Gardening Tips for September
THE VILLAGE GARDENER
Must Do Gardening Tips for September
Tips from Carol Evans of Life Beyond the Patio.
- Let parts of your lawn go wild for a few weeks.
- Mow above mentioned parts before you get stung or bitten by the insects.
- Make sure your pots are off the ground as wetter weather is on the way.
- Collected rain water is perfect for acid loving plants such as camellia.
- Collected seed must be kept dry, use a sealed tin with some powdered milk to keep moisture at bay.
What to do, by have you got a pen Gwyn Williams.
- Plant daffodils this month to be sure of a good spring display.
- If a tradesman says he can start work the following day, be wary as all the good ones are busy.
- Keep drains clear of fallen leaves as Autumn approaches
- Try to leave the cutting back of shrubs as long as possible otherwise you will be doing them again before Winter.
- Put your glasses on before weeding or some of your precious plants will end up in the green bag.
September is a good month to sort problems out with your lawn, by either sowing seed or laying turf. Leather jackets are more of a problem on lawns with poor drainage. This larvae of the crane fly leaves dead patches on your lawn as they consume the grass roots. The only effective way of controlling this is with the right nematodes. To find out if they are the cause of the damage to your lawn, put a damp cloth over the area of concern and remove it in the early morning. you will see the larvae on the surface. When you see crows on the grass at this time of year this is what they are mainly searching for. Do not put a high nitrogen feed on the lawn at this time of year however tempting it is to use fertiliser you have left over from the summer. The high nitrogen content will promote top growth and weaken the grass. Always use a feed high in potassium, this will strengthen the root system and keep the grass healthy through the colder months.
The experts say that daffodils along with crocus and hyacinths should be planted by the middle of September to make sure you get good blooms in the Spring. Hold back a while on the tulips as they tend to rot if planted too early. One of the main reasons for a poor show is that bulbs are planted too shallowly, so always follow the instructions on the packet.
Continue to collect seed, as packeted seed seems to be a lot more expensive now for very few seeds. Dividing herbaceous perennials is a good way to get extra plants and to get rid of the dead material in the middle.
On allotments and veg patches harvesting is in full swing. Check apples are ripe by pulling gently, they should come away easily. Take any bad fruit off to stop disease spreading. Keep potting up strawberry runners. Take hardwood cuttings of currants and gooseberries now. Order bare root fruit bushes and trees, they are cheaper and will produce fruit next year. When the beans and peas have finished cut down to ground level but leave roots in ground as they will add nitrogen to the soil. Sow green manures on bare soil, this will help keep the weeds down over Winter and can then be dug in to improve the soil.
Over the past year I have received a lot of feedback from walkers who pass through and by the allotments. They have commented on how well kept they are. Some have asked if the man sitting against the tin sheets by the notice board has big hands or a small spade, they were hesitant to approach because he seemed so peaceful contemplating where to plant his next row of cabbages. I’ve told them who you are H, so expect to be signing autographs.
Take care and happy gardening