If all runs to plan, September days are usually warm and sunny and is a time for harvesting, tidying, and preparing the garden and greenhouse for the cooler, more unpredictable months ahead.
Many of our favourite summer flowering plants will probably have finished blooming by now, but there’s still a chance to get colour from late-flowering plants like anemones, rudbeckia and echinacea.
But September can be a great time to quite literally reap the fruits of your labour with bumper crops of fruit and vegetables.
So, although we’re not quite ready to say goodbye to summer don’t pack the watering can away just yet! As well as harvesting crops, keeping your grass in tip-top condition and continuing with weeding, there are plenty of gardening jobs to keep you busy.
The lawn: Grass growth rate is dependent on the weather and a warm September means the grass will still need to be mown on a regular basis.
Keep on top of watering your grass, especially if you’ve sown grass seed or laid new turf.
Apply an autumn lawn feed to worn-out grassy areas.
Harvesting: Onions, apples, pears, cucumbers, beans, raspberries, cherry tomatoes, courgettes and potatoes can be picked now.
As well as picking fruit and vegetables, you can carefully harvest seeds from your favourite flowers. Cornflowers, poppies, nasturtiums, marigolds and snapdragons are all easy plants to collect seeds from.
Place the harvested seeds into an envelope and don’t forget to write what seeds are inside.
Divide clumps of perennials that have finished flowering like lily of the valley, bleeding hearts and peonies. You can also lift and divide lavender plants by cutting the root ball in half.
Add colour to borders with plants like late-flowering anemones, rudbeckia, sedum and asters.
Plant colourful autumn containers to keep your garden looking beautiful.
If you have a pond, September is a good time to place a net over it to catch falling leaves.
And don’t forget to give your greenhouse a good clear out before winter sets in. Make any repairs as necessary to see it through winter.
Author: Jonny
Author of Gardening Life!