Its starts to feel like the end of summer when the interns head back to school. Alex Sarell, studying Environmental Biology at Saint Mary's of the Woods College, worked with us all summer.  She was great with the kids camp, chickens, and, oddly enough, insects! Her studies have lead her to research native bees and daily she had one or more in her hand. All of this made famous with her facebook post #beesearch.

Fall creeps up on us pretty fast sometimes. September can seem like a waiting game, so here are a few tips for September garden tasks: 

1. Keep your garden watered. Make sure to water deeply because by this time your plants have put down deep roots, and your young fall plants need to stay moist. 

2. Clean-up any dead, insect infested, or diseased plants. Many insects overwinter in debris, and diseases can linger in the soil for years. Get the bad stuff out and do not put them in your compost pile. 

3. Clean-up any rotting fruit that my have fallen from trees and berry plants. They can attract insects.

4. As plants do start to die off, it is a good idea to cover up the area with leaves or grass clippings. If you have some cardboard, you can put it down and cover with grass clippings. Creating this layer will keep weeds down and is great worm food. 

5. You can also try fall cover crops in bare areas of the garden. Things like oats, annual rye grass, and mustard greens all work well. 

6. It is also time to think about saving seeds. Seed saving is not just for vegetables but flowers and milkweed also. This can save some money in the spring and help you enjoy your favorite varieties.