SEPTEMBER
September Gardening Tips & Monthly Plant Care Guide
September is that sweet spot in the garden where the pace slows just a bit, but there’s still plenty to do. As temperatures cool and summer winds down, fall gardening takes center stage. It’s harvest season for vegetables, a great time for lawn care and overseeding, and one of the best months to plant trees, shrubs, and perennials. While you’re enjoying the last of your summer blooms, now is also the time to start planning for planting fall crops, dividing perennials, and preparing your landscape for the cooler months ahead.
Lawn Care in September
September is the single most important for cool-season lawn care. The work you put in now will determine your yard next spring!
Fertilization: A fertilizer application is one of the most (if not the most) important applications of the year. Use a high-nitrogen fertilizer for cool-season grasses as lawns are coming out of summer dormancy and actively growing again. Be sure to water the fertilizer in for high effectiveness.
Seeding & Lawn Renovation: The best time to seed or overseed is between mid-September and mid-October. Be sure you have good seed-to-soil contact and use high-quality seed blends. If using fescue, we recommend 6-8lbs per 1000 sq ft for new lawns, or half that rate if overseeding. You should mow after it reaches 3-4" tall and spray for weeds after new grass has been mowed at least twice.
Weed Control: Spray those pesky weeds now that temperatures are below 90 degrees.
Maintenance & Improvements: Continue to keep mower blades sharp for a clean, healthy cut. Verticut to renovate bluegrass or tall fescue lawns. Now you may also core aerate established lawns to a depth of 2.5-3 inches.
Landscape Bed Preparation and Renovation
Clean up weedy beds by digging out all the flowers and placing them in the shade on a tarp. If needed, you can spray round-up in the empty bed and wait a few days to till the area.
Amend the soil by adding compost such as cotton burr or alfalfa to provide beneficial nutrients and to help with drainage.
Re-plant your divided perennials and mulch the bed 2" deep to help conserve moisture, prevent weeds, and provide protection from the harsh winter. You may also add a balanced fertilizer and/or bone meal during replanting.
Fall Harvesting in the Vegetable Garden
September means the peak of harvest, fall planting, and cleanup.
- Remove and destroy old plants, straw mulch, and debris
- Burn or dispose of diseased material when appropriate
- Till your soil and incorporate compost or leaves
End-of-Season Harvesting
- Continue harvesting vegetables regularly, when ripe
- Pick and pears and apples and store in a cool location to extend freshness
- Harvest pumpkins when flesh is completely orange. Avoid carrying them by the stem so they do not break
- Harvest winter squash when rind it hard enough to puncture with a fingernail
- Plant lettuce, spinach and radishes
Ongoing Maintenance
- Remove weeds before they go to seed
- Remove small tomatoes to encourage ripening of mature fruit
- Dig up herbs and place indoors for use during the winter
September Flower Care
Divide & Plant Perennials - Divide perennials (especially spring bloomers) at least every three years to maximize their potential. The best time to divide is in April or September. Plant spring flowering bulbs like tulips, and daffodils.
Seasonal Color & Maintenance - Plant chrysanthemums for vibrant fall color. Clean up your garden beds as plants die back to reduce pests and diseases, and remove seedheads to prevent unwanted reseeding.
Bulb & Soil Care - Dig gladiolus bulbs as foliage begins to yellow and allow to air dry before storing. Enrich your soil with compost, peat moss or other organic material
Trees and Shrubs
The best time to plant a tree is in the fall as cooler fall temperatures reduce the stress on newly planted trees and allows them time to establish before winter arrives.
• Time to Plant deciduous and evergreen trees as well as shrubs
• Rake up fallen leaves and add them to your compost
• Prune broken and dead branches from trees
• Avoid pruning spring flowering shrubs such as lilac and forsythia to ensure spring flowers
• Hand pick bagworms to reduce problem in future
Houseplants
If you have houseplants outside, it's time to transition them indoors before nighttime temperatures drop into the 50's. Be sure to lean and wash plants thoroughly to remove insects prior to bringing them inside your home.
Feed with a houseplant fertilizer before winter arrives and plant growth slows.
If desired, Start dark treatment for poinsettias to encourage Christmas blooms