September Lawn and Garden Care

September is here which means it’s time to do a few things in your lawn and garden.  Hopefully cool temperatures will arrive soon to make outdoor tasks a little more pleasant.  Until then, keep sweatin’ to the oldies.

Back Inside

If you took your house plants outside to enjoy the summer, transfer them to a shady, cooler spot for a couple of weeks to prepare them to transition inside.  Allowing them time to adjust will mean they lose less leaves once you bring them inside.

Summer Veggies Out

If your summer veggies are still producing, keep harvesting until they are completely spent.  Once they are done, get those plants out of your garden. Leaving them there to rot will allow pests and disease to overwinter–you don’t want that!  If you had any diseased plants, you will want to burn them or bag them to be collected. Don’t just throw them on your compost pile. Also, take the time to clean your tomato cages to remove any insect egg cases or spores.  (GROSS!)

Give Your Soil a Treat

Once you have removed your plants, add a 2-3 inch layer of compost and mix it in with the soil.  This will improve the soil and add nutrients back for spring planting. If you aren’t planting a fall veggie garden, consider planting a cover crop like rye grass.  It will be dead by the spring and will be easy to till in with your soil. Bonus: It will add nitrogen.

Fall Veggies In

Plant veggies that will do well in fall and winter like cabbage, kale, lettuce, onions and more! We covered all you need to know for planting a fall vegetable garden in last week’s post.  Although weeds might be less in the fall, insects and disease can be more severe in the fall. Keep an eye out and treat if you see signs of insects or disease.  

Flowers, Trees, and Shrubs

• September is the perfect time to plant trees and shrubs. Shop soon to get the best selection! When you plant them, don’t forget to loosen the rootball before planting.  
• If you have any evergreen trees or shrubs that need be moved, now is the time to transplant them. Do NOT prune shrubs or trees beyond trimming them to shape–wait until after the first hard freeze (think December or January).  
• Flowers like pansies and mums should be planted soon.  Pansies will add color to your yard during the fall, winter and spring!  
• There are many perennials that you can plant now as well. Some are still blooming (so you can enjoy them now), and you can look forward to seeing them again next year.  If you didn’t divide them already, now is a great time to divide your perennials. Check out this post for more info! Spring bulbs (daffodils, tulips, hyacinth, lily, etc.) should go in the ground soon, too.  
• Groundcovers will do great if you plant them now. They should have plenty of time to get established before the cold weather rolls around.  

Lawn Love

Tall fescue lawns should be aerated and seeded this month.  (You may want to consider renting an aerator for large lawns.)  Don’t forget to flad irrigation heads before aerating to protect them from damage.  You should also fertilize your tall fescue at the time of seeding. DO NOT fertilize zoysia or bermuda this month.  Not feeling up to this task? Our lawn maintenance team is here for you. Contact us for an estimate today.

As always, don’t forget we are here to help you in any way we can with your fall lawn and garden needs.