September has arrived and it’s time to welcome in the crisp days of fall! As you fellow planters know as the seasons begin to change the work doesn’t stop for these green thumbs. Check out these tips to add to your garden checklist for this month!
Lawns
- Continue mowing your lawn as needed, keeping the height to 2.5-3 inches. In mid-October, you can gradually start decreasing your mowing height until you reach 2 inches for your last mow of the season.
- Continue watering your lawn to retain moisture through the entire root zone. Don’t shut off your sprinklers until late in the season to ensure the root zone doesn’t dry out.
- Fall is a great time to kill broadleaf weeds. Spray Fertilome Weed Free Zone to kill them off. This chemical can be applied with temperatures ranging from 45-80.
- Wait to apply Fertilome Winterizer Fertilizer until October when temperatures are decreasing.
Gardens
- Continue to harvest vegetables until completed.
- As plants finish, pull out annual plants and dispose. This will help reduce diseases reoccurring next spring.
Perennials, trees and shrubs
- Some perennials such as peonies, iris and lilies may be able to be cut back if their foliage has turned yellow/brown.
- Any shrubs that have stopped blooming can be trimmed. Keep in mind that spring bloomers will have their buds for next year set and will be trimmed off if cut off now.
- Remember to plant fall bulbs (bulbs that flower in the spring) this fall when temperature highs are in the fifties.
- After we receive a killing frost you can transplant and divide perennials. When dividing make sure each piece has an adequate root zone. Peonies and iris can be done before a killing frost if foliage begins to dry.
- This is a great time to be planting perennials, shrubs and trees! Warm soil temps and cool air temps are a perfect recipe for successful plantings. Remember to keep your new plantings well-watered.
