Gardening Notes for September - Things to do


As the season begins to wane, mark areas that might be easier to maintain with a good groundcover in place, or areas where more bulbs might fit. Pay attention to areas needing clean-up, such as around peonies, roses and other flowers that are prone to fungal diseases; don't leave any debris in place.

Wrap young or newly planted trees with burlap of other protectant to avoid ‘Buck Rub' from deer.

Pull spent vegetables and annuals to get a start on garden clean-up. Before composting the remains, cut them up a bit with a pruning shears or shred, to speed decomposition.

If you want your perennials to self-sow for next year's show, don't completely dead-head. Nicotiana, poppies, larkspur, and many others fall into this leave-alone group; some plants must be left in place or seeds shaken around during clean-up to insure the next generation. Plants with showy or bird-friendly seed heads, like coneflowers can also be left.

September and October are excellent times for installing new plant material; focus on the addition of fall and winter plants to the landscape. Be sure to water trees and shrubs now through hard frost, so they enter dormancy well hydrated. Evergreens are particularly vulnerable to desiccation and winterburn if not well watered before the cold and winds set in.

Re-edge beds and borders to make a clean line. Don't let them get overrun just because summer's wound down. As stated before, a clean edge makes a big difference.

Evergreens may start to show some browning or yellowing of needles this month and next. The oldest, innermost needles typically shed after a few years on the tree. Clear turf and weeds from the area around the trunks of fruit trees and ornamentals to reduce winter damage by rodents. Hardware cloth collars should be in place year-round as well.

Clean up under fruit trees, as fallen fruit and foliage allowed to overwinter invites adds troubles next season. So will mummies (shriveled fruit hanging on the trees). Best to pick and remove unless you wish to leave for the birds.

If you harvested your own garlic, save the best heads with the biggest cloves for replanting later this month or next (about a month before frost is in the ground). Otherwise, order bulbs now. Prepare a sunny spot, and plant each clove 1-2 inches deep and 6 inches apart in the row, with about 12 inches between rows. Green growth will happen this fall, which is great; don't panic.

Leave potatoes in the ground as long as possible, but they should be dug up and placed in a proper storage place (humidity is the key).

Prepare your garden bed for next spring's early crops. Spinach can even be sown now through Thanksgiving, and covered with fabric for super-early spring harvest.

Rest Amaryllis bulbs by putting them in a dry, dark place where they will have no water at all for a couple of months.

Order bulk mulch, which is cheaper than the packaged kind and also eliminates the waste of all those heavyweight plastic bags. Many local nurseries deliver. Top up mulch in all garden beds as they get cleaned up gradually in fall. Place netting over your pond to catch falling leaves.
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Apps for plant identification: Plant Net, Picture This, Plant Snap