Gardening Chores & Tips for September
Water
As temperatures begin to cool, plants need less water. Adjust your watering schedule for lawns, borders, and containers. Pay close attention to containers as they tend to become waterlogged.
Seeds
Dry the flower heads of zinnias, cosmos, and sunflowers. Store the seeds in a cool, dry place, for example in a brown paper bag. Do not use plastic bags. Save these seeds until next spring for your cutting garden.
Houseplants
If you gave your plants a summer vacation outside, bring them back indoors before the temperature dips below 55 degrees. Cut back on watering, and allow the containers to dry out a bit. Examine the plants carefully for insects and move them back inside.
Bulbs and Rhizomes
Order or purchase your spring blooming bulbs at this time. October and November are the recommended planting months for zone 8a. Tulips and hyacinths need six to eight weeks of chilling before planting. It is also time to lift out Iris clumps and divide and transplant.
Vegetables and Herbs
It is still not too late to plant a fall garden. Direct seed root crops such as carrots, radish and turnips. While it is time to harvet most herbs, it is time for planting chervil, cilantro and parsley. Pinch back blooms in basil os plants can direct their energy to produce foliage.
Strawberries
Order plants and prepare beds for planting in October.
Mulch
Fall is a great time to add fresh mulch to the landscape. Rake pine needles that begin falling and stockpile them. Then use a clean covering for beds after the leaves have fallen. Don't worry about over mulching with pine straw. This material rots quickly and seldom builds up to damaging levels. However, don't apply more than 2 to 3 inches at a time.
As temperatures begin to cool, plants need less water. Adjust your watering schedule for lawns, borders, and containers. Pay close attention to containers as they tend to become waterlogged.
Seeds
Dry the flower heads of zinnias, cosmos, and sunflowers. Store the seeds in a cool, dry place, for example in a brown paper bag. Do not use plastic bags. Save these seeds until next spring for your cutting garden.
Houseplants
If you gave your plants a summer vacation outside, bring them back indoors before the temperature dips below 55 degrees. Cut back on watering, and allow the containers to dry out a bit. Examine the plants carefully for insects and move them back inside.
Bulbs and Rhizomes
Order or purchase your spring blooming bulbs at this time. October and November are the recommended planting months for zone 8a. Tulips and hyacinths need six to eight weeks of chilling before planting. It is also time to lift out Iris clumps and divide and transplant.
Vegetables and Herbs
It is still not too late to plant a fall garden. Direct seed root crops such as carrots, radish and turnips. While it is time to harvet most herbs, it is time for planting chervil, cilantro and parsley. Pinch back blooms in basil os plants can direct their energy to produce foliage.
Strawberries
Order plants and prepare beds for planting in October.
Mulch
Fall is a great time to add fresh mulch to the landscape. Rake pine needles that begin falling and stockpile them. Then use a clean covering for beds after the leaves have fallen. Don't worry about over mulching with pine straw. This material rots quickly and seldom builds up to damaging levels. However, don't apply more than 2 to 3 inches at a time.
