September Tips |  |
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This is a busy month for us gardeners. As the days and nights become cooler we are left clearing up the debris of the summer harvest and most of us are back to planning for next spring.
However, rather than resigning yourself to having a dull, colourless autumn garden you can still plant blooms to liven up the garden at this time of year. Although the choice of plants suitable for autumn and winter bedding plants is more limited than for the summer, it is still possible to create a stunning display. |
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Borders | |  | • | Clear away faded summer bedding plants and plant out Pansies, Wallflowers and other spring bedding plants. | | • | Deadhead Roses regularly. | | • | Spray Roses to control black spot mildew and aphids. | | • | Water Camellias regularly as they are now forming next year's flower buds. | | • | Dead head annuals, perennials and Roses. | | • | Towards the end of the month prepare to move evergreens and perennials that are growing in the wrong places. | | • | Clear up any fallen leaves and other dead plant material to prevent diseases over wintering and remove shelter for vine Weevils. |
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Bedding Plants | | | • | Remove tired plants and prepare the soil for autumn and winter flowering varieties. | | • | Begin planting your autumn, winter and early spring flowering plants. |
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Containers | | | • | Empty containers of plants which are now passed their best, in preparation for replanting with autumn and winter flowering types and spring flowering bulbs. Remember to empty hanging baskets at the same time. | | • | Line the insides of your pots before planting with bubble plastic to protect your plants roots and clay pots from frosts. | | • | Towards the end of September, plant new hanging baskets, using a mixture of trailing foliage plants, such as ivy, lamium and ajuga as well as autumn and winter bedding plants such as pansies, polyanthus, primroses and violas and early spring bulbs like crocus. | | • | Containers are just as likely to dry out at this time of year, so remember to check regularly that they have enough water. | | • | Raise your containers off the ground slightly using small pieces of wood to allow them to drain more freely as the days become increasingly more wet. |
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Spring Flowering Bulbs | | | • | Always choose a mixture of colours and varieties and plants of different heights and flowering times to create a long season of interest. Plant bulbs of each variety to give a splash of colour. | | • | Bulbs in containers can be planted at different depths to give you several flushes of colour. Always place the largest and the tallest bulbs at the lowest level and the smallest bulb towards the top. | | • | Spring flowering bulbs should be ideally planted before mid-November. | | • | Whenever possible, plant bulbs straight away, otherwise store in a cool dry place. |
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Lawns | | | • | Continue to mow grass. | | • | Now is a good time to create new lawns using either seed or turf. | | • | Apply an autumn fertiliser and scarify to remove moss and dead grass (thatch). | | • | Repair damaged patches with grass seed or turf. |
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Fruit | | | • | Put fruit nets on late fruiting varieties of Raspberries and Blackberries and remember to check regularly that they are firmly attached. | | • | Harvest early fruiting varieties of Apple and eat immediately as they do not keep very well. | | • | Plant out new Strawberry beds and remove runners from any new plants. | | • | Complete the pruning of Tay berries, Loganberries, Raspberries and Blackberries. | | • | Check stakes and ties on fruit trees and replace if they are worn or rotten. | | • | This is a good time of year to plant fruit and nuts as the roots have a chance to become established before the winter. | | • | If your fruit tree is planted within the lawn, cut a large three foot (one meter) circle of turf from around the trunk, to let in water and nutrients. |
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The Vegetable Garden | | | • | Lift onions and dry them before storing them. | | • | Harvest plants as soon as they are ready to get maximum flavour from them. | | • | Cut and dry herbs for use in the winter. | | • | Continue to take precautions against slugs and snails. | | • | Regular hoeing will keep weeds down and prevent seeds being dropped on to the soil to createproblems for the following year. |
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The Greenhouse | | | • | Narcissus can be planted to ensure a display for Christmas. | | • | Be extra vigilant for pest and disease. |
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Ponds | | | • | Continue to feed pond fish. | | • | Remove any blanket weed by twirling it around on a stick. | | • | Check filters on pumps to ensure that they are not blocked. | | • | Remove any plant material that has fallen into the pond to prevent the build up of disease. | | • | Put a net over the pond to prevent leaves falling in to it. |
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General Tasks | | | • | Clip hedges if not already done such as beech to keep them in shape. |
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