Diana's Garden Centre

Garden Calendar

September

Goodness September is here already, winter is just around the corner and we have much to do for our beautiful gardens. This is the main month for harvesting vegetables and fruit, including tomatoes. For all of us that love our spring flowering bulbs, it is now time to plant them so that they develop strong root systems! You should start tidying the garden and preparing it for winter, as the early frosts will now start to appear and their frequency will increase as well.

What can be done now? Well if you have vegetable gardens you may harvest them, aiming mostly for the root crops, do not worry if you are not able to harvest them all, some may be left in the ground just before the ground freezes! Just make certain that the warm season vegetables are harvested before the hard frost hits! You should take the Dahlia tubers, Gladiola corms and Tuberous begonia corms lift them and place them in storage now. Now is also the time to lift, cut back and pack tightly into containers your Geraniums. Ensure that when you place them in a cool dark place for storage that you would prevent them from shrinking by covering the roots with peat moss or a light cover of soil and you water them well at this time then just occasionally after this. Keep them at a cool +4 -+6 degrees C.

Once you have noticed that your trees and shrubs are showing signs of dormancy you should transplant them before the hard frost. Perhaps among your annuals you have a particular favorite such as an Impatiens. Then pot it up and keep growing in a sunny window or even under lights. Covering your plants at night to protect from frost will ensure a longer growing season, just use an old blanket or old sheets, this will keep them warm enough.

This is a great time to revive your compost with discarded plant parts! Ensure that before you put any of them in to your compost that you inspect them for disease. If you find a diseased part then it is best to place it in a bag and toss in to your garbage to avoid any contamination to your compost! Other great sources of compost are fallen leaves and cut grass.

When the first hard frost hits you may transplant your lilies and peonies. It is time to remove and place into your compost any dead or dying foliage that you may find from your perennials. You should take the good perennials and store them in a dry cool place over the winter. Keep your fertilizer in the same area cool and dry.

If you give onions a couple of warm weeks before you place them into a cool, dry storage area, they will respond best to this treatment. Watch to make sure the neck of the onion is shriveled other than green and plump, you will do best if the neck is shriveled, squash is best treated as you would treat your onions, just remember that the skin of the squash should be tough before you store it.

You may also want to check for any structural damage to your fences and any garden pathways and covers. Take your time and repair as required.

Last for this month but not least, enjoy your wonderful harvest as they certainly are the fruits of your labors! Enjoy the positive colors of the new beautiful autumn, maybe even enjoy going for a wonderful walk smelling the crisp evening air! Winter is coming but at least now you can walk without any biting insects to worry about, as the frost will have destroyed most of them!