SEPTEMBER

Lawncare

• Raise the mower blades before cutting fine lawns. This will help reduce stress.
• Get your lawn ready for winter by applying an autumn feed. Scarify the lawn first then apply high potassium feed followed by a top-dressing.
• During dry periods cut the lawn a little longer and invest in a mulching mower to help the lawn retain moisture.
• Last chance to put down a lawn weed killer.
• Loam & soil top dressing can be applied at the rate of 2kg per sq m, working it well in with a stiff broom or the back of a garden rake. If you use a proprietary product follow the specific instructions on the pack.

Houseplant Care

• Start reducing watering of houseplants as light levels drop.
• Ventilate and shade sunrooms and conservatories to prevent scorch damage to leaves.
• When you start to bring plants back indoors check them for pest and disease. Treat if necessary.
• Plant up hippeastrum (amaryllis) bulbs and prepared hyacinths for Christmas displays.
• September is an ideal time to apply biological control for pests like vine weevil by using nematodes.

Jobs To Do In The Garden

• Water tubs and new plants if dry and liquid feed.
• Deadhead faded flowers to encourage more and prolong the flowering period.
• Make a start dividing herbaceous.
• Plant spring flowering bulbs such as daffodil, tulip, crocus and hyacinth.
• Make sure early flowering shrubs like camellia and rhododendron are well watered during dry periods to ensure good flower bud development.
• Don’t neglect hanging baskets – feeding, watering and deadheading will keep them going till mid-autumn.
• Take cuttings of pelargoniums and osteospermum as soon as possible.
• Start collecting seed from your favourite plants.
• Cut back taller perennials like asters to stop them breaking in the wind.
• Start to bring in plants like fuchsia and abutilon before frost damage them.
• Allow the first frost to blacken foliage on dahlias and cannas before lifting the tuber.
• Check for first signs of vine weevil damage.

Jobs To Do In The Greenhouse

• Remember to ventilate the greenhouse on sunny days and on the warmest days you may need to damp the flooring down to increase the humidity.
• Give plants more space as they grow to help avoid pest infestations.
• Check for vine weevil larvae in containers.
• Regularly inspect plants for pest and disease.
• Start cleaning greenhouse ready for use in the autumn.

The Vegetable Garden

• Prune apricot, nectarines, peaches, plums, gages and damson immediately after harvest.
• Now is the time to sow vegetables for overwintering to mature next spring like turnip, winter lettuce, onion sets and spinach.
• Continue consistent supply of water to help avoid diseases, disorders and bolting.
• Water tomatoes & peppers regularly to avoid blossom end rot.
• Cut back old fruiting canes on blackberries and hybrid berries after fruiting.
• Don’t delay summer pruning restricted fruits (fans and espaliers).
• Dig remaining potatoes before slug damage spoils them.
• Lift and pot up rooted strawberry runners.
• Continue to harvest onions, garlic, sweet corn, figs, beans, carrots, potatoes, salads, raspberries, blackberries, courgette, cucumbers, tomatoes cherries, strawberries, early grapes, blueberries, gooseberries, melon, apples, pears, sweetcorn, peppers and kiwifruit.
• Hoe off weeds in dry weather.
• Continue to cut out old fruited canes on raspberries.
• Celery can be earthed-up for the final time this month, leave just a tuft of foliage.
• Net leafy vegetable crops with bird proof netting.

Wildlife & Bird Care

• Hip bearing roses can be left un-pruned to produce fruit.
• Clean out birdbaths.
• Keep birdbaths topped up.
• Refill bird feeders.
• Start building a hedgehog hibernation box.
• Trim hedges less frequently to encourage wildlife to shelter and feed.
• Make sure your pond is more wildlife friendly (by planting round the pond and creating a shallow edge so wildlife can access the pond safely).
• Give meadows a final cut before winter aim for 7.5cm (3 inch height and once cut leave clippings to lie for a couple of days to allow wildlife to crawl away and the rake up clippings.
• Allow seed heads to develop on some plants for a source of food.
• Plant perennials to attract insects

Any Other Advice

• Collect grey water for watering containers and baskets.
• Hang yellow card sticky traps in greenhouses and conservatories.
• Clean out cold frames, so they are ready for autumn.
• Net ponds before leaf fall gets underway.

Enjoy your garden and don’t forget to take time and stop and stare at the wonder of nature. Happy gardening!