The first month of the Autumn, there is less demand on the plants, but harvest and store as much produce as you can. Enjoy dry sunny days before the weather deteriorates.
Tips for September
- Harvest crops as they become ready. Main crop tatties should now be harvested before they become damaged by slugs or the like.
- Green manures will come into their own this month. They cover the soil, help prevent erosion and when they are dug in they add humus and fertility. Grazing Rye works well and will stand all winter. It can be dug in around February time. Phacelia Tanacetefolia with its blue flowers also attracts bees, but doesn’t over winter particularly well.
- In the space left by the harvested crops plant further food crops. Spinach, Rocket, Mizuna and Mustard will all do well. Late Winter brassicas can be planted out. You may be able to buy plants, if you haven’t any coming on.
- Apples and pears should be ready for harvesting. As are Autumn Raspberries.
- Continue deadheading flowers. Plants such as cosmos, roses, dahlias, california poppies and sweet peas really respond to this. Deadheading stops the plants forming seeds, putting their energy into producing new flowers instead.
- Seeds of hardy annuals can be collected, dried and saved for next year, for example pot marigolds, corncockle and nigella. This saves a bit of cash on the seed order.
- In the greenhouse continue to feed and water all the crops. Tomatoes respond well to a weekly feed.
- If you like to grow your own garlic, order some bulbs now for autumn planting.
- Take cuttings of tender plants. Pelargoniums, Penstemon and Salvias work well.
- Keep camellias well watered especially if they are growing in pots. They are now forming next years flower buds.
- Now that the nesting season for birds is past, it is a good time to trim hedges.
- Spring flowering bulbs will be on sale now. Remember The Horti Society's annual bulb sale - a fabulous range of bulbs, all reasonably priced.