I walked outside this morning, and I felt it! That fall chill in the air has set in and I feel like it is here to stay. I had an insanely productive summer in my garden, and just about everything I planted turned out to be a success! But now that the cooler temperatures are on the way, it’s time to start getting the garden ready for fall. Here’s are the gardening chores you should be tackling in September.
Gardener’s Almanac: A Monthly Guide To Gardening (September)
Harvest Your Squash
It’s that time of year when all of your squash plants are ready for harvest! And if you’re anything like me, you have plenty of them to get out of the ground! Share the wealth with your neighbors, and use these recipes if you’re looking for a way to eat it all.
Plant Seeds And Bulbs
Though you may have to wait until the end of September to finish this gardening project, get your perennial seeds and bulbs into the ground as soon as soil temps hit 60 degrees. For extra beautiful blooms come spring, put a little fertilizer down with your seeds and bulbs to keep them fed through winter.
Fertilize Your Lawn
When the cool rains of fall finally arrive, it’s a good time to fertilize your lawn. This way, it still looks gorgeous when Spring comes. Apply a slow-release fertilizer to your grass, and re-sow any barren areas of your lawn. Give it one last mowing, as well, but leave a little bit more on the top of your grass. It’s amazing how forgetting this step can really affect how your lawn looks in the Spring.
Mark Your Perennials
Before your perennials die off for a year, mark them with a stake so you remember what kind of variety it is come Spring. Some gardeners I know even draw a little map for themselves so they know right where everything is. This will help you care for everything properly in the Spring, especially when the new growth hasn’t yet come through and you don’t know what anything is.
Plant Cool-Season Veggies
Depending on the climate that you live in, now is the perfect time to plant cool-season veggies like kale and other cabbages. Many of these can weather a few snowstorms or two and aren’t bothered by the cold at all. Here’s a list of my favorite cold-hardy veggies and how to grow them.
Feed The Birds
The birds are beginning to migrate south for the winter. Place homemade bird feeders with seed, around your yard to help them refuel throughout their long journey. Now is also a good time to drain and clean any bird feeders and store them for the winter.
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