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September Gardening Tips
A great time for planting trees, shrubs,
fall blooming perennials &
bulbs!
September is one of the best planting times!
The weather starts to cool which is
ideal for planting and growing strong healthy roots before the harsh
winter weather sets in.
It is also a great time to start
thinking about fall and tidying up the garden by cutting back already
bloomed or unhealthy plants and filling in colorless spots with some
new fall flavor.
Don't forget to check out the Oregon State universities Gardening Extension for
more great gardening tips!
Looking for what blooms this
month?
Mulching
Until
it starts to frost be sure to keep after the weeds and the slugs!
It is
a great time to mulch with a good bark or textured mulch which will
help keep plant roots warm in winter and protect plants from deadly
cold days, and a plus is it will help control weeds and slugs for you!
If you have never applied
mulch to your garden be sure to add at least 2-3 inches the first time.
If you are top coating then you will only need about an inch.
Helping The Birds
Many
bird species will soon begin their winter migrations, this also
includes humming birds who fly south to South America on a very long
journey. Give them a helping hand by providing them with some food for
their long journey whether it be suet, seed or sugar water.
Providing food may even allow
many species to stick around for the winter!
Family Fun Ideas
September
and fall is a great time for family fun and crafts.
From dried pumpkin
and gourd flower arrangements boasting big textured seed pods, to
pinecone peanut butter seed feeders be sure to enjoy all that nature
has to offer and share it with your children and friends.
Check out these fun craft ideas.
Also, remember Johnson Brothers winter fundraiser forms are available
starting September 1st. Its time to start thinking about beautiful
lush wreaths and pointsettias!
Annuals Care
Remove spent annuals and compost them.
Winter pansies, flowering Kale, flowering Cabbage, and fall mums may be
planted now, to give a little color to the garden when the summers
flowers have faded away.
Some annuals such as Coleus and
many tropical plants can be taken indoors as houseplants during cold
winter months!
Cut
growth back and pot into a clean, freshly soiled indoor house pot.
Not
all annuals do well as houseplants, but feel free to experiment..hey
you were going to let them die anyways...right?
Be sure to
make the transition easy on your plants by first bringing them indoors
at night, and then for longer periods of time throughout the day and
evenings until the weather no longer permits them outdoors.
Larger
tropical plants should be cut back and brought indoors inside a garage
or
greenhouse for the winter once outdoor temperature begin to drop at
night, and then during the day.
Bulbs
As
soil temperature drops below 60 degrees F., Spring flowering bulbs such
as tulips, daffodils, hyacinths, dwarf irises, Anemone, and
crocus should be planted.
Select healthy, disease free
bulbs. Add Bone meal or Bulb fertilizer into the planting hole, as you
prepare the soil.
Tender
bulbs should be dug up and stored in a dry, cool, dark area after first
frost. It is good to store bulbs in paper bags to prevent moisture.
Fruits & Veggies
Many fruits and Veggies are now ready to be harvested.
Check
your edibles frequently for ripeness. Also be sure to read through our Oregon Edibles Harvest Calendar to help you in
your harvest schedule.
Share your gardens abundance
with friends and neighbors, and don't forget about your local food bank
or food pantry! It is also a good idea to reap the benefits of
your garden longer by freezing, drying, storing, or canning.
- Plum trees should be pruned right after harvest, to insure
a bountiful crop next year.
- Once
the tops of onions have withered, the bulbs should be lifted and dried
in a warm, dry, sunny location for about 10 days. Then should then
be stored in a cool, dark, dry place.
- Some root crops, such as carrots, onions, and parsnips can
be left in the ground in cold climates and dug up as needed.
- Apply enough mulch to keep the ground from freezing, and
the crop will be kept fresh until it is needed.
After you have finished
harvesting your summer vegetables, plant a cover crop of
clovers, cow peas, soybeans, or vetches for the purpose of plowing
under next spring.
These
nitrogen producing plants will add needed nitrogen and provide good
organic matter into your soil for next years crop. They will also
prevent weeds!
Perennials
Gather the seeds from perennial plant seed pods and scatter them in rows or
around the garden this month.
This new plant stock will appear as seedlings next spring
ready to grow on and be transplanted to better areas.
Be
sure to mark your perennials with permanent tags so you can find
their
placement this fall or next spring once they have died back.
This will
prevent you from digging up plants or mistaking new growth as weeds
next spring.
It will also help you identify plants that
are you favorites or a plants characteristics which will help you
further enhance your dream garden by shopping for complementary colors
or textures.
September through October is a great time to
take over-grown or multiplied perennial plants and divide them, or move
them around the garden.
Due to the cooler days it is also
a great time to replace any perennials that may have died due to summer
drought or other circumstance.
Winter’s
in our area are usually mild, but be sure to protect any above ground
potted perennial plants with a mulch of leaves or other warmth.
If
temperatures hit freezing, everything above 3 inches below the ground
will freeze, and this means a cold death for unprotected potted plants!
Trees & Shrubs
Fall
is a good time to select, transport and plant trees and shrubs. Fall
planting encourages good root development, allowing the plants to get
established before spring. It is a good idea to help new plants
get
started with a root stimulating fertilizer that is higher in Phosphorus.
If weather is dry, provide deep watering, as needed, up until the
ground freezes.
Stop fertilizing your established trees and flowering shrubs to allow
this years growth to harden off before winter.
Water
established trees and shrubs less often, unless the weather stays warm,
allowing them to harden off before winter sets in.
Houseplants
Pot
up some spring flowering bulbs for indoor color during the winter.
Store the pots in a cool, dark place, until new growth emerges from the
soil, and then move them to a bright window.
Repot or
top-coat any outdoor houseplants with fresh soil and wash the pots down
as best you can. You may want to do this with any indoor houseplants as
well to avoid getting dirt everywhere indoors.
Be sure to
acclimate your houseplants slowly to the indoor environment again by
first bringing them indoors over night and then leaving them in longer
each day until the weather no longer allows them outside.
Check
to make sure you indoor plant placement is away from drying vents or
heaters.
As the days get shorter and the sun gets lower you may need to
take plants that were receiving enough light further from the window,
and now move them closer to the window.
Begin
conditioning your Poinsettias and Christmas cactus to get them ready
for the upcoming holiday season.
Both
of these plants are short day plants.
Although they will eventually
bloom, if you want the plants in bloom in time for the holidays they
must be kept at about 65 to 70 degrees.
They must also be subjected to at least six
weeks of 14 hours of total darkness per day (mid to late September).
This may be accomplished by placing the potted plant in a closet or
unlighted room, or
by
covering the plant with black cloth, black plastic over a frame or a
cardboard box. The plant must then be returned to the light each day
and given a minimum of 4 hours of direct sun, or 10 hours of bright
light.
The application of a 0-10-10 fertilizer this month
and again next should help encourage the development of flower buds,
then feed your plant every 2 weeks with a high nitrogen fertilizer once
color has begun to show.
Christmas cactus needs the same
general care, with the exception that they require cooler temperatures
of about 50 to 60 degrees.
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