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# From the Kitchen Garden: September, The Garden Reset
- URL: https://www.raincrossgazette.com/from-the-kitchen-garden-september-the-garden-reset/
- Published: 2026-09-13T12:00:11.000Z
- Updated: 2026-09-13T14:47:21.000Z
- Description: Tips on what to plant, when to pick, and what to watch out for in your home garden.
- Author: Kim Malstrom
- Tags: community, environment, health, #herald-3abef165-d2ee-81be-89ab-f1371764d124

September has arrived, but here in Riverside, it certainly doesn't feel like fall yet. We've had stretches of 101°F and even 107°F, along with humidity that makes stepping outside feel like walking into an oven. The plants are feeling it too. Heat-stressed plants require more water, struggle to recover from damage, and can become much more attractive to pests like aphids, spider mites and leaf-footed bugs.

So, for me, September is a garden reset. I'm taking out spent plants, repairing broken irrigation, refreshing my garden boxes and getting everything ready for the season ahead. I'm not necessarily tearing out every healthy plant or rushing to fill every empty space. With temperatures still so high, I'm letting the weather, not the calendar, tell me when it's time to really get my fall garden planted.

But here's the part I really want every Riverside gardener to hear: don't skip the fall garden. Fall is my favorite season to grow, and I think it is one of the biggest gardening opportunities we have here in Riverside. For years, I didn't understand this. I was a serious gardener for about 15 years before I discovered just how incredible our fall growing season could be. Once I did, I was hooked.

Fall gardening is often easier than summer gardening. Cooler temperatures mean less stress on plants, fewer heat-related problems and, typically, fewer pest issues. We may even get some rain, which is always welcome in the garden! But don't let a little rain make you forget about your irrigation. Before planting your fall garden, check your system to make sure everything is working properly and water is reaching where it needs to go. And the list of things we can grow is incredible: broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, snap peas, lettuce, spinach, arugula, kale, carrots, onions and so much more. Many of these crops are delicious, productive and surprisingly easy to grow.

So don't rush out and plant a fall garden while Riverside is still baking. Use September to prepare for it. Get your soil ready, fix your irrigation, repair your trellises and start watching those temperatures. When the weather finally breaks, I strongly encourage you to give fall gardening a try. You may discover, like I did, that it's your favorite season too.

*\[Photo: Sunflowers blooming in a Raincross reader's garden, courtesy of Dawn Carter.\]*

### What Are We Picking?

**Vegetables:** Tomatoes, peppers, pumpkins, zucchini, summer squash, beans, eggplant

**Herbs:** Basil, sage, rosemary, thyme, oregano

**Flowers:** Zinnias, marigolds, sunflowers, cosmos

**Fruits:** Figs, pomegranates, persimmons, pears, apples, and grapes

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/b3/b2/b3b29e3b-298e-485f-86ca-3034c21e3784/content/images/2026/09/1-3.jpg)

Kim picking cosmos from a client's garden. | Kim Malstrom

### What Are We Planting?

September is our transition month. As temperatures begin to moderate, we can start moving into our cool-season garden. There are so many great choices: lettuce, spinach, arugula, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, kale, Swiss chard, carrots, radishes, beets, onions, garlic, potatoes and snap peas.

Fall is also a great time for beginners to get started. If you don't want to grow everything from seed, don't! I actually recommend using transplants for many crops. They give you a head start and can make fall gardening much less intimidating.

If your garden beds are still producing, don't feel like you have to pull everything out just because it's September. Plant as space opens up. This is where succession planting comes in — planting in stages rather than all at once. As one crop finishes, pull it, refresh the soil and replace it with your next crop. This keeps your garden productive instead of having everything come and go at the same time.

And remember: don't leave your soil bare. If you remove a plant and aren't ready to put another one in, cover that soil with cardboard, mulch or even leaves from your yard. It helps hold moisture, suppress weeds and — perhaps most importantly — discourages the neighborhood cats from deciding your freshly prepared garden box is their personal litter box.

*Don't want to start seeds indoors? Don't!*

Starting seeds indoors with lights and heating mats can be rewarding, but it can also be challenging and time-consuming. For beginning gardeners, I would much rather see you buy a healthy transplant and get it into the garden than get frustrated trying to grow a tiny seedling on your kitchen counter.

