All comments and tips to be attributed to Amber Tunney, Plant Buyer at Cherry Lane Garden Centres.
September marks the beginning of a change in season for our gardens, as summer draws to a close and the first signs of autumn begin to appear.
While there’s still plenty to enjoy and harvest, it’s also an important month for preparing gardens for the cooler months ahead. From giving lawns some much-needed attention to planting ahead for spring, a few simple jobs now can help keep outdoor spaces healthy and colourful well into the new season.
Horticultural experts at Cherry Lane Garden Centres have rounded up the key gardening jobs to tackle this September.
- Plant autumn bedding such as winter flowering pansies
“September is a great time to refresh tired summer containers and borders with autumn bedding. Winter-flowering pansies are a particularly good choice as they’re hardy enough to cope with cooler conditions and can provide a welcome splash of colour when many summer plants are beginning to fade.”
- Cover ponds with netting before autumn leaf fall
“As trees begin to shed their leaves, covering ponds with netting can save a lot of work later in the season. It helps stop fallen leaves from building up in the water, where they can eventually decompose, so put netting in place early before leaf fall really gets underway.”
- Tidy finished flowering perennials
“Once perennial plants have finished flowering, remove any spent flowers and dead or damaged growth to keep borders looking tidy. Clearing away dying plant material can also help keep beds in good condition as we head into autumn.”
- Scarify and aerate lawns and apply autumn lawn feed
“After a busy summer, lawns can benefit from some attention in September. Scarifying helps remove thatch and dead material, while aerating allows air and water to reach the roots more easily. Follow with an autumn lawn feed to give the grass the nutrients it needs as growth begins to slow.”
- Sow grass seed before winter
“September is one of your final opportunities to sow grass seed before temperatures drop for winter. Whether you’re repairing bare patches or refreshing a tired lawn, getting seed down now gives it time to establish while the soil still retains some warmth.”
- Harvest autumn-fruiting raspberries, apples, pears and late plums
“September is a rewarding month for home-grown fruit, with autumn raspberries, apples, pears and late plums all ready for harvesting. Keep checking fruit regularly and pick it as it ripens so you can enjoy it at its best and avoid ripe produce going to waste.”
- Plant spring-flowering bulbs in ‘lasagne’ layers
“Get ahead for spring by planting bulbs in containers during September. For a longer-lasting display, try ‘lasagne planting’, where different varieties of bulbs are planted at different depths in the same container, with the largest and latest-flowering bulbs towards the bottom. Finish with autumn or winter bedding on top for colour while you wait for the bulbs to emerge in spring.”
- Sow leafy crops for growing in greenhouse beds
“Greenhouses don’t have to become empty as summer crops finish. Leafy crops such as spinach, mustard, kale and chard can be sown in September to make use of the space through the cooler months. The added protection of a greenhouse can help extend the growing season as outdoor temperatures begin to fall.”
- Divide and replant spring-flowering perennials
“September is a good opportunity to divide established spring-flowering perennials that have become overcrowded. Carefully lifting and splitting larger clumps gives the plants more room to grow, while also providing you with extra plants that can be replanted elsewhere in the garden.”