September marks a period of transition, as summer gives way to autumn. Your garden loses the bright colours seen in recent months and gains rich, golden tones instead.
With our top 10 Gardening Tips for September, you can make the most of what’s left of the warm weather while preparing your outdoor space for colder, wetter days.
Gardening Tips for September:
- Guard against Waterlogging
While September rainfall is welcome after dry spells, lawns risk becoming waterlogged. Protect your lawn by aerating it (push your garden fork several inches into the soil at regular intervals and wiggle it) and raking off the grass debris, known as ‘thatch’.
- Strengthen Your Lawn
After your garden receives some rain, you’ll notice that the grass ‘wakes up’ and tries to grow with renewed vigour. Support it with an autumn lawn fertiliser containing phosphates and potash. The grass should develop strong roots and look good throughout the season.
- Perk up Your Patio
As summery colours fade, gardens can look uninspiring. Cheer up your outdoor space by planting cyclamen, ornamental cabbage and other autumn bedding plants in containers filled with compost. They’re perfect for perking up your patio.
- Stop Leaves Spoiling Your Pond
If leaves fall into your pond and rot, they’ll endanger the lives of fish and promote algae growth. That’s why it’s vital to cover the pond with fine-meshed netting (which needs to sit above the water level to stop fish getting tangled up). You can secure it with rocks or tent pegs – just ensure they’re easy to spot, so that they’re not a trip hazard. Remove dead leaves regularly.
- Collect Plant Debris in a Compost Bin
If you’re wondering where to put fallen leaves and other decaying plant matter, add a compost bin to your garden. After six months or so, you should have an excellent soil improver. Watch out for diseased debris, though – always throw that away.
- Protect Vegetable Patches from Pigeons
As the weather turns colder, it can be hard for pigeons to find food. As a result, they’re increasingly drawn to vegetables in gardens, leaving behind a trail of destruction. Keep your vegetable patch safe from peckish pigeons by investing in a vegetable cage. The mesh-covered framework is a ‘grow-your-own’ gardener’s best friend.
- Plant Seedlings for Winter Salad
Plant seedlings for hardy greens (including lamb’s lettuce, rocket and kale) soon, before the soil gets too cold for them to settle in. Cover seedlings with a semi-transparent cloche to keep them warm. They’ll fill your salad bowl with tasty leaves this winter.
- Let More Light into Your Greenhouse
Don’t forget to remove any greenhouse netting or paint that stopped plants wilting in the summer. Now that the days are drawing in, plants need to be able to make the most of the available sunlight.
- Harvest Your Garden’s Bounty!
Harvesting apples, aubergines, beefsteak tomatoes, carrots, runner beans, radishes, sweetcorn, potatoes and more is a satisfying task for September. But the most enjoyable, juiciest gardening job is picking late-fruiting raspberries. As gardening resource GrowVeg points out, the advantages of growing autumn raspberries instead of summer varieties include fewer pest problems. Why not enjoy some raspberries now and freeze the rest for later?
- Plant Spring-Flowering Bulbs
September is the ideal time to plant bulbs for spring flowers. Popular choices are tulips and daffodils, while a more unusual option is snake’s head fritillary – the flowers have an eye-catching snakeskin pattern. Most bulbs respond well to being planted at three times their own depth, rewarding you with beautiful blooms when the weather warms up.
We hope you’ve found these Gardening Tips for September helpful
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For Sensational September Gardens, Trust Extreme Handyman, Fencing and Decorating Service
Our Surrey gardening and landscaping team has the design expertise and practical skills to transform your garden this September. Whatever you have in mind, from shrubs to summerhouses, we’ll make your outdoor space look sensational!
For a garden you’ll love, call Extreme Handyman, Fencing and Decorating Service today on 020 8224 0830 or contact us online.