And this is where shopping locally really helps. I highly recommend Parkview Nursery as a resource for Riverside gardeners. A good local nursery understands our climate and can help you choose varieties that are actually appropriate for our area. Instead of grabbing the same generic plants you'll find at every big-box store, ask what is performing well in Riverside right now.

### What to Watch Out For

**Problem #1: Aphids on New Growth**

Heat-stressed plants can attract aphids, especially around tender new growth. Look underneath leaves and around growing tips for clusters of tiny green, black, tan or gray insects.

*Solution:* Start with a strong stream of water to knock them off your plants. Insecticidal soap can also be used when necessary. Check your plants regularly — catching aphids early is much easier than dealing with a major infestation.

**Problem #2: Spider Mites**

Spider mites thrive during hot, dry conditions. Look for tiny speckles or stippling on leaves, yellowing foliage and sometimes fine webbing.

*Solution:* Check the undersides of your plants' leaves, especially when you're looking for spider mites, and give your plants a strong spray of water to knock them off. Keep your plants well-watered and remove severely damaged foliage. And please: do not put diseased or heavily infested plant material in your compost bin! Put it in the city trash instead. The last thing you want is to give pests or plant diseases a second chance to spread throughout your garden.

**Problem #3: Leaf-Footed Bugs**

These pests continue to be a problem on tomatoes, squash, pumpkins and other fruiting plants. They can damage developing fruit by piercing the plant and sucking out its juices.

*Solution:* Inspect your plants regularly and hand-pick bugs and egg clusters when you find them. Remove heavily damaged or spent plants when they're no longer producing.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/b3/b2/b3b29e3b-298e-485f-86ca-3034c21e3784/content/images/2026/09/2-5.jpg)

Harvest from a client garden — tomatoes and basil in abundance, with a few cucumbers over-ripe from hiding below the leaves. | Kim Malstrom

### Gardener's To-Do List

1. **Repair your irrigation.** Run each irrigation zone for 5–10 minutes and inspect for broken tubing, clogged emitters, leaks and dry spots. Before your fall garden goes in, make sure every plant will receive consistent water. If you don't have your irrigation on a timer, now is the time to add one — you'll thank me later!
2. **Remove spent plants selectively.** Pull plants that are finished producing, severely damaged or no longer worth keeping. But don't feel obligated to clear everything. Healthy plants can continue producing while you wait for cooler weather.
3. **Refresh your garden boxes.** Add fresh soil and compost to raised beds as needed. I recommend topping off garden boxes in both fall and spring because soil naturally settles over time. Keeping the soil level high is important because one of the biggest benefits of raised beds is accessibility — they're easier on your back and knees, provide better drainage, allow you to control your soil quality and make it easier to maintain a productive growing environment.
4. **Feed your soil.** If you're planting in the ground, don't forget to feed the soil too. Add quality compost or well-aged manure and work it into the existing soil before planting your next crop.
5. **Repair your trellises and arches.** September is an excellent time to replace broken supports, reposition trellises and make changes to your garden layout before your next round of climbing crops goes in.
6. **Prepare for your fall garden.** Don't let the current heat discourage you from growing a fall garden. Get your beds ready now, then start planting as temperatures become more favorable.

### Closing Tip

If you've never grown a fall garden in Riverside, this is your year to try it.

I spent roughly 15 years gardening seriously before I discovered how incredible our fall growing season is, and now I look forward to it every year. Cooler temperatures, less heat stress, fewer pest pressures and the incredible variety of food we can grow make fall an absolute gift for Riverside gardeners.

Start simple. Try broccoli, snap peas, lettuce, spinach or arugula. You don't need a huge garden or years of experience — you just need to get started.

And remember, September is preparation time, not panic time. Get your garden ready now, notice the weather, and when those temperatures finally start cooperating, get those fall crops in the ground.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/b3/b2/b3b29e3b-298e-485f-86ca-3034c21e3784/content/images/2026/09/3-1.jpg)

Each garden box is custom built by Jeremy Malstrom to fit the space of Kitchen Gardens by Kim's clients, making every garden unique. | Kim Malstrom

**More information:* Kim Malstrom is the owner of Kitchen Gardens by Kim, designing, installing and teaching vegetable gardens for beginners and families in Riverside. Find her on Instagram at* [*@kitchengardensbykim*](https://instagram.com/kitchengardensbykim?ref=raincrossgazette.com) *or at* [*kitchengardensbykim.com*](https://kitchengardensbykim.com/?ref=raincrossgazette.com)*.*