Sixteen September tasks to do in the gardening
As the evenings draw in and the days start getting cooler, there are plenty of jobs to be getting on with in the garden.
- September represents the last chance to harvest apples, pears, blackberries and blueberries
- Tender houseplants that have spent the summer outdoors should be brought back inside
- Due to the cooler, damp weather fungal diseases will begin to make an appearance. Keep an eye out for mildew and rust particularly on roses
- Continue to water the garden
- September is a good time to tidy the greenhouse and make sure there is space for tender plants that need care during winter
- Tidy up herbaceous borders, but leave the seed heads
- Stop feeding pot grown plants
- Lift and store main crop potatoes
- Fast maturing vegetables such as beans, courgettes, cucumbers, peppers and tomatoes should be picked regularly
- Marrows, pumpkins and squashes should be left in the sun for a few days to harden the skin and dry off before storing in a cool, dry place
- Destroy any apples with brown rot, which will spread to healthy ones
- Put food and water out for hedgehogs before they hibernate. This should ensure the new young get big enough to survive the winter
- This is a good month to put up new bird and bat boxes
- Start to provide a variety of foods such as left over fruits and seeds to attract different species of birds to the garden
- Now is the time to begin tidying up the garden, but remember to leave some areas for the wildlife, and start a compost heap, if you don’t already have one
- At the end of the month, once the foliage has died back lift, divide and store gladioli and dahlias before the frost damages them.
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