Introduction

September is the perfect time to start planning your garden for next year. By sowing seeds now, you can enjoy a vibrant display of flowers and a bountiful harvest of vegetables in the months to come.

Growing Hardy Annuals for Earlier Blooms

Hardy annuals are plants that complete their life cycle in one growing season. They’re a great way to add color and interest to your garden early in the year. Some popular hardy annuals include snapdragons, love-in-a-mist, and poached egg plants.

To sow hardy annuals in September, simply scatter the seeds on the surface of the soil and cover them with a thin layer of compost. Water the seeds gently and keep them moist until they germinate. Once the seedlings have developed their first set of true leaves, you can thin them out to the desired spacing.

Sowing Winter Vegetables

September is also a great time to sow winter vegetables. These vegetables will grow throughout the winter and can be harvested in the spring. Some popular winter vegetables include spinach, broad beans, peas, and turnips.

To sow winter vegetables, prepare the soil by removing any weeds and debris. Then, sow the seeds according to the instructions on the seed packet. Water the seeds gently and keep them moist until they germinate. Once the seedlings have developed their first set of true leaves, you can thin them out to the desired spacing.

Specific Growing Tips

Here are some specific growing tips for some of the plants mentioned in this article:

• Land cress: Land cress is a biennial winter salad leaf that prefers moist conditions. Sow seeds directly into the soil in full sun or partial shade.
• Endive: Endive is a relative of chicory that can be grown for both its leaves and its roots. Sow seeds in early September for a winter crop or any time during the month for cut-and-come-again salad leaves.
• Dill: Dill is a versatile herb that can be used in a variety of dishes. Sow seeds in large pots or in situ, as transplanting seedlings can cause plants to flower prematurely.
• Sweet cicely: Sweet cicely is an attractive umbellifer with white flowerheads and divided foliage with an aniseed flavor. Sow seeds in autumn or spring in rich, moist soil.
• Snapdragons: Snapdragons are charismatic flowers with flamboyant colors and miniature dragon mouths. Sow seeds thinly in peat-free compost in trays or modules and place them on a sunny windowsill or in a propagator.
• Love-in-a-mist: Love-in-a-mist is a beautiful flower that looks wonderful planted along the front of borders. Sow seeds directly into the soil and cover them with a fine layer of soil.
• Poached egg plant: Poached egg plants are cheerful yellow and white hardy annuals that are a great way to attract pollinating insects to the garden. Prepare the ground by weeding and raking an area of well-drained soil in full sun and scatter seeds for a naturalistic look or sow in rows.
• Greater quaking grass: Greater quaking grass is a beautiful ornamental grass that forms an airy backdrop in many container displays. Sow seeds this month in well-drained soil in a sunny spot and cover them with a fine layer of soil.
• Umbellifers: Umbellifers are a family of plants that includes Ammi majus and Ammi visnaga. These plants can be sown in September to produce delightful umbels of white flowers next summer.

Conclusion

September is a busy time in the garden, but it’s also a rewarding one. By sowing seeds now, you can enjoy a beautiful and bountiful garden next year.

What to Plant in September

• Plant hardy annuals like cerinthe, ammi, scabiosa, and cornflowers for early summer blooms.
• Plant wallflowers, pansies, forget-me-nots, and other spring bedding plants in pots and borders.
• Sow hardy greens like kale, land cress, pak choi, and mustard for winter harvests.
• Plant shallot and onion sets in a sunny spot.
• Plant saffron crocus bulbs to harvest your own saffron.

Greenhouse Gardening

• Plant prepared hyacinth bulbs in pots for fragrant indoor flowers at Christmas.
• Take down greenhouse shade netting or wash off shading paint.
• Stay vigilant for pests and diseases.
• Plant dwarf spring bulbs in pots for early flowers.
• Bring tender perennials indoors before temperatures drop.

Vegetable Gardening

• Start sowing hardy varieties of broad beans and peas for next year’s crops.
• Prune out all the fruited canes of summer raspberries.
• Pot up herbs like chives and parsley for winter use.
• Cut away any leaves covering the fruits of pumpkins, squash, and marrows.
• Lift maincrop potatoes and store them in a cool, dark place.

House Plant Care

• Feed house plants once a week.
• Repot moth orchids after flowering if needed.
• Water house plants less frequently.
• Bring house plants indoors before temperatures start to drop.
• Check house plants for pests.

Garden Maintenance

• Rake thatch from lawns and re-seed bare patches.
• Put netting across ponds to prevent leaves from falling in.
• Remove algae from water features and ponds.
• Check tree ties and plant supports.
• Wash and disinfect bird feeders and tables.
• Collect fallen leaves for leaf mould.

September is a crucial month for wildlife, as animals prepare for the changing seasons. By providing food, shelter, and a welcoming habitat, you can support a diverse array of creatures in your garden.

Plants for Wildlife

Allium Bulbs:

Plant allium bulbs now for a vibrant display of nectar-rich flowers next spring. Alliums are a magnet for bees and other pollinators, providing essential food sources.

Annual Flowers:

Sow annual flowers like cornflowers, scabious, and honeywort in September for early blooms next year. These nectar-rich plants extend the season for pollinators.

Feeding Wildlife

Hedgehogs:

Provide meaty hedgehog food or cat biscuits to help hedgehogs build up weight before hibernation. Don’t forget to leave out water as well.

Birds:

Native hedges offer a bounty of ripening berries, while feeders stocked with seed and nuts will attract a variety of birds to your garden.

