Garden tips for September 2017
What changes in September? Days are still warm, but cooler, and night time temperatures are more reliably cooler. Even with possible heat waves, day lengths are less, so the overall effect is a cool down, and the feeling in the air of autumn. September is the perfect month to begin landscape projects. Towards the end of the month, we may even be able to begin planting. At the same time, temperatures are still warm enough for heat loving plants to thrive, and to get in a last harvest of short season summer vegetables, and to finish solarization projects. Here are some of the things to pay attention to this month:
Water Wisely
If you haven’t done so recently, check your irrigation timer and sprinkler/emitter heads to make sure there are no problems. Continue to deep water trees and large shrubs until we get rain. Hose off dust and cobwebs from your plants once or twice, but always use a hose shutoff and don’t use the hose to wash down sidewalks and driveways.
Plant
Almost all plants thrive when planted in the fall instead of the spring. Trees, shrubs, perennials, and especially Ca-native and Mediterranean-climate plants can be planted now. Citrus and other frost-sensitive subtropical plants are an exception; those are best planted in the spring.
Examples of climateright, water-conserving plants that work in most soils include Cleveland sage, artemesia, yarrow, California fuchsia, rosemary, rockrose, autumn and summer sage, deer grass, hedge (French) lavender, and many other sage varieties.
If we get early rains, go ahead and start sowing wildflower seeds. Otherwise, wait until next month. Good seeds to try include California poppy, elegant Clarkia, desert blue bells, and gold fields.
Herbs that can be planted are catnip, chamomile, chives, cilantro, dill, Echinacea, fennel, lavender, mint (in a container only), parsley, rosemary, tarragon and thyme.
Vegetables
It’s time to change the vegetable garden to winter veggies. Coolseason veggies that can be planted from seed are beets, carrots, lettuce, radishes, and sugar snap peas. Transplant seedlings of artichokes, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, Chinese cabbage, kale, lettuce and strawberries. It’s also time to plant garlic. Break apart garlic bulbs into individual cloves, leaving on the paper husks, and making sure the pointed end is up when planting. You can also plant potatoes and onions when starts become available in local feed stores and independent nurseries.
Bulbs
Time to start choosing bulbs for the garden. Shop early for the best selection, but don’t plant yet; it’s too warm. Store in a cool, dry, dark location until planting begins in November. When choosing bulbs, the rule is “generally the larger the bulb, the larger the flower.” Tulip and Hyacinth bulbs need to be cooled in the refrigerator for six to eight weeks before planting, and must be kept away from apples to keep bulbs from sprouting prematurely.
Maintance
Divide crowded herbaceous perennials like Coreopsis, yarrow and society garlic. Dig up clumps with a spading fork or shovel, discard any dead parts, then divide into sections, and replant. Share leftover sections with friends. Harvest home-made or use purchased compost and dig lightly into the bed before replanting perennials. Water deeply, and don’t forget the two-to-four inch layer of mulch.
Continue to dead-head your rose and butterfly bushes. You can begin to do your annual trimming of many spring-flowering native shrubs and perennials like Cleveland sage, bush lupine, Carpenteria, penstemon, and hummingbird sage. Trim off old flowers and up to half of the greenery before January to keep them tidy, compact and ensure good flowering next year.
Weeds
Now is the time to apply a preemergent herbicide to prevent annual blue grass and other winter weed seeds from germinating. Remember not to use a preemergent where you have spread seed for wildflowers or vegetables. Continue to remove warm season weeds before they set seed.
On the first cool morning of the season, try to get out and enjoy your garden. It’s good for your body and spirit.
Do you love to garden? Do you have spare time? Do you want to learn more about gardening and help others in the community? If so, why
not become a Master Gardener? You can find out more about our upcoming training class in January by logging on to our website http://ucanr. edu/sites/uc_master_ Gardeners/, then click on “Become a Master Gardener” — or by calling the Master Gardener office in Tulare at 684-3300. For answers to all your home gardening questions, call the Master Gardeners in Tulare County at (559) 684-3325, Tuesdays and Thursdays between 9:30 and 11:30 a.m.; or Kings County at 852-2736, Thursday Only, 9:30-11:30 a.m.; or visit our website to search past articles, find links to UC gardening information, or email us with your questions: http://ucanr.edu/sites/ Uc_master_gardeners/