Read by Matilda Longbottom
Dear Gardeners,
Welcome to the September 2025 issue of Food Gardening Magazine!
September always feels like the garden’s grand finale–a month when everything I’ve nurtured since spring finally reaches its crescendo. My counters are overflowing with tomatoes in every stage of ripeness, the herb beds are lush and fragrant, and I’m picking carrots with tops so vibrant they practically glow at night. It’s the kind of abundance that makes you want to preserve every last bit, knowing winter is just around the corner.
This year, I’ve been experimenting with succession planting my fall crops earlier than usual, and the results have been remarkable. My second round of lettuce is already showing its first true leaves, and I’m amazed how much cooler soil temperatures have changed the game for germination. There’s something deeply satisfying about planting while harvesting–like the garden is teaching me about cycles and renewal in real time.
I’ve also started paying closer attention to my potato flowers this season. Who knew those delicate blooms could tell such stories about what’s happening underground? It’s made me realize how much I still don’t know after all these years of gardening–and how much joy there is in that discovery.
This month, I’m dedicating extra time to seed saving, especially from my best-performing tomatoes and peppers. It feels like capturing lightning in a bottle–preserving not just genetics, but the memory of this particular season’s magic.
Fresh Takes
September marks a pivotal transition in the gardening calendar, offering unique opportunities across all growing zones. Whether you’re extending your harvest or getting a head start on next year’s garden, timing is everything:
Back to the Land: Learn how urban and suburban families are embracing the charms of small farm living, carving out slices of rural paradise on 5- to 15-acre plots.
Tips and Tales from the New Age of Small Farm Living: Let’s dig into some favorite crops, growing tips, and how these treasures can fit into your home garden, no matter the size.
Eating Like You Live on a Small Farm: For this week-long meal plan, we’re celebrating the spirit of small farm living, inspired by crops grown across America and the humble magic of your home garden.
What to Plant in September in USDA Zones 4–6: Focus on quick-growing greens, hardy root vegetables, and garlic for next year’s harvest before the first frost arrives.
What to Plant in September in USDA Zones 7–8: Take advantage of your extended growing season with cool-weather crops that will thrive through fall and early winter.
What to Plant in September in USDA Zones 9–10: Plant your winter garden foundations while managing the transition from summer heat to milder fall temperatures.
Plant Close-Ups
This month’s featured plants celebrate both the harvest bounty and the hidden stories our gardens tell. From forgotten apple varieties to the secret life of potato flowers, these deep dives will change how you see your garden:
- Lost and Found: The Search for America’s Forgotten Apples: Discover heritage varieties that disappeared from commercial orchards but are making a comeback in home gardens and small farms.
- Tomato Hornworms: Identification, Control, and Their Ecological Role: Learn to spot these garden visitors early, understand their place in the ecosystem, and manage them sustainably.
- Carrot Tops: The Forgotten Half of the Harvest: Transform those leafy green tops into pesto, chimichurri, and salads instead of composting this nutritious treasure.
- What Potato Flowers Reveal About Your Crop’s Secret Life: Decode the signals your potato plants are sending about tuber development, soil health, and harvest timing.
- The Heirloom Bell Pepper Revival: From Purple Hearts to Candy Stripes: Explore stunning varieties that bring color, flavor, and history to your pepper patch.
Get Your 2025 Food Garden Calendar Planning Kit
Start planning next year’s garden with our comprehensive Food Garden Calendar Planning Kit! This invaluable resource includes month-by-month planting schedules, companion planting guides, and harvest tracking sheets to help you maximize your garden’s potential from seed to table.
Featured Videos
September’s video collection focuses on preservation, planning, and making the most of your garden’s peak season:
- How to Dry Herbs: Master the art of preserving your herb harvest for year-round cooking with tips for air drying, oven drying, and storage.
- Planting Vegetables in the Fall: Easy Crops for Now and Later: Discover which vegetables thrive in cooler weather and how to time your plantings for continuous harvests.
- How to Get Seeds from Your Vegetables: Learn proper seed collection, cleaning, and storage techniques to preserve your best varieties for next year.
- The Three Sisters of Companion Planting: Explore the traditional corn, beans, and squash partnership and how to adapt it for modern gardens.
- Fire-Roasted Tomato Kale Soup: Transform your abundant tomato harvest into a soul-warming soup that captures summer’s essence in every bowl.
Lasagna Love from the Garden
September’s cooler evenings call for comfort food that showcases the garden’s bounty. Our lasagna collection celebrates layers of flavor using your fresh harvest and preserved ingredients:
- Classic Meat Lasagna: A timeless family favorite featuring garden herbs, homemade sauce, and rich, satisfying layers.
- Guilt-Free Zucchini Lasagna: Use those oversized zucchini as pasta sheets for a lighter take that doesn’t sacrifice flavor.
- Butternut Squash, Sage, and Goat Cheese Lasagna: Celebrate fall’s arrival with roasted squash, crispy sage, and creamy goat cheese in elegant layers.
- Mexican Lasagna: Spice things up with layers of seasoned beans, peppers, corn, and cheese for a fusion twist on the classic.
- Weeknight Turkey Lasagna: A quicker assembly method that delivers all the comfort of traditional lasagna in less time.
Let Your Garden Guide Your Table
Don’t forget to download your 2025 Food Garden Calendar Planning Kit! Gold Members can explore our Gardening Kits tab for additional resources:
Check them out now, and download your favorites!
Whether you’re saving seeds for next year, discovering the culinary potential of carrot tops, or layering up a garden-fresh lasagna, September is about honoring what the garden has given us while preparing for the season ahead. The harvest is here, the days are growing shorter, and every meal is a celebration of the work we’ve done together.
Happy harvesting!
Warm regards,
Christy Page
Editor & Publisher
P.S. What’s your favorite way to use up an abundant harvest? I’m always looking for new ideas–especially for those surprise crops that did better than expected! Share your tried-and-true preservation methods in the comments below!
