September gardening in Rim Country is about transitions. Summer lingers. Vegetable production starts to taper off. But, the warm soils are perfect for planting cool-weather crops!
Improve Garden Soil. Spread fresh chicken or horse manure directly over empty garden beds. Its high nitrogen content will be broken down by winter precipitation and prevent crop burn in the spring. Start making compost or use in your garden the next growing season. Take any fallen leaves, left-over lawn clippings, and all of the healthy old plants from your garden; toss them all together.
Dry Flowers. After morning dew evaporates, cut blooms of artemisia, celosia, globe amaranth, sedum, statice, strawflower, and/or yarrow to create dried bouquets for winter bouquets. The, bundle and hang them upside down in a dry, well-ventilated, dark location. Once dried (1-2 weeks, take down to create long-lasting bouquets or wreaths.
Annuals: Add ageratum, begonia, celosia, pansies & pollinator-attracting zinnias to your garden. Pair with dramatic, airy ornamental grasses’ seed heads for a spectacular effect.
Bulbs, Corms, Rhizomes & Tubers: Plant Spring-Flowering Bulbs now. And, mass crocus, daffodils, hyacinths, and tulips, in beds by themselves or tuck in between established perennials and shrubs. Ensure early spring to late summer color by selecting a variety of bulbs that bloom at different times. Snowdrops bloom as early as February; alliums flower in early June.
Herbs: Plant chamomile and sage.
Perennials: Thin out and plant in different locations with more room. Plant asters, mums and peonies in the latter half of September.
Roses: Stop fertilizing. Prune. Treat spider mites by washing them off with a good spray of water; repeat 3 days in a row to break their cycle. Mulch.
Trees and shrubs: Add shrubs and trees. Water deeply right up until hard frost to improve winter survival.
Vegetable Fall Garden planting:
- Clean up to prevent insects and diseases next year, especially crops such as tomatoes, potatoes, melons, and squash.
- Remove any leaves or tendrils from tomato cages and supports before storing them for the winter.
- Plant cover crops (e.g.: Austrian winter peas, cereal rye, clover, and/or vetch) to build garden soil for next year.
- Prep new beds with compost; add amendments.
- Direct seed arugula, beets, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, carrots, chard, kale, kohlrabi, lettuce, fall peas, parsnips, radishes, spinach, turnips and rutabagas. Keep soil moist until seeds germinate.
- Transplant bok choi, broccoli, broccoli raab, cabbage, cauliflower, celery, chard, kale, kohlrabi, and leaf lettuce for November-December harvest.
- Plant garlic cloves & for spring harvest.
