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We can’t wait to say it can we? As soon as we turn the calendar onto 1st September, we all proclaim ‘Autumn is in the air’! It is however, still warm and really quite muggy here in Norfolk where my allotment is based, so I am not ready to pack up up my shorts just yet.
However, September does bring the changing season, seeing a distinct shift in the garden especially towards the end of the month plus a whole new list of jobs to do. There is a lot to get done to prepare for the cooler months ahead. My plot is full of gorgeous seed heads, willowy stems and late summer colour. The Dahlias and Zinnias have really put on a show, I have giant Sunflowers which I am absolutely sure will win me the kudos of tallest on the allotment site and the brassicas are fully plumping out in time for autumn harvests.
Corn on the cob is cannot be beaten by any shop bought over homegrown and they have been very successful this year, along with French beans and Yard Long Beans which are still producing as they continue to grow around the Squash plants. The salad bed is beginning to get tired, but the Carrots, Beetroot and Celery are still being harvested and I am at that point of running out of space in the kitchen.
There is such a lot to do in September so hopefully this list will help you out on your allotment, in the garden and of course in the Rhino Greenhouse.
Vegetables:
Don’t let the rest of your courgettes run away with themselves. Harvest them small and eat fresh as the plant will soon die off by the end of the month.
Pumpkins and Squash will soon be ready for harvesting but until then lift off the ground to prevent them rotting. I use a brick and gently lift them onto it. A piece of wood will do the trick as well.
If you haven’t already, make sure your winter brassicas are covered with netting or the birds will get to them before you!
Seed sowing:
Get your Sweet Pea seed order in, as it will soon be time to sow them if you’d like to over winter some. I tend to buy in September and sow in October.
Seedheads such as Sunflowers, Nigella, Echinops and Thistle, along with many more can be left in the garden for over winter interest and for wildlife to enjoy. If you do want to collect some seeds, now is the time to start doing that. Wait for a dry morning and collect seeds to sow for next year or in the case of some such as Nigella they can be scattered where you would like them to grow.
Sow some winter spring onions such as ‘White Lisbon’ because there is nothing more satisfying than harvesting over winter!
Hardy winter lettuce, spinach and oriental leaves can all be sown now to give you a supply of fresh green leaves over winter. Sow in trays and pots in the greenhouse or outside with some protection.
Planting:
If you are starting to see some gaps in your borders, plant out some Sedums which will give plenty of colour, interest and nectar for pollinators.
Hopefully your summer containers and hanging baskets are still flowering but towards the end of the month they will likely start to dwindle. Keep deadheading to prolong flowering but when they are finished, compost annuals and replace with autumn flowering Pansies, Ivy, Ornamental Cabbage and Cyclamen.
Divide overcrowded herbaceous perennials for more free plants and to keep existing perennials healthy and thriving.
Propagating:
Lavender, Rosemary, Lemon Verbena, Fuchsia are all easy to propagate and a great way to get more free plants! Get some clean, sharp secateurs, snip a non flowering shoot (with some wood on for plants such as Lavender, Rosemary and Lemon Verbena), remove the lower leaves, dip in rooting hormone and plant around the edges of small pots filled with well drained compost.
Greenhouse jobs:
It’s so important to keep your greenhouse clean to ensure pests and diseases are kept to a minimum. After the growing season, you may be thinking about protecting tender plants from the garden over winter. Before you bring them into the greenhouse, clear away any debris and old plants, give everywhere a good clean with warm soapy water and raise the blinds to allow as much light in as possible.
If you need more room, because you wish you’d gone one size up on the greenhouse, now is a good time to make space for a coldframe for extra plant protection over winter. Rhino Greenhouses has some beautiful new cold frames that I am very tempted with myself!
Wildlife:
It’s really important to think about garden wildlife over winter, so ensuring there are spaces for shelter and food in the garden is a good place to start. Pile up some old wood, leave seedheads on plants, and even look at planting some native hedging. Don’t forget water as well, keep those bird baths topped up.
Keeping debris out of the pond is essential to ensure the water stays clean and oxygenated. Give the pond a tidy and put a net over to stop leaves falling in but with holes big enough for wildlife to get in and out.
