Get your garden back in check after a long, hot summer with our top list of Gardening Jobs for September. Summer may be coming to an end but there’s still plenty of jobs to be getting on with to make sure your garden is in top shape before the autumn.
Native Tree Saplings in September
- Ready for autumn. Our native saplings will still look good at this time of year but are getting ready to settle down and lose their leaves.
- Plant your sapling before it gets too close to the winter time. You want to make sure that your tree has enough time to establish itself so it will be protected in winter.
- Keep watered to ensure that the tree has a chance to establish its roots. If the weather is still dry then check every day. If it’s been a wet September then ensure the soil doesn’t become waterlogged.
*Our native tree saplings are hardy, UK grown trees and will not tolerate being kept indoors. Make sure to put outside as soon as possible after delivery.
Rose Bushes in September
- Coming to the end of the flowering season. Our rose bushes are also starting to get ready for autumn and will have finished flowering round about now.
- Plant your rose bush in the garden or large pot. As they are potted they can be planted at any time of the year.
- Water your rose bush when needed to allow it to become established in its new home.
- Check for blackspot on leaves, prune away the affected leaves and stems and bin all the affected leaves to avoid it spreading.
- Prune rose bushes back once they have finished flowering. Leave repeat flowering roses a little longer and just carry on pruning away the spent blooms.
*Our rose bushes are hardy, UK grown shrubs and will not tolerate being kept indoors. Make sure to put outside as soon as possible after delivery and do not keep indoors over winter.
Regular Garden Maintenance in September
- Rake up the leaves that have already started to fall. Keeping on top of this will ensure that your garden doesn’t end up in a heavy blanket of autumn leaves.
- Clean out your greenhouse so that you are ready for your autumn planting and remove any shading towards the end of the month to allow plants to get as much light as possible.
- Close vents in your greenhouse at night to keep warmth locked in when it starts to cool off. Keep open during the day to avoid it heating up too much.
- Create your compost bin. If you haven’t already, get started on your compost bin. You’ll soon have lots of leafy, organic matter ready to go in there to be turned into valuable compost or leaf mould.
- Burn any diseased organic material. Any diseased plant matter should be disposed of properly. The spores may remain when composted and can easily infect other plants.
- Net your garden pond to keep the water free from fallen leaves.
Lawn Care in the Autumn
- Mow the grass. As the grass is growing more slowly, raise the height of your lawn mower blades.
- Aerate the lawn by piercing small holes in the ground. This allows the air to flow more freely into the ground, penetrating the soil.
- Seed over any bald spots. Summer activities on the grass may have left the lawn with some sparse sections. Dig the ground slightly and add some extra seed.
- Start a new lawn with turf or seed. Autumn is the perfect time for new lawn growth.
- Add an autumn lawn fertiliser to keep the grass happy and healthy through to the end of the year.
Preparing Soil and Beds in September
- Improve clay soil conditions before the start of winter. Start improving any clay soil in your garden with organic matter before the ground becomes too wet or frozen to work with.
- Prepare the soil for next years growth. From the previous vigorous growing season the soil will be depleted from minerals and nutrients. To add this back you can dig through new compost with a garden fork. This will also help aerate the soil.
- Mulch around plants for protection. While it’s usually still warm in September, don’t forget that the weather will soon be cooling off. Mulching the ground around your plants will keep them protected from any temperature drops.
September in the Fruit Garden
- Tidy up your strawberries and pot up their runners. This will ensure pests are kept a bay and you have plenty of new plants for the next few years.
- Tidy up your gooseberries and blackberries. Remove any infected stems or leaves and dispose of in the bin.
- Pick early cropping apples and pears. Most fruits won’t all ripen at the same time, to check if they’re ready gently pull on the apple and it should come away in your hand. Try to get to your fruits before the wind knocks them off or the wildlife gets to them.
- Harvest your plums. Early cropping plums like the Victoria Plum variety should be ready for picking around this time.
- Remove rotting fruits from trees to avoid the spreading of diseases. This goes for pear, apple and plum trees. Bin any infected fruit.
- Keep the grass short under fruit trees so that you don’t miss out on any fallen fruits. Compost or dispose of any that are too damaged or rotting.
- Move your potted fruit trees such as peaches and nectarines into a more sheltered space like an unheated greenhouse or porch.
- Cut back your summer fruiting raspberries and harvest autumn fruiting raspberries. Make sure to leave the new green canes when pruning for next year's crop.
- Pick blackberries as they ripen. Blackberries signal the end of summer and will be ripening all throughout this month. Pick them as they ripen and eat fresh or use in cooking.
- Freeze your leftover fruits. If you’ve got an abundance of crop this year that you just don’t know what to do with, try freezing the fruits for later use. This works well for berries and plums.
Flowering Trees and Plants in September
- Water your camellias well to allow for a strong and healthy production of buds for next year.
- Divide summer-flowering herbaceous perennials after they’ve finished flowering. Not only does this keep them healthy and growing vigorously but this expands your plant collections for free!
- Plant hardy, spring flowering bulbs now. Bulbs such as crocus, hyacinth and daffodils should be put in the ground now to ensure beautiful colour in the following year. They grow best in well-draining soil in a warm, sunny spot.
Encouraging Wildlife in September
- Be wary of wasps in the garden. Wasps can be rife at this time of the year especially if you have fruit trees. Keep an eye out and try not to aggravate them.
- Help local birds out with a bit of extra food. A lot of birds such as swallows will already be on their way migrating south for the winter. Some other local birds will still be around and looking for some food.
Indoor Gardening tips for September
- Bring any indoor plants back inside for the winter. Any plants that were put outside to enjoy the summer sun should be brought back in before it gets too cold. Check for any aphids or pests to make sure they don’t get to your other plants.
- Reduce the watering of your houseplants as the growing season comes to an end.
- Move houseplants off cold window sills at night to protect them from any severe temperature drops.
