September’s a beautiful month in the garden, with plenty of colour from fall leaves and late-flowering plants. It’s time to harvest the last of the summer crops and tidy up the beds to be ready for winter. Here are our top 15 gardening tips for September:
15 September Gardening Tips
-
As strawberry plants put out runners (long stems with clusters of leaves), peg down the leaf clusters on the soil where they will root and form new plants. If you don’t want new plants, cut off the runners to conserve the mother plant’s energy.
-
Maincrop potatoes should be ready to harvest this month. Cut down the foliage, leave it for three weeks and then dig up the potatoes – kids will love doing this! Leave the potatoes to dry for a few hours, then store them in burlap sacks or paper bags in a cool dark place.
-
Pinch out the growing tips of tomatoes once they have produced seven trusses so they can focus all their energies on ripening the fruit.
-
Once you’ve picked the last of your French and runner beans, cut the plants down to ground level and leave the roots in the ground to release their stored nitrogen.
-
Prune summer raspberries. Cut back all fruited canes to ground level and tie in new canes to support in preparation for next year’s fruit.
-
Harvest plums, pears, apples, blackberries, and fall raspberries in the orchard.
-
Keep deadheading dahlias and roses for a last flush of fall colour.
-
Cut back faded perennials. Now’s a good time to lift and divide geraniums, hostas, and other perennials, reducing overgrown clumps and giving you extra plants!
-
Plant new perennials while the soil is still warm from the summer. The fall rain will help to keep them watered.
-
It’s time to plant spring bulbs like daffodils, crocuses, alliums, and irises. Wait until just before freezing to plant tulips, as they’re less at risk from viruses once the weather is colder.
-
Do your fall lawn maintenance. Scarify and aerate the lawn, and give it a fall feed to harden the grass, ready for the cold winter weather.
-
Water cedars regularly, this will help prevent sun scorch and browning over the winter.
Whether you’re planting, pruning, or harvesting, you’ll find everything you need in our centre. Come in and see our fantastic range of plants, tools, and garden equipment!
