Now
38°C · Clear
Today
38° / 24°
Soil 6 cm
31°C
First frost
~53 days (Oct 31)
Gardening in Kansas City
AI field guide · refreshed weeklyKansas City Gardening: Early September – Sow Cool-Season Crops, Harvest Summer Bounty
You're in zone 6a with an average first fall frost on October 31—53 days away. Soil at 31°C (88°F) is still warm but cooling; cool-season seeds will germinate reliably now. Spring frost (April 13) was 148 days ago, so you're well into the season's second half. Plant now for a full autumn harvest before hard freeze.
Sow outdoors now
Spinach (Bloomsdale Long Standing, Space)
Direct sow 1.3 cm (½ in) deep, 10 cm (4 in) apart. Germinates in 7–10 days at current soil temps; matures in 40–50 days before frost.
Lettuce (Buttercrunch, Jericho, Winter Density)
Scatter seed lightly, press in, keep moist. Succession-sow every 2 weeks through mid-October for continuous harvest.
Radish (Cherry Belle, French Breakfast)
Sow 1.3 cm deep, 5 cm apart. Ready in 25–30 days; sow again in 3 weeks for a second crop.
Kale (Lacinato, Winterbor)
Sow 1.3 cm deep, 15 cm apart. Flavor improves after light frost; harvest through December.
Arugula (Roquette, Astro)
Sow 0.6 cm deep, 8 cm apart. Fast (30 days), cold-hardy, and thrives in cooling September weather.
Start indoors now
Broccoli (Arcadia, Belstar)
Start seed indoors in flats; transplant outdoors in 4–5 weeks (mid-October) for November harvest before hard freeze.
Cabbage (Tundra, January King)
Sow indoors now for transplant in 4 weeks; cold-hardy varieties store well into winter.
Cauliflower (Snowball, Graffiti)
Start indoors; transplant in 4–5 weeks for fall heading before frost.
Harvest now
Tomatoes (all varieties)
Pick ripe fruit daily; pick any full-sized green tomatoes before the first frost (Oct 31) and ripen indoors.
Peppers (sweet and hot)
Harvest mature peppers now; plants will continue producing until frost. Green peppers ripen indoors if picked before hard freeze.
Beans (snap, pole, dry)
Pick snap beans at pod snap stage; let dry beans mature on the plant, then shell and store.
Summer squash and zucchini
Harvest at 15–20 cm (6–8 in) for best tenderness; production slows as nights cool but continues until frost.
Tasks this week
- Clean up spent pea, bean, and early lettuce beds; add to compost or turn in as green manure.
- Stake or trellis fall tomatoes and peppers to improve air flow and reduce disease as humidity rises mid-week.
- Water deeply after rain on Sept 9 and 12–13; soil will dry quickly in warm, windy conditions (15–26 km/h winds forecast).
- Scout for spider mites and Japanese beetles on remaining summer crops; hand-pick or spray neem oil if needed.
- Mulch newly sown cool-season beds with 2.5 cm (1 in) compost to retain moisture and moderate soil temperature.
Watch out for
- Powdery mildew on squash and cucumbers: thin foliage, improve air flow, and avoid overhead watering as humidity climbs mid-week.
- Grasshoppers and crickets are active in dry, warm weather (today through Sept 11); cover young seedlings with row cloth if needed.
- Frost risk is still 53 days away, but a freak early cold snap is rare—monitor forecasts after Oct 15.
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