Gardening Tasks for September
The wonderful summer weather has been a joy to us all, but also a challenge for gardeners as our plants begin to flag in the absence of significant rainfall. This has really emphasised the need for feeding and mulching, in order to keep plants strong and healthy during stressful dry periods, and to trap as much moisture in the soil as possible. This is something to remember as we edge towards autumn and winter as mulching is just one of the gardening tasks for September.
New Planting Season
September is a very busy month in the garden, and marks the start of a new season of planning, tidying up and planting for autumn interest. Perennial plants such as heathers and heucheras put on a good display in the later part of the year and, supplemented with bedding plants like violas and pansies, will make a colourful splash in the autumn and right through to the spring. Bedding cyclamen are also looking good at this time of year, but bear in mind that these are not hardy in the Scottish Borders, and will die off when the first frosts arrive.
Plant up Winter Pots
Now is a good time to plant up autumn and winter pots. Dwarf conifers are a good option as a centre-piece in pots as these come in a variety of leaf forms and shades ranging from blue-grey to deep green and are very hardy. Remember to use fresh compost as the old compost will have had nutrient depletion throughout the summer. Make sure that drainage holes in the pots are open by raising them on pot feet and putting crocks or stones in the bottom of the pot. At Woodside we recommend using Growmoor Multi-purpose Compost with Added John Innes – it’s the one we use for all our re-potting.
Care for Summer Bedding
Summer bedding plants in hanging baskets and pots will keep going until the first frosts. Hopefully you have been keeping up with watering and feeding them over the summer – if so, they will still be looking good. Remember to continue to feed them with a liquid feed and to keep dead-heading them. My pots and hanging baskets at home have never been better – they have really enjoyed the summer sun, and weekly feeding has ensured that there are always fresh flowers.
Refresh your Perennial Borders
Out in the garden, it’s a good time to assess whether you have enough late-flowering perennials to keep the garden looking good, and to provide a nectar source for pollinating insects into the autumn. Any gaps can be filled with Sedums, Echinacea and Rudbeckias which can all be planted at this time of year. Congested clumps of perennials, such as hardy Geraniums and Hemeracollis can be lifted, divided and replanted to keep them heathy and fresh.
Plant Spring Bulbs
September is a good month for planting spring flowering bulbs, such as crocuses, snowdrops, daffodils and fritillaries, both in the garden and underneath autumn bedding plants in pots. Why not try planting up an Allium border? These are members of the onion family and have striking rounded heads of flowers, usually in blues and purples and sometimes in white, which are loved by bees and other beneficial insects. The foliage can look very scruffy, so I’d always recommend to plant them amongst perennials which will hide the foliage but allow the flower spikes to emerge above them.
Vegetable Garden
In the kitchen garden you can still plant hardy greens, such as pak choi, kale, broccoli and spring cabbage – remember to protect against pigeon damage by using micromesh or netting.
Prune out all the fruited canes of summer raspberry canes by cutting them right to the base and tie in thenew canes to supports.
Plant fruit trees like apples, pears and plums while the ground is warm – making sure to water all new plantings in well.