September "TO DO" Tips!
Ahhhh....September! Much cooler temps, lower humidity, quiet, misty, somewhat foggy mornings, and lots of sunny and pleasant days ( hopefully some of them have a bunch of rain in them also). And, after all the almost unbearable weather this past summer, September is a great month to get back outside and do some of the things that were either neglected due to the weather or it's "just that time" to do them.
The following is a list of things you may want to attend to in September.
1. Since the days and nights are cooling down your plants will not need as much water as they did last month so it's time to back off a bit on the watering. Yes...."I" actually said NOT to water as much. Of course that does not mean to totally stop watering. Some common sense will be in order here depending on weather, and whether or not we get our usual fall rains. Plants will slow down on their "actively growing" now as they start to prepare for winter dormancy. Less water will help them to stay healthy and harden off before temperatures really drop.
2. Stop feritilizing and prunning! Fertilizing at this time of year will only promote new tender growth which may not have time to again harden off before winter. The same goes for prunning. Wait now until we have a couple of good frosts before doing any serious pruning. Again common sense is the rule here. If you have been inside all summer and just realized that you have a huge rose bush branch hanging out halfway across your sidewalk and your 90 year old mother is coming to visit......Prune it off!
3.Plant trees and shrubs! Yes....come to the nursery and buy, buy, buy! September is a perfect month to be planting. The soil is still warm enough so plants can establish a good root system before winter, they won't need as much water and they will love the less stressfull days free from the sweltering heat.
4. September is the BEST month for seeding and sodding new lawns. Or, this year it may more likely be the "RE-seeding" and/ or over-seeding of your lawn. This gives any new young shoots time to grow and harden off before later fall fertilization. Absolute, normal cut-off date for any seeding is October 15th. And, since everything this year seems to be about a month ahead of schedule, it could be even sooner than "normal"!
5. As the soil temperature drops to 60 degrees or below this month, it is a good time to also plant any spring flowering bulbs you may want such as daffodils, crocus, hyacinths and tulips. Remember to add a little Bone Meal to the hole as you plant. Your bulbs will love you for the extra attention now and reward you in the spring.
6. Label and/or mark the location of your perennials so that you don't wind up digging them up by accident after they lose their leaves here in the fall. Hint: take a photograph now and put a popsickle stick in the ground next to the location of each.
7. Remove any annuals that are finished blooming, are diseased, or just plain ugly!!
8. September is the time to divide your Peonies and Iris.
9. Remove any weeds from the beds now while you still can and apply a pre-emergent to help prevent new fall and winter seeds from germinating. And, don't forget to water it in good or you are throwing away your money. Hint: Remember we sell Treflan here at the nursery and it's less expensive than Preen.
and finally....
10. As the weather cools and the moisture returns, be on the lookout for slugs and snails especially around your shaded plants. Treat for them accordingly! Hint: Remember, we also sell Sluggo which is harmful to the slugs but not to your pets.
I know, you know, that fall is an incredibly gorgeous time of year. So, get out and enjoy the"to be" beautiful September weather and have some gardening fun or any fun! Just ENJOY IT!
PS. Does anyone know of a retired or unemployed "Rainmaker"?????
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