Jobs for September

General gardening jobs:

• In the greenhouse: continue to open the door/ windows on warm days and spray the floor with water to ensure a damp atmosphere to deter whitefly. Continue feeding Tomatoes *) Peppers, Chillies and Melons with Tomato feed – always follow the instructions on the bottle.

• If colder weather is forecast in the next few weeks, consider lifting tender plants e.g. Geraniums/ Osteospermums – plant up and move the pots into a greenhouse/ somewhere cool but well-lit indoors to be kept for next year.

• Continue to dead head bedding plants in pots/ borders regularly to keep them flowering but let a few go to seed (*)

• Continue to keep on top of the weeding in the borders by hoeing/ hand weeding and continue to watch for pest damage and disease.

• Most lawns have suffered from the drought but are beginning to re-grow. When mowing set the blades higher than would usually do and apply an autumn feed – preferably before rain is expected.

• As necessary, water pots/ hanging basket, veg and anything recently planted in the borders when the compost/ soil is dry.

• Give hedges a trim from now on to ensure they look good during the winter months. Watch out for any birds that have nested late because of the warm summer.

• (*) Collect seed heads/ seeds from annuals and store in paper bags for sowing next year.

• Take photographs of your borders to see what’s in flower and for a chance to look at what grew well and how to improve it next year.

• Start buying autumn flower plants and bulbs for pots and borders. Don’t plant tulips until early November to avoid Tulip blight.

Veg Plot

• Sow Green manure on any bare soil (this can be dug in next year)

• Start / continue harvesting (any?) Leeks, continue to harvest Tomatoes (*also remove leaves to encourage ripening), Potatoes, Onions etc

• Continue to water (any?) Runner/ French beans and pick regularly

• Harvest apples and go Brambling!