September Gardening Activities - Region 1
September Gardening Activities – Region 1
Northwest & Northern California
States in this region include: Washington, Oregon, Alaska, and California (Northern).
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Fertilize your lawn (always following package directions). After a long, stressful summer, cool-season grasses are beginning to enjoy the return of cooler weather, so give them a much needed boost.
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Tackle your less-than-desirable lawn. (The wait is over!) Cooler temperatures and the hopeful return of fall rains make this an ideal month to either start a new lawn or repair an established one.
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Retire your tired-looking, heat-exhausted summer plants to the compost pile (without any guilt). They've served you and your garden well, but now it's time to bring back the pizzazz with fall-loving beauties like pansies, ornamental cabbage, kale and peppers! These cool-weather annuals (and more) do wonders in containers, as well as in landscape beds and borders - their uses are many!
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Add new evergreens to your property, whether as screening or privacy or as an additional foundation planting around your home. The cooler temperatures of fall are ideal for these types of plants. Rhododendrons, hollies and yews (and more) should all be available at your local garden center for instant results. (Remember to always water all new plantings well!)
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Got veggies? Continue to harvest all vegetables as they ripen in the garden. Give away or store the extras for future use.
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Plant onion sets and garlic now for harvest next summer. Growing these bulbous crops is fun - and nothing to cry about!
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Continue watering your plants when needed. (Remember, September can still be a dry month!) Water early in the day, and don't water foliage - use a soaker hose to get water to where it's needed most: at the roots. Avoid daily dousings, which only encourage shallow, poor root systems. It's better water deeply in order to promote self-sufficient plants!
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Create new interest to your fall perennial garden with ornamental grasses. Color, texture and sound are a few of the wonderful attributes that grasses bring to the landscape. The show won't end in fall either - grasses continue their attraction during the gray winter months by adding color and winter respite for small wildlife.
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Divide perennials that are overcrowded or not blooming well. Astilbe, Coreopsis, Geum, Helenium, Hemerocallis, Lychnis, Rudbeckia, Stachys and Veronica can be divided and replanted in the garden. (Take the time to amend the soil with organic matter like compost or aged manure before replanting.)
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While homegrown veggies are still fresh in your mind (and on your table), assess your vegetable garden for successes and failures. Keep a journal and make notations on what worked and what didn't, so you'll be even more prepared next year. And remember, a picture's worth a thousand words - grab the camera and capture the good (and the bad) in your garden!
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Pay close attention to the weather forecasts for predictions of early frosts, and be prepared to adjust your gardening practices accordingly. The typical first frost of the season is an average date - it could be surprisingly earlier or even later. Don't get caught with your plants down! Harvest your remaining produce and protect your tender plants before that first frost hits.
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Buy your bulbs early! Remember all those daffodils that you admired in your neighbor's garden this past spring? Experienced gardeners buy their spring-flowering bulbs - like daffodils, tulips, crocus and hyacinths - now for planting later in October. Avoid having a disappointing selection come planting time by buying what you want now, while the selection is good. Select bulbs that are firm, not soft or mushy.
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Prepare your outdoor-summering houseplants for their return indoors. Do a careful inspection of all plants before they come back into your home, so you don't bring any unwanted multi-legged pests indoors!
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Come to The Garden Party and share your gardening adventures with other home gardeners around the country. Post pictures of your garden, write a blog, or ask expert green thumbs for more help, tips or suggestions on how to enhance your outdoor living experience.