Creating and Maintaining Habitats

Bird Boxes:

Clean out bird boxes in the next few weeks to remove parasites and ensure they’re ready for birds to roost in colder weather.

Meadows:

Mow summer meadows early in September, checking for wildlife first. Leave mowings on the ground for a few days to allow seeds to drop.

Herbaceous Perennials:

Avoid cutting back herbaceous perennials this month. Their stems and foliage provide shelter for overwintering insects and add structure to borders.

Ponds:

Clear excess mud and dead leaves from ponds now, but leave the material on the edge for a few days to allow creatures to return before composting.

Look Out For… Arachnids!

September is a great time to observe a variety of arachnids in your garden.

Garden Spiders:

These common orb web spiders are easily identified by their cross-like markings. They spin webs across windows, walls, and hedges, waiting for insects to become ensnared.

Zebra Spiders:

Named for their black and white stripes, zebra spiders hunt on trees, walls, and fences, jumping onto their prey from a distance.

Harvestmen:

Despite their spider-like appearance, harvestmen are actually arachnid lookalikes. They hunt insects in vegetation using hooks on the ends of their legs.

Additional Tips

• Consider purchasing plants from growers who use organic principles to avoid bringing pesticides into your garden.
• Avoid disturbing wildlife during September, as animals are busy preparing for the changing seasons.
• Leave seedheads on plants like sunflowers and echinacea to provide food for birds later in the year.
• If the month is particularly wet, postpone dividing wildlife-friendly perennials until later in the autumn or next spring.

Introduction

September is a time of transition in the garden, as summer winds down and autumn approaches. But it’s also a month of abundance, with many fruits and vegetables reaching their peak ripeness. If you’re growing your own food, September is a great time to enjoy the fruits of your labor.

Harvesting Your Crops

• Harvesting Maincrop Potatoes: Dig up any remaining potatoes that are still in the ground. Inspect each tuber and discard any that are damaged or have been burrowed into by pests.

• Picking Apples: Apples are ready to pick when they easily detach from the tree with a gentle twist. Avoid picking them too early, as they will not be as flavorful. Store apples in a cool, airy place indoors.

• Harvesting Autumn Raspberries: Raspberries are ripe when they easily fall from the plant when gently pulled. Check the plants daily, as the fruits tend to spoil quickly if not picked at their peak.

Preserving the Harvest

• How to Ripen Late Tomatoes: Keep watering tomato plants and providing them with a high-potassium liquid plant food. Remove leaves to allow more sunlight to reach the remaining fruits.

• How to Store Apples: Store apples in a cool, airy place indoors, ideally in trays. Wrap each apple individually and avoid storing them on top of each other.

Starting New Vegetables

• Sowing Broad Beans: Sow broad beans directly in the soil or in pots. Autumn-sown broad beans are more robust and can produce an earlier harvest next year.

• Sowing Spinach: Spinach can be sown directly into the soil or in pots. Cover the seeds with a layer of compost or soil equal to the height of the seed. Protect plants from cold weather with a cloche or fleece.

• Planting Autumn Onion Sets: Plant onion sets in a sunny spot with well-drained soil. Space the sets 10cm apart in rows spaced 30cm apart. Plant the sets so that the “tail” at the top is just above the soil surface.

• Planting Out Spring Cabbages: Plant spring cabbage seedlings that are around 12cm tall. Disturb as little soil as possible when making a planting hole. Plant one plant every 10cm and space rows 30cm apart. Protect the young plants from pigeons with horticultural fleece or netting.

Growing Tips

• Keep Plants Productive: Keep tomato plants well-watered and fertilized. Regularly pick beans to encourage continued cropping.

• Get the Biggest Tomato Crop Possible: Prevent blossom end rot by keeping tomato plants well-watered and fertilized. Remove leaves to allow more sunlight to reach the remaining fruits.

• Enjoy More Beans: Runner beans and climbing French beans should continue to crop well all month. Pick the pods regularly when they are young and tender.

• Leave Windfall Fruits for Wildlife: Allow windfall fruits to remain in the garden to provide food for butterflies, birds, and other animals.

Additional Tips

• Dig up clumps of chives and parsley and pot them up to bring indoors for a winter supply of fresh herbs.

• Save money on gardening supplies by taking advantage of subscriber discounts and special offers.

Conclusion

September is a busy but rewarding month in the garden. By following these tips, you can enjoy a bountiful harvest of fresh fruits and vegetables. And by starting some new vegetables now, you can extend your growing season and enjoy fresh produce all year long.

Introduction

September is a busy month in the garden! The summer crops are finishing up, and it’s time to start preparing for next year. Here are some tips on what to grow and do in September:

Growing Edibles

• Tomatoes: Save seeds from ripe tomatoes to plant next spring.
• Potatoes: Harvest maincrop potatoes and store them for winter.
• Broad beans: Sow broad beans now for an early harvest next year.

Preparing for Next Year

• Start a salad patch: Plant winter-hardy salad greens in a raised bed for a fresh harvest all winter long.
• Mulch your beds: Cover empty vegetable beds with mulch to protect the soil from the winter weather.

Other Gardening Tips

• Collect shelling beans for dried beans.
• Save tomato seeds for next year’s crop.
• Lift and store maincrop potatoes.
• Sow broad beans for overwintering.
• Start a square foot salad patch.
• Start mulching.

Conclusion

September is a great time to get your garden ready for winter and start planning for next year. By following these tips, you can enjoy fresh, homegrown produce all year round.