September Garden Tips

September is here! There is hope now that this hot weather will soon be turning to “warm”, and we can begin to enjoy the cooler mornings and evenings. This is the month I begin to enjoy my garden again and find myself working in it more often. Lots of veggies can be planted this month, so amend your soil with plenty of compost and get ready for a thriving garden. Fall is the best planting season in Texas, so start dreaming about changes and additions to your yard. Do you need to plant some more trees? Larger shrubs? Replace things that are struggling? Plan it out and target late September/early October as the earliest time to start installing these new plants and trees.

THINGS TO PLANT

Flowers: Ajuga, Alpine Aster, Wax Begonia, Boltonia, Butterfly Weed, Calico Plant, Candytuft, Chinese Forget-Me-Not, Cockscomb, Cornflower, Dianthus, Daisy (English, Shasta and Painted), Euryops, Impatiens, Larkspur, Liatris, Lobelia, Petunia, Phlox, Obedient Plant, Salvia( perennial types), Sedum, Stock, Stokes’ Aster.

Flower Seeds: Alyssum, African Daisy, Balsam, Bluebell, Bluebonnet, Calendula, Castor Bean, Cockscomb, Columbine, Cornflower, Cosmos, Daisy, Delphinium, Four-o’-Clock, Hollyhock, Larkspur, Liatris, Marigold (French), Poppy, Snapdragon, Stock, Sunflower.

Bulbs: Allium, Amarcrinum, Calla, Autumn Crocus (Colchicum), Cooperia, Daylily, Dietes, Hardy Cyclamen, Spider Lily (Hymerocallis), Liriope, Louisiana Iris, Ipheion, Lily, Lycoris, Oxalis, Monkey Grass, Rain Lily, Scilla, Watsonia.

*Purchase Tulip, Crocus Hyacinth and Daffodil bulbs to pre-chill.

Vegetables:

Early- Mid Month: Beans, Summer Squash.

Mid-Late Month – Broccoli, Cabbage, Cauliflower, Chinese Cabbage, Collards, Garlic, Kohlrabi, Peas (English and edible pod).

Fruit: Prepare soil now for winter fruit tree planting.

TASKS IN THE GARDEN

Fertilize: Feed chrysanthemums every 2-3 weeks until buds appear, then weekly until buds show color. Fertilize roses, gardenias and magnolias.

Water: Water trees and shrubs deeply and slowly.

Divide: Transplant after dividing: Amaryllises, Callas, Cannas, Daylilies, Irises, Liriope, Wood Ferns.

Soil: Test soil every three years to help plan fertilizer applications. Start a compost pile withmfall leaves and yard debris; shred with lawnmower. Replenish mulch in beds.

Lawn Care: Watch for brown patch in St. Augustine turf as temperatures cool. Lawns with a history of the disease should be sprayed late in the month and then, three weeks later, with Terraclor or Daconil. Early morning is the best time to water lawns. Mow every 5-7 days, leaving the clippings on the lawn.

Diseases/pests to look for: Watch roses for blackspot and mildew. Fall webworms are easiest to control when treated early with Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt).

Prune: Remove dead and damage wood from shrubs and trees. Lightly prune pyracanthas so berries will show.