As we embrace the mid-September days, it’s the perfect time to focus on preparing your garden for the cooler months ahead. Here are some essential tasks to tackle this September: Fertilize Your Lawn: Fall is the ideal time to fertilize your lawn. This helps it build strength and resilience for the winter months. If you have bare patches, reseed them now to ensure a lush lawn come spring.
Adjust Watering: Begin reducing your watering schedule for your garden and lawn, except for newly seeded areas. This helps plants start preparing for dormancy rather than continued growth.
Save Flower Seeds: Collect and store seeds from self-pollinating flowers like marigolds, cosmos, and coneflowers. Dry them and keep them in closed containers for planting next spring.
Plant Spring Wildflowers: Now is the time to plant spring wildflowers. This ensures they will be ready to bloom beautifully when the warmer weather returns.
Plant Spring-Blooming Bulbs: If you’ve purchased spring-blooming bulbs, plant them as soon as possible for a vibrant display next year.
Cool-Season Vegetables: In some regions, you can still plant cool-season vegetables such as cabbage, broccoli, carrots, garlic, Swiss chard, lettuce, beets, kale, parsnips, radishes, peas, spinach, turnips, and celery. Check the Almanac’s seed-starting chart for guidance.
Cool-Season Annuals: As temperatures drop, plant cool-season annuals like pansies and snapdragons to add color to your garden.
Perennials Care: Plant any new perennials and divide and replant overcrowded perennial beds. Apply a layer of organic matter to these new beds. Use only phosphate fertilizers on perennials and bulbs; avoid nitrogen.
Annuals Care: Cut back annuals once they finish flowering. Do not fertilize them this month.
Seeding Cool-Season Lawns: Towards the end of the month, plan to seed cool-season lawns like bluegrass or ryegrass. Fall is the best time to establish these lawns.
Full Moon Insight
Today, we are graced with the Full Moon, known as the Harvest Moon (and a partial lunar eclipse). This full moon is the closest to the autumnal equinox and signifies a time of abundance and reflection. Traditionally, it was named for the bright light it provides, helping farmers harvest crops late into the evening. It’s a perfect moment to contemplate the year’s progress and make plans for the future.
Happy gardening, and enjoy the extra light from the glow of the Harvest Moon!
