September is the season of change as the last of the Summer sun gives way to the first chilly nights. We can generally bank on at least a few days of sunshine before Autumn sets in properly. This is the best chance to get out and begin the Autumn garden clean up.

Plants of the Month

From Left to Right

Field Maple, Pennisetum, Sedum Brilliant, Hebe Autumn Glory, Heleniums

Things to Consider for September

This is harvest season so if you have had a good year of growth then now is about the time that you find you have far too much fruit and vegetables and are no doubt lost for ideas on what to do with it all!! Learn how to prepare vegetables for freezing if you want to avoid waste.

Even though Summer is behind us, flowers still continue to bloom right up until the first frost so there is no reason why you won’t have a garden of colour in September. See above for some plants on show this month.

Day lengths really narrow in by the end of the month with sunset at around 7pm. To extend the use of your garden into the evenings consider investing in a chimenea, firepit, garden lighting or patio heater.

Things to Do

In the Fruit & Veg Garden

1. Harvest fruit and vegetables regularly to prevent them going to seed or becoming food for pests
2. Prepare areas for storing vegetables. Choose an airy & dry place to lay out your harvest
3. Loosen onions in the ground 2 weeks prior to harvesting
4. Stay vigilant for pests and harvest crops that show signs of attack
5. Watch out for wireworms in potatoes
6. Keep fruit covered with bird netting to protect from attack
7. Keep squash, courgettes and pumpkins up off the ground to keep them dry and prevent rotting
8. Plant out Spring cabbage such as the greyhound variety
9. You can also plant

• Purple sprouting broccoli
• Lettuce & other salads
• Garlic
• Kale & spinach

1. Green manure seeds can be sown on bare vegetable plots to ensure good soil coverage and soil life over the Winter months

In the Greenhouse

1. Ensure regular watering continues on greenhouse plants as fruits & vegetables develop
2. Keep greenhouse door closed in evenings & night to conserve heat
3. Clean out used pots & trays and wash with hot water to prevent the spread of diseases
4. Ensure greenhouses are well secured as windy weather picks up
5. Prepare pots for hardwood cuttings, ensure they are in a frost free location

Plant Care

1. Cut back the leggy stems of faded herbaceous plants
2. Support taller plants that are still in bloom
3. It’s still too early to divide plants but a general clean-up of beds and borders can take place now
4. Mulch over the top of tender herbaceous plants as you cut away dead foliage. Mulch using straw or bark chippings
5. Continue to collect the seeds of flowering plants
6. This is a good time to cut back evergreen and deciduous hedging, most hedging benefits from being cut back twice a year to ensure a thick but neat hedge
7. Cut back late Summer flowering shrubs such as buddleia, hydrangea, potentilla and spirea
8. Avoid cutting back plants that bear berries such as pyracantha & holly
9. Begin taking hardwood cuttings. You can take cuttings of herbs
10. Spring bulbs are available from the beginning of the month, order now and get planting as soon as they arrive. Some good bulbs to look out for would be

• Tulip Negrita
• Fritillary Bulbs
• Muscari Bulbs
• Mixed crocus bulbs
• Daffodil Tete a tete

Lawn Care

1. All the work is weather dependent as you should avoid working on lawns and soils in wet or freezing conditions
2. By the start of the month you can still prepare and sow new lawns but this must be done before the end of September otherwise your grass seed may not survive
3. In dry conditions you can aerate and scarify lawns to improve airflow and remove moss and thatch
4. Continue to cut your grass every two weeks in September. You will also need to cut at least once more before putting mower away for the Winter

General Maintenance

1. Rake up fallen leaves caused by periods of dry weather
2. Begin feeding birds. Be sure to first clean your feeders and tables and position them out of reach from predators
3. Check tree stakes and ensure they are well secured and ready for the Winter ahead