Garden jobs for September
The days are shortening and the sun is lower, casting that gorgeous, warm light that makes grasses and late summer blooms glow.
Things are slowing down, but there's always something that draws you out into the garden at this time of year. Here's our round up of September jobs, from gentle pottering to more of a workout.
In your borders and pots
Sow hardy annuals
It’s a good idea to give hardy annuals a head start and sow some now. Though they won’t grow much on the surface between now and spring, they’ll have chance to develop great roots. This means stronger and more resilient plants that can cope with our increasingly dry springs, plus earlier blooms.
Good bets include nicotiana, cornflowers, Californian poppies, nigella and borage.
Sow according to the packet instructions and keep damp but not soggy throughout the winter. They can happily live in a cold frame or porch til they’re ready for planting out in late spring.
Collect seed
Many summer flowers will be going over and setting seed now – especially in this really dry year. Sunny, breezy days are a great opportunity to save seed to grow more of your favourite blooms for next year.
Give any seed heads a shake – if they sound dry and make a rattly noise, they’re ready to collect.
Hold a paper envelope (not a plastic bag, which can cause the seeds to rot) over the seed head, then carefully tip the envelope upside down with the seed head inside. Give the seed head a gentle wiggle and allow the seed to collect in the bottom of the envelope. Seal the envelope and write which plant it’s from and the date on the top. Do the last bit right away so you don’t later forget!
Store in a cool, dark place away from sunlight and moisture ready for sowing in spring. Or get ahead and sow them right away for overwintering.
Divide and move perennials
It’s a good time to assess your pots and borders to see what’s working and what needs reorganising. Anything that’s got too big for the space or is crowding out other things is a good candidate for splitting or shifting.
Many herbaceous perennials and grasses cope well with being divided or moved at this time of year.
To split a plant, dig around it in a wide circle to get as much of the root system out as possible. Turn it on its side and stick in two garden forks into the rootball - back to back so they can be levered against each other. Pull the forks apart (be careful not to trap your hands), teasing the roots apart as you go. Or use a sharp spade to slice through the middle.
You can plant out divisions or moved plants straight away, or you might want to grow them on a bit in a pot first. Just make sure to water them in well in either case.
In the veg patch
Sow winter lettuce/ herbs
There’s still (hopefully!) plenty of warmth left in the soil, and enough light to keep the salads going for a few weeks yet. Sow quick-growing leaves like cut-and-come-again lettuce, spinach and mustards for more leafy goodness as the weather cools.
Harvest and store apples
It's peak apple season and the ideal time to harvest and store your goodies to last you through the winter.
Check if the fruit are ready to pick by gently bending and twisting the apple stem. Ready apples will come away from the tree with little effort. If you have to tug, leave it a few more days before trying again.
Carefully place picked apples in a box or ideally an apple storing tray. If you drop or bruise any, put them to one side to eat soon – don’t store them as they’ll potentially spoil the others.
Store in a cool, dark, dry place.
Harvest and store squash
Pumpkin season is upon us. Towards the end of the month, check on your squash, pumpkins and gourds to see if they’re ready to pick and ripen at home. Look for dry, brittle stems and a fruit that sounds hollow when given a gentle thump.
When harvesting, cut off some of the main plant stem attached to the pumpkin stem. You’re aiming for a t-shaped stem when cut. This will help the squash keep for longer.
Store in a dry, cool place out of direct sunlight, but bright enough to allow them to fully ripen.
