September Activities

SEPTEMBER ACTIVITIES

Soon it will be autumn when you can enjoy warm days and cool evenings. Fall is the prime planting time beginning in mid-September and lasting through November. Now is the time to plant winter vegetables, bulbs, perennials, trees, shrubs and annuals. Don’t forget the sun screen, hat, and bottled water!

While it could still be too hot in some areas to successfully plant many annuals and Perennials, take time out to make a list of the things that you want to accomplish before fall sets in. What new plants to plant, which ones need dividing, and which area need fertilizing. Which garden bed needs to be prepared and enriched, and do you need to make some raised beds this year since the knees are not working as well as they did last year!

Fall is the perfect time for planting as the weather promotes root growth. There is a good selection of plants, it is still warm enough to enjoy the outdoors, and there are plants with great color for your garden. Stake and tie tall growing perennials.

Plant seeds of annuals and perennials in containers now in sterile soil. They will be ready to transplant when the weather is cooler. This will help to keep soil fungus from attacking and killing seedlings. If you decide to plant the cool weather plants in your garden now, instead of waiting for cooler weather, be certain to protect the plans with some shade and water them faithfully.

Check your overgrown perennials such as columbines, calla and canna lilies, coral bells, daylilies, gazanias, geum, herbs, iris (replant in October), penstemon, phlox, Shasta daisy, etc. for dividing and/or replanting.

The following seeds can be sown not (if you have prepared the ground with compost and begin good watering practices) California and Mexican poppies, African daisies, annual candytuft, bachelor buttons, forget-me-nots (shade), larkspur, linaria, nemesia, ornamental cabbage, sweet alyssum, and winter flowering sweet peas. Spring flowering sweet peas can be planted now through November. If you have an area for wildflowers, use this month to clear it of weeds so you can strew wildflower seeds after the first rain.

Other flower seeds that can be planted in sterile soil include: calendula, columbine, coreopsis, cosmos, delphinium, foxglove, hollyhock, Johnny jump up, lobelia,nasturtium, pansy, penstemon, petunia, salvia, snapdragon and statice.

September continues the season for making cuttings and propagating fuchsias, geraniums, impatiens and other plants that could perish in a frost. Protect your cuttings from the sun and the cold.

Divide crinums, agapanthus, daylilies, Shasta daisy and other summer blooming blubs after they have bloomed.

Bulbs, corms and tubers will begin to appear on the shelves this month. It is a good idea to buy these now while they are fresh and large sizes are in good supply. Don’t plant now; store the bulbs in a cool dry place for planting in October. Tulips, hyacinths and crocus do best if they are store for 4-6 weeks at 40º before planting in November or December in most Californian weather except in the mountains where chilling is not required. November is the month to plant ranunculus-more next month.

Pruning requirements for September are usually limited to thinning out bush plants where there is a risk of wind damage. Prune the dead wood in citrus trees. Staking small trees that are vulnerable to winds is advisable also check trees to make certain the stakes are not too tight. Remove the stakes from one and two year old planted trees. Stake and tie chrysanthemum plants to prevent drooping and breaking. This is a good month for general cleanup and spraying with a horticultural spray.

Cut off dead blooms of roses and annuals to promote more fall blooms. Pinch the side smaller buds of chrysanthemums, dahlias, and camellias. Cub tack straggly petunias to two growth nodes beyond the old hardwood and fee them for more fall color. Cut off the bottle bush flower bracts to allow the bush to add new branches that should bring a second crop of flowers before winter.
Keep the ground moist; don’t let the soil dry out. As it gets cooler, the soil still needs to have moisture for healthy plants. Don’t forget to fill the bird baths every week this month with fresh water (stale water breeds mosquitoes). Withhold water from your lilac bushes from now until January to start their dormant period. Gradually reduce watering of your pomegranate bush to reduce fruit splitting.

September is a good time to fertilize fall blooming plants, such as rose, hibiscus, chrysanthemums, and annuals. This is the last chance to feed citrus so that new growth will harden before cold weather sets in. Add iron chelate to plants which show signs of yellowing foliage, this includes azaleas.

Winter vegetable seeds include beets, Brussels sprouts, carrots, cabbage, cauliflower, celery, lettuce, kohlrabi, leek, mesclun, onion (short day types), parsley, sugar peas, turnips, radishes, spinach, Swiss chard, and turnips. Try Swiss chard “Bright Lights” it will be ready in two months for eating, use the young leaves for your salad.

The runners on your strawberry plants should be cut and transplanted in sterile soil to form good roots this month. They can be transplanted in October and November for further root growth and a crop to harvest next spring.

Preparation of lawns for reseeding can be done now, but cool weather grasses should be planted in October or November when the weather stabilizes. You can start lowering your lawn mower now for the winter. Wait until October to fertilize.

Container pots with spring and summer plants should be checked to see if they need to be replaced with cool weather varieties. Choose plants with interesting foliage and color. Existing containers need to be kept moist – use a slow drip method (if the plant’s root ball dries out, it will not absorb water). All container pots need a heavy soaking to flush the salts out and to keep the water from running out of the pot too fast. Clean up under azalea and camellia plants to prevent disease. Frequently water shallow rooted plants, Including tropical ferns, fuchsias, and hydrangeas.

Plant or transplant woody ornamentals and mature perennials from pots into the ground. Divide iris rhizomes. Spread manure or compost on unplanted areas.

Start collecting fall leaves, spent summer vegetables, annuals, perennials, and small shrubbery and cut up in small pieces for a faster product in the compost pile. Mix in shredded newspaper, coffee grounds, kitchen food scraps (no meat or dairy products). For a faster acting compost pile, add the “green” products in 3 or 4 inch layers. The “brown” products, shredded paper and leaves on top, should be 4 inches thick. Keep repeating this process until the pile is 3 or 4 feet tall. You can add some manure or a handful of ammonium sulfate to speed up the process. Moisten each layer as you make the pile and turn over once a week to aerate the mixes (twice a week will make compost faster). Do not compost diseased or insect infected plant material.

When planting young plants, control snails and slugs as they are just waiting for their next succulent meal.

Robert H. Schuler, Master Gardener
rhschuler@verizon.net
GPP#88 for September 4, 2010 “September Activities”
GARDEN PATCH POINTERS