September Gardening Tips

Here are your tips for September gardening. After a cold Spring, we have had a hot dry June and July 2018 and now a cool damp week.  By the time you read this, we might be under water or in a desert!  The hot weather hastened the ripening of apples and brought forward the harvesting of potatoes; the runner beans in my care have hated it!

The suggestions of things to do in the September garden are based on what normally needs to be done at this time of year.

Ornamental garden

The year is far from over and chrysanthemums, asters and dahlias will go on flowering so long as you feed and dead-head them.  Take cuttings of favourite fuchsias, pelargoniums and penstemons to overwinter under cover. Collect seeds from other plants and dry them before storing in paper envelopes (or swapping with friends).

Lift and divide hardy perennials. Plant new ones for next year’s colour e.g. Helenium, Helianthus and Asters.

September is also a time to start planting for spring – daffodils need to go in now, but tulips can wait until November.

Plant trees and shrubs while the soil is still warm.

To give a tidy outline for the Winter, clip deciduous hedges like hawthorn, beech and hornbeam, and give a second clip to the soft growth of cypress and yew.

 

Kitchen garden

Beans, sweetcorn and main potatoes can be harvested, but leave pumpkins and squashes on the plant to ripen, supported by a brick or straw. When ripe, the skins darken and they sound hollow when you tap them.

Apples and pears can be harvested and stored somewhere cool and frost-free as soon as they pick easily when you lift and turn.

Onions and shallots can be planted for overwintering.

Don’t forget to protect Brassicas from pigeons!

If your lawn is your pride and joy, then give it an Autumn feed (low nitrogen reduces soft growth and strengthens roots), scarify, aerate and top-dress with good soil

This is the time many gardeners net their ponds to prevent leaves getting in, although one needs to consider wildlife access when doing so.

Here are some dates of interest

• 8^th September Church Crookham Garden Society Show at Crookham memorial Hall, Sandy Lane (free entry, for classes see ccgsoc.org.uk)
• 28^th September Harvest Supper and quiz at Crookham Memorial Hall (see ccgsoc.org.uk for details)
• NGS gardens open include Dipley Mill on 2^nd and 30^th 2-5.30pm, Millenium barn and Old Thatch RG27 8DD on 2^nd; Dunsborough Park, Ripley and Court House, Petersfield on the 9^th; Albury Park and Tylney Hall Hotel on the 7^th October