Unfortunately not many gardeners know that September can be one of the most important gardening months of the year. Too many gardeners consider this month just one of the last of the growing season, offering little opportunity to do more than wait sadly for the coming of winter. September, however, can be a “busy, joyous period devoted to planting, preparation for next year, keeping the garden up to the end of the season, and improving and making new lawns. It ushers in the fall planting season in the North and gives the gardener opportunities to do many things that will lighten the load of spring work next year.

This is the ideal time for lawn work, to start a new one, improve a poor one or repair the damage done by crab grass. The weather again is very favorable to the growth of grass and the germination of newly sown grass seeds. The days are shorter, the nights are cooler, there is enough sun-shine and moisture to favor the development of grass and it is the time when lawn weeds do not germinate.

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With the cool weather of the fall season, most lawn and garden pests and diseases begin to dwindle away. Yet, there are a few lawn and garden pests that thrive off of the cool temperatures of the fall season.

One good point about fall lawn and garden pests is that they won’t have the chance to last as long as spring and summer pests because the freezing temperatures of winter will kill them off long before they do a tremendous amount of damage.

Still, though, if these fall lawn and garden pests have been at it all summer long, they may stick around through the fall and wreak havoc on the remaining lawn and garden perennials, bulbs and trees.

Fall Armyworms

The most beautiful part about the fall season is the different colors of foliage that will begin to appear in September and October. Unfortunately, Fall Armyworms love to prey on this beautiful foliage during the fall months, as their name suggests, and can do damage very rapidly.

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While most gardeners around the country are winding down their gardens for the year, Southern California gardeners can plant a fresh crop of vegetables and blooms in September and October for enjoyment during fall and winter.

Prepare Your Soil For Fall Flowers: Remove annuals. Break up and till the soil and generously add compost or organic planting mix. You may want to wait a week or two before adding fresh plants. This will give weeds enough time to germinate. Remove the weeds while they are small so they will be less of a headache later on.

Plant Your Winter Flower Garden: Begin planting your fall and winter flower garden towards the end of September. While blasts of hot, Santa Ana winds will blow from September through November, September nights are generally cool and days pleasantly warm–perfect growing conditions. Your fall garden can include calendula, delphiniums, larkspur, Iceland poppy, pansies, snapdragon and stock. In shady areas, plant primrose, daisies and cineraria.

Trim Perennials: Perennials are beginning to lose their summer luster. Trim excess plant growth and remove sagging summer flowers.

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The month of September indicates that we are coming to the end of another summer. That doesn’t mean there isn’t still plenty to be done in your garden. Here are some areas that you should be looking into at this time of year:

Lawns Maintenance
It is fine to continue cutting your lawn as normal, once a week is ideal if possible. September is also the ideal time to repair any areas of your lawn that are showing signs of wear. This will help your lawn to look good next summer. There are a couple of ways you can do this, you can reseed or rake over the dead areas. You can also of course simply replace these areas with new turf if you want a more instant fix. If you do opt to relay any damaged areas then make sure these areas are sufficiently watered by either rain or hose.

If your lawn has suffered from dead patches that are yellow in colour during late winter to summer then it’s possible you have an issues with leather jackets, this is the larvae from crane flies. There is a solution and you can find products on the market that will prevent this, Pravado Lawn Grub Killer can be very effective as can using Steinernema Feltia. Treatments like this should be used during September.

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I love my outdoors living space. The fragrant flowers, shading trees, even the constantly needing-to-be-mowed grass. I enjoy all of it and I spend a significant amount of time keeping it in good condition.

Unfortunately, gardening is a hobby that can become expensive. A $20 bill for this flat of flowers, $50 for that new tree, maybe $100 for a consultant to tell me why the grass is dead can add up to real money. I’ve always had to be careful with how much I spend on landscaping, so over the years I have found a few ways to make a little money provide the yard I like and enjoy.

End-of-Season Sales. Do you remember to do this for clothes and household items and forget to check out the garden center? You can get great deals on out-of-season plants or seeds. Even annuals can be worth buying at super closeout prices. They won’t bloom until next year, but for the price savings you can afford to take a chance on planting them now and waiting to see how many return next spring.

