SEPTEMBER TIPS
Start your compost heap or bin
Start your compost going by buying a compost bin or building a partially enclosed and easily accessible area for a heap. It is essential to replace the goodness in soil and autumn produces quantities of garden waste that will add invaluable organic richness back into your soil next spring.
Remember to add a variety of different materials; spent vegetable plants are ideal and NEVER add diseased or pest-ridden material to your compost heap - it will nurture whatever villain you are trying to eliminate with loving care!
Dig over clay soil
If your soil is heavy clay, start digging it over now whilst it is still relatively dry. Add plenty of organic matter to improve the quality and pea shingle to improve the drainage. It can be left in a pretty rough state over the winter when the cold will break the lumps down, making spring planting infinitely easier!
Bulbs
September is the prime time for planting spring bulbs; choose plump firm bulbs and plant within a week of buying in a location with good drainage. Add grit if the soil is heavy and ensure pots and containers have plenty of crocks at the bottom. Bury bulbs at three times their own depth, tip upwards and ensure there are no air pockets around them.
Use them to fill gaps in beds and borders, in formal gardens, in pots and containers, under shrubs and trees or naturalised in grass or woodland. Make your life easier by investing in a strong good quality dibber and if you have a bad back, a long handled bulb planter.
Daffodils are best planted by mid September, tulips should be left until November.
Plant new perennials and bring tender perennials into shelter
While the soil is moist and warm, plant hardy perennials so their roots have a chance to become established before winter. Water well before and after planting and ensure you choose plants that are appropriate for your soil type! Lift and bring tender perennials inside before frosts cause any damage.
Deadheading and Support
Deadhead dahlias, chrysanthemums, asters and any other spent flowers to keep the garden looking tidy and to encourage dahlias to reflower.
Autumn can be windy so make sure tall flowers are supported. Once perennials have finished flowering, cut them back and divide large clumps by lifting carefully and separating down the centre with 2 forks back to back.
Replant with plenty of organic matter and water generously. Remember some perennials, such as peonies, loathe being disturbed so check before you dig them up.
Spring flowering bedding
Buy and plant out violas, wallflowers and primulas now for cheery colour come springtime. Clear old summer bedding, incorporate some organic matter into the soil and plant in drifts for stunning effect.
Remember not to grow wallflowers and ornamental cabbages in the same spot two year running; they are brassicas and need rotation to avoid the root disease 'clubfoot', which is not only infectious, but persists in the soil.
Plant and move conifers and evergreens
Planting and moving any plant is far less traumatic for it whilst the soil is still warm. Dig as large a root ball as you can and wrap in hessian to move it with minimum disturbance. Ensure the new hole is large enough for the roots not to be squashed and the same depth as before.
Remove the hessian gently, firm in the soil well with your feet as you fill the hole and water generously. If the new location is windy or exposed, protect the plant with a windbreak to reduce water loss from the leaves through evaporation.