September Cuttings

September is an ideal time to restore your lawn after the wear and tear of the summer.  Cooling temperatures and September remains allow time for the grass to respond well to treatments before the soil temperatures drop and growth stops for the winter.  

Lawn Maintenance

• Prepare new lawns by seeding or laying sod.  Over-seed worn patches in existing lawns and repair any damage caused by fungal diseases or pests.
• Moss control - use a commercial moss killer based on ferrous sulphate and scarify two weeks later.  Calcium carbonate (limestone) helps acid soils as it raises pH and discourages moss.
• Scarify lawns with a spring-tined rake to collect and remove excess thatch (old grass stems and dead moss).  It is best to do this before fertilizing.
• Aerate using a garden fork or aerator to spike lawns suffering from compaction to stimulate root growth.  
• Topdress aerated soils with one part compost, three parts sandy loam and six parts sharp sand - rake carefully into holes.  Topdressing can be worked in using the back of a rake and encourages better rooting and thickening of the grass.
• Fertilize with organic fertilizer low in nitrogen and high in phosphorus to encourage strong root growth.

Borders

• Take cuttings of tender and borderline-harden perennials such as Fuchsia, Salvias, Pelargoniums and Penstemon to overwinter under cover
• Feed and deadhead summer bedding plants - fertilized and tended they will bloom until the first frost.
• Plan for next year's late summer color by planting perennials such as Helenium, Helianthus 'Lemon Queen' and Aster x frikartii 'Monch'
• Collect seeds from perennials and annuals and dry them off before storing.
• Start planting spring-flooring bulbs in borders and containers
• Lift and divide hardy perennials
• Start planting trees and shrubs towards thinned of the month when the soil is still warm and move evergreen shrubs.
• Gather and dispose fallen rose leaves suffering from blackspot.  Do NOT add them to the compost heap.

Vegetable Garden

• Plant onions and shallots suitable for overwintering (with heavy wet clay soils it may be better to wait until spring).
• Harvest apples and pears and store in cool well-ventilated space.
• Harvest main crop potatoes.  Let tubers dry before storing in jute, burlap or paper bags in dark frost-free space.
• Wow winter greens such as mustard, spinach and hardy lettuce cultivars for spring crops