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In Northern United States and Canada

Now is the time to make new lawns and renovate old ones. If ground work in preparation for the seeding or sodding of new lawns is not yet done, get busy without delay. If possible, complete the planting of evergreens before October. Water them very copiously and mulch them after planting.

Hardy bulbs, of all kinds except Tulips, may be planted now. The earlier such kinds as Narcissi, Hyacinths, Glories of the Snow, Grape Hyacinths, Crocuses, Snowdrops, Scillas, Fritillarias, and Winter Aconites are planted, the better. Dig up a few plants of Parsley, Chives, Basil and other herbs and plant them in pots or flats to be brought indoors later to provide pickings through the Winter.

Cuttings of a great variety of Summer bedding plants, such as Geraniums, Fuchsias, Lantanas, Impatiens, Coleus, Acalyphas, Heliotropes, Ageratums, Blood Leaf, Verbenas, Salvias and Pentas, root readily at this season and give young plants for wintering, over indoors. Before the coming of frost dig up, pot and take indooft stock plants of any of the tender types of plants listed above that you wish to save. Lift and pot Christmas Cherries and Christmas Peppers that have been growing in nursery beds.

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September can be a question mark when making landscape and gardening plans. In Southern California, summer can easily extend into September or the month can bring cooler temperatures. Still, there is much to do and plant in the garden during early fall, say experts at Agromin, a Camarillo-based manufacturer of premium soil products.

Lawn Care: Lawns are still growing in September and October. Mow weekly. For cool season grass such as Kentucky bluegrass and fescues, now is the time to fertilize as they grow rapidly in fall. Also, consider aerification (coring) with an aerator that can be rented at equipment rental shops. Coring allows for better water and nutrition penetration.

Plant Trees: The best time to plant trees is when they are dormant–in fall or early spring. To reduce transplant shock, dig a hole for planting at least three times the size of the plant’s root ball is wide, but only as deep as its roots. Don’t plant the tree too low in the ground to allow for some settling. Firmly pack the soil around the tree to eliminate air pockets. Cover the soil with mulch to keep in moisture and help moderate extreme soil temperatures. The mulch should be one to two inches away from the tree trunk.

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September is that glorious month in the South that heralds the approach of cooler weather. The days grow shorter and the nights grow cooler and both garden and gardener take a new lease on life. September might be dubbed appreciation month – a chance to observe and get full satisfaction from the efforts of all the garden projects. By watching the growth of certain plants and the lack of it in others, the wise gardener can easily plan for corrections next season.

Garden Sanitation – This all-important job should precede all other fall garden activities. Following the vacation period, many garden plants need to be groomed. Remove all dead foliage and old blooms from the plants or from the bed areas. This clean-up is necessary to eliminate diseases and remove hiding places that might harbor harmful insects.

With the approach of fall, insects will be searching for winter homes and places to lay their eggs. A wise gardener gets rid of such places of refuge for these pesky critters! Following the clean-up, dust the base of the plants with sulfur or a fungicide to insure the garden being “tucked in” for winter in a clean and healthful condition.

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Well it is now September, and the mornings are great aren’t they? It is now beginning to be the best time to plant trees and shrubs. It is a great time because the above ground temperatures are dropping and the below ground temps are still warm.

This helps plants get a jump on next spring because the roots still develope in the warm soil while the tops slow down in growth. Also, there are less winds and typically more moisture during this time of year, which of course reduces stress on newly planted shrubs and trees. You should be able to plant just about anything, including pansies, (which will last thru next May) mums, winter veggies (starts), most trees and shrubs.

There are a few exceptions: Palm trees might be better planted in the spring and summer, in order to get a good root establishment before the winter sets in.

Oleanders may experience some winter kill if planted too late in the season, especially the 1 gallon size. The larger sizes seem to suffer the least winter kill. This is usually for the the first winter, after that they will have even less winter or no winter kill as they age. Using a winterizer fertilizer with plenty of potash will help increase winter hardiness just about all shrubs and trees.

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