What's On The Agenda?

Things you could or should be doing in your garden in…

… September

This is an ideal time to aerate your lawn, re-invigorating it for the following year.

Apply pre-emergent herbicide (such as Dimension) now for control of cool-weather weeds in established lawns and ornamental gardens. If broadleaf weeds are a problem, spray with a post-emergent herbicide.

Be sure to kill all weeds in areas that you wish to over-seed with fescue or rye grass.

In areas you wish to over-seed with turf-type fescue, 5-10lb per 1000 sqft is adequate.

Fertilize cool weather lawns (fescue) so they stay green all winter.

Prune back tropical hibiscus, and any other plants that you want to over-winter indoors, to make them more manageable.
Collect seeds from zinnias, cosmos, cleome and four o’clocks to save for next year’s garden.

Keep deadheading to prolong blooming on summer flowers, and to encourage fall blooms on hybrid tea roses.

Fertilize fall-blooming perennials, like mums and salvia, with a liquid fertilizer to boost blooms.

This is ideal timing for planting both herbaceous and tree peonies.

Spring flowering bulbs begin to arrive in garden centers; purchase now, but wait to plant until soil temperatures are below 60F.

Watch for web-worm nests in trees – disrupt their web and drown the caterpillars or spray with Spinosad.

With the cooler weather around the corner, start planting your fall vegetable garden.

As the days shorten, take stock of your garden and what plants did – and did not – perform well; make notes in your garden journal to this effect so you can better plan your garden next year.

Consider adding a compost bin to your garden before the leaves begin to fall and pile up.