September is here already, where did the summer go?
One glance out the window and it's easy to see the wheel of the year turning again, isn't it? Nights are starting to draw in, and last week I spied a definite autumnal mist lurking in one of my gardens. Mists aside, it's a glorious time of year: burnt ochres and ambers aplenty in the landscape, jewel-like pumpkins in the veg patch, the smell of apples in the air, and sunflower seed-heads ripening atop their stems (do think about leaving those seed-heads in place for the birds!) But no rest for the wicked. Here are September's gardening tips...
Seed Sowing and Growing
Continue succession sowing your winter radishes and hardy greens such as kale, mustard, winter spinach, rocket and lamb's lettuce.
Plant shallot and onion sets 10cm apart in a sheltered, sunny position in soil which has been enriched with well-rotted compost. If your soil naturally retains water, it may be better to plant your alliums in a raised bed rather than in the ground.
Direct sow hardy varieties of broad beans and peas for early season picking next year.
Continue sowing hardy annuals such as cerinthe, ammi and agrostemma for bigger, stronger and more productive cutting-patch plants next year.
Order up your spring bulbs now before your favourites begin to sell out. There's nothing more infuriating than painstakingly going through catalogues and websites deciding on the perfect colour and variety combo only to discover everyone else has beaten you to it!
Smaller, early-flowering bulbs – chionodoxa, crocus, muscari, iris reticulata - can be planted up in pots now for a cheery spring display. Top your containers off with a layer of horticultural grit (for the snails) and lastly, if you're in the country, some chicken wire (for the blasted squirrels). Raise your pots on feet so they don't become waterlogged over winter.
Plant smaller bulbs in a swathe in your lawn if you'd like to start breaking up some of the green in early spring. Scilla sibirica, for instance, naturalises very successfully in turf. Happy in sun or shade, it'll readily go on to produce a brilliant blue carpet to lift the spirits on a grey day.
Pot up strawberry runners to make new plants for next year, and lift and divide perennials where they've become overly congested.
If your veg patch has been stripped back ready for the winter, consider sowing a green manure on it. Green manures are a fabulous way to protect the soil structure through the cold months and add in vital nutrients when they're dug into the soil in spring. Green manures also provide a much-needed home for overwintering insects. It's a win-win.
Pruning
Remove any leaves covering fruits on your grape and squash vines to encourage the skins to ripen in the sun. Place a brick or tile under any squashes lying on the ground to help prevent them from rotting.
Trim conifer hedges and topiaries to tidy them up and keep their size in check.
Cut to the ground your summer fruiting raspberry canes, tying in any new green canes ready for next year's yield.
Also cut to the ground long-season herbs such as chives and sorrel to encourage a last flush before winter sets in.
Cut down spent legume plants, leaving their roots in the ground to be dug in for the beneficial nitrogen content.
Tidy up and tie in your climbing roses once they've finished flowering.
Other Jobs
Think about bringing indoors any trusses of unripened tomatoes to finish their colouring up on a sunny windowsill.
Also for the sunny windowsill, towards month's end do bring in tender perennials such as exotic fuchsias, osteospermums, crysanths and pelargoniums. Ditto for soft herbs such as parsley.
Order up your bare root roses, trees and hedging for late autumn delivery.
Lift gladioli corms, dry off, label and store somewhere dark and frost-free over winter.
Continue collecting the ripe seeds of your favourite flowers and set aside somewhere dry in well-marked envelopes ready for sowing next year.
Pick your apples and pears now before any bad autumnal weather truly sets in, and store somewhere cool, dry and dark if you're not yet ready to eat them. To check whether an apple's ready for picking, lift it in your palm and give it a gentle twist. It should come away easily. If you have to give it a tug, it's not ready! Any damaged fruit can be left outdoors as a treat for the birds and insects. Do please note, though, that if the fruit has been infected with brown rot, it'll be necessary to pick it up and bin it to prevent the disease from spreading.
Maincrop potatoes can also be lifted and stored in hessian or paper sacks somewhere cool and dark.
Start the habit of raking up and collecting fallen leaves in leaf mould bags. Once the bags are full, dampen them and store somewhere out of sight for a year, when you'll have free, nutritious mulch to spread over your beds.
Speaking of good habits, do check all your tree ties and plant supports are in good shape, ready for those autumn gales. Conversely, if we have a dry Indian summer ahead, don't forget to keep your pots, hanging baskets and borders watered.
Have fun in the garden, Everyone!
Justine Hutchinson: Founding Weeder & Beautifier of Borders
