Your Garden in September.
This September there is plenty to do in your garden. As we start to leave summer behind and the weather cools down, new crops and plants begin to bloom, delighting your garden with an array of new colours.
September is a great month to sow and prepare autumn and winter crops. There are many great crops to plant this month and season. Some will be harvested in time for the festive season, and others will grow and develop during the winter for an early spring harvest.
It’s also time to start thinking about next spring, what you want your garden to look like in the next bloom. If you want a bright and beautiful colour in the spring and summer next year, now is the time to start prepping.
Dividing herbaceous perennials.
If the soil is dry enough, dividing summer flowering is best in autumn. Dividing them will help to keep plants healthy and vigorous each year. When dividing the plants, work gently with a garden fork and work outwards from the crown of the plant to avoid root damage. Make sure the roots are visible.
Pruning.
Pruning roses is essential to keep your plant healthy and in good shape. It also promotes more substantial blooms for the following season. This month it’s essential to start this process by removing any dead flowers. This will keep your plant healthy and prevent diseases.
Berry Harvesting.
September and Autumn are great times to harvest Raspberries and Blackberries. The right species will be perfect this time of year after being watered and looked after throughout summer, and the plant will reward you with plenty of fruit. Autumn berries can be used to make jams, jellies, sauces, and they are additions to many meals and desserts. You can also freeze them. Don’t forget to prune the shrubs after harvest.
Garden maintenance.
It’s a great time of year to tidy your garden from summer and help it transform for autumn and winter. Clean out greenhouses, containers, pots, and water butts. Doing this will allow your new crops and flowers to properly flourish this coming autumn and winter by improving their environment. It will also reduce pests and diseases reaching your plants.
There are many great flowers to sow this month, ensuring your garden will truly blossom next spring.
English Marigolds.
They have deep orange petals when in full bloom. Marigolds should be sown during autumn for gorgeous spring bloom. It would help if you planted marigolds straight into the soil where you want them to flower.
They should be 12cm (5in) deep and each row 30cm (12in) apart.
Poppies.
These beautiful flowers are best to be sown at two points throughout the year, spring and autumn. The best time to plant them during autumn is between late August and mid-October.
When sowing them, the seeds should sit 15cm (6in) under the soil and each row should be spaced 30cm apart (12in).
Geraniums.
They are a robust and versatile plant, perfect for autumn. Sowing them now will ensure they thrive and flourish next spring/summer. They prefer to grow in pots and be in moist but well-drained soil.
When sowing, ensure they start in small pots roughly 0.5cm deep. Keep them in sunlight and well-watered as their roots develop.
There are plenty of great winter crops to start sowing this month that will harvest during the winter or early spring.
Leafy Crops.
This season is a great time to plant leafy crops such as Cabbage, Spinach, lettuce, winter cress, and much more. All these plants enjoy loose, rich, and well-drained soil and at least six hours of sunshine so keep them in a sunny but sheltered area.
When sowing them, make sure they are all approximately planted 5cm (2in) deep and 8cm (3.5in) apart. The rows should also be spaced 40cm (16in) apart.
Broad Beans.
September is the perfect month to sow broad beans. You can plant them right through November. However, the advantage of sowing early is so the plant will establish over the winter and produce crops earlier. It will also help the plant thrive throughout the winter the stronger it is.
When planting broad beans, make sure they are in double rows and 25cm (10inch) apart to allow for strong growth. They should be sown 5cm (2inch) deep and watered regularly once planted. Use bean frames as they establish to help their structure and growth.
Radishes.
Radishes can grow in the ground, pots, and containers and even out of the bag. Decide to plant them where you want them to grow in your garden and which will be the most convenient. September is the perfect time to sow winter cultivators for them to flourish.
When sowing radish, they should be planted 1cm(1/2in) deep and about 2.5cm (1in) apart. Space rows 15cm (6in) apart if you are growing more than one row.
Onions.
Autumn onions are best planted during September and October. They will grow slowly throughout the winter and be ready to harvest in May/June next year. The larger the space between seeds and rows determines how big your onions will grow.
When sowing them, they should be spaced out 10cm (4in) apart to allow for growth and each row 30cm (12in) apart and only nestled into the ground allowing the tip to show above the soil.
