Gardener’s September To-Do List

September is here! It is often considered one of the best and busiest months for gardeners. Summer’s heat finally starts to cool and the changing seasons means opportunity for new life. Although this is promising and exciting, it means a lot of work. Here is a quick September To-Do list to get you started. Happy Gardening!    

Begin with these general tasks:

-Stop pruning and fertilizing

-Bring all summer plants indoors

-Clean up and dispose of all dead and diseased plants. Burn or add to waste as composting may reinfect your plants.

-Create your compost bins

-Raise pots off of ground to avoid waterlogging

-Use a glyphosate-based weed killer to kill both the leaves and roots of perennial weeds.

-Be prepared to cover tender plants in frost

Flowers:

- Divide herbaceous perennials as the weather beings to cool

-Plant any spring-flowering bulbs now

-Plant any new perennials

-Prune any late summer flowering shrubs

Fruits and Vegetables:

-Keep harvesting crops

-Begin your autumn clean up and tidy up for winter

-Look for rotting fruit and remove them as they will spread disease

-Test for ripe fruits and vegetables

-Keep grass short under fruit trees to easier spot fallen fruit

Article by Amber Burkhart

Photo   by  USDAgov