking into account the space that each vegetable requires. For cabbage and cauliflower, along with ensuring the pots are appropriately sized, the best time to plant is the first part of September, so don’t wait too long to take advantage or the best moment passes.
Look at that moon!
Since the dawn of time, the phases of the moon have conditioned human agricultural activity, especially the time of sowing. The movements of the moon affect the amount of water and humidity that radiates from the soil to the roots, with a direct effect on plant growth. This is why it is important to take into account the phases of the moon when in the sowing period. When the moon is growing the seeds absorb more moisture from the soil, to reach a peak on full moon days. While when the moon is waning it is considered a period of rest.
The most widespread advice is therefore to wait for the crescent moon to sow plants as we want them to bloom as soon as possible (the sooner they flourish, the sooner the berries ripen) such as tomatoes, zucchini, peppers, etc. ... While it is good to wait for the waning moon to sow plants and vegetables that with the production cycle with flowering: lettuce, chicory, and leafy vegetables in general.
Not just vegetables!
If there is space on your balcony, this is the perfect month to plant flower bulbs (such as primroses, daffodils, carnations, tulips) that with a little luck, along with the proper care and a good dose of green thumb, around February/March they will announce the arrival of spring filling your balcony with colors and scents!
