Zone 7 gardening: September Gardening Tips

Wednesday, September 19, 2007

September Gardening Tips

September is the time to start planning and working on your spring garden. If you haven’t already noticed; the garden catalogues, garden shops and even hardware stores are selling a variety of spring bulbs and perennials. Prolific use of deer proof daffodils is always a guarantee for a joyful early spring.

This has been a wonderful summer for crepe myrtles and to prolong the white, pink and purple blooms remove the faded blooms. Removing the dead blooms on butterfly bushes will also stimulate new blooms.

Continue to cut the faded blooms of lilies, but do not cut the stems and foliage until they have turned yellow.

When your peony foliage and stems turn brown; cut and destroy the stems and leaves to protect spring growth from diseases. Now is the time to divide and plant peonies. Dig holes 2ft deep and 2ft wide and fill with compost and bone meal. Let soil settle a week or so then plant the peonies with their roots about 11/2 inches below the soil surface.

Use wood ash from your fireplace, wood stove, or burn pile to fertilize peonies and lilacs.

September is the best month to work on your lawn. My method is to let the clover spread and to encourage patches of mosses. However, I realize most still strive for the perfect “lawn”. So reseed, fertilize and remove weeds.

We may have moderate weather for several months so there is still time for your fall vegetable garden. Cool weather vegetables such as lettuce, spinach, herbs etc. Plant a few in containers. Before our first frost, take the containers inside to sunny spot and enjoy fresh vegetables and herbs all winter.

Water newly planted seeds, vegetables, shrubs and trees often. If dry; water established plants well no more than once or twice a month to encourage deep roots.

As always attack your weeds before they can reseed!

1 comment:

Elaine Greywalker said...: I clicked on the link to the Hirts Bulbs in Amazon.com. They have some good deals. The Mediterranean Bulbs look really interesting. I've never heard of them. I'm going to have to try them and see how they do here.; September 21, 2007 at 4:58 PM

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Feb. gardening notes cont.

February is the month to prune! The tree and shrub branches which you pruned can be forced to display lovely blooms and foliage, a reminder of approaching spring. Prune fruit trees and other deciduous trees. Old lilacs can be cut back to one foot, but they should be mulched, fertilized and water for 3 years to develop a compact flowering shrub. Also hollies can be heavily pruned down to a foot. Prune summer blooming shrubs, such as beauty bush, butterfly bush, Hydrangea, Nandina, crepe myrtle, and Rose of Sharon. Prune vines. Grape vine cuttings may be saved for making wreaths. Deciduous bare-root trees can be planted about a month before the last freeze. Mulch your tree to a depth of 3 or 4 inches at a distance of 3 inches from the trunk. Don’t neglect your vegetable garden. I read that one can replant the roots from leeks. In 60 to 90 days you’ll have a new tasty plant. The next time I buy an organic leek I will be sure to plant the roots in my garden. Will let you know the results. Last year I planted a few store bought organic cocktail tomatoes which had rotten and they grew into a healthy plant. Also cut one of the eyes off your potatoes and plant. You can have a wonderful vegetable garden with out buying seeds or young plants. Bluebirds are already checking out homes. So clean birdhouses and put out new houses in open fields on post about 5 ft. high. If you place a nearby feeder stocked with mealy worms; you will have a better chance of the bluebirds to taking up residence. Don’t forget to feed all the wild birds, which will soon be nesting.

January Gardening Notes cont.

Also indoors start germinating seeds of Petunia, Portulaca, Salvia, Snapdragon and Verbena. All take 8 to 10 weeks before their seedlings are ready to be planted in your garden. Sprinkle poppies seed in snow.

Even in the winter you should weed. If the weather is too miserable; then study your garden catalogues and plan for the arriving warm weather. For a fun and informative read, Susan Orlean’s “The Orchid Thief” will entertain you with her experiences with orchids and obsessions in Florida.

October Notes cont.

This is the month for a fall cleaning of your yard. The foliage of tall bearded and Dutch irises should be cut down to 2 inches and added to your compost pile. Also add your raked leaves to your compost pile. Diseased plants should be burned or put in the garbage. Compost will reward you with rich soil to add to your garden. If your vegetable garden suffered heavy insect or disease invasion then (after discarding the plants) turn the soil. The fresh air will help prevent the insects and diseases from returning next summer. Otherwise let the dead plants and vegetables remain in your garden until spring, because beneficial insect have laid their eggs on these plants. You do not want to discard the dead plants until after the insects have emerged in the spring.

If the soil dries out; then keep watering your container plants, camellias and azaleas. Shrubs can suffer winter damage if they are allowed to dry out. Also water your new seedlings and pansies. Mid-Oct should be your last fertilizing of shrubs and trees. Only fertilize English box every two or three years.

Due to our drought, even with this recent rain pounding on the ground, trees have dropped their leaves early. So the colorful fall leaf display is diminished. We may not receive our first frost until next month. Before the first frost, dig up your sweet potatoes. Also pick your green tomatoes.

Now is the time to cut wood for your fireplace. Gather the dried seed pods which have fallen from magnolia trees. Place these pods in a basket next to the fireplace to use as kindling.