September Garden Guide

September Garden Guide

  • Allowing September rose blooms to stay on plants aids in winter protection.
    Watch for black spot on roses and remove infected leaves
  • Lift gladiolus corms when leaves begin to brown. Dry in sun a few days.
  • Divide most perennials except asters and mums, which haven’t bloomed.
  • Divide and replant peony roots. Avoid planting too deeply.
  • Bring coleus, geranium, caldium and begonias indoors.
  • Place amaryllis in cool basement for a 3-month rest.
  • To set buds, Christmas cacti require a rest period and cool nights (55 degrees).
  • Sow snap dragons, cornflowers and other hardy annuals a few weeks before the first frost date.
    Mark where planted to avoid damaging seedlings in spring.
  • Carefully inspect spring flowering bulbs before planting. Discard soft bulbs.
  • Remove newly set tomatoes, blossoms and new growth five weeks before expected frost
    because they won’t have time to mature.
  • Sow annual ryegrass or oats for winter cover and green manure in beds that won’t be
    planted until late in spring. Keep watered.
  • Remove all weeds from garden before they go to seed.
  • Pinch out the growing points at the top of Brussel sprout stems so bottom sprouts will reach maturity.
  • Watch for early frosts, Cover the garden when frost is predicted to obtain another month
    of growth. Water plants well for greater frost protection and maximum growth.
  • Cut back perennials after frost
  • Dig and pot parsley, chives, and tender herbs for transfer indoors to sunny window
  • For better keeping, harvest carrots, beets, and turnips before first frost kills foliage.
  • Gather squash, pumpkins, and gourds when ripe and before frost damage.
    Leave 2-inch stem on vegetable for better storage
  • Clear garden beds immediately after harvest. Destroy any diseased plants by burning,
    composting in a hot pile or sealing in container for disposal.
  • Early September is the latest time to plant spring-flowering shrubs.
  • Aerate lawn when temperature is 60-70 degrees
  • Stop planting evergreens by mid-September.
  • Harvest pears when light green. Separate from branch with slight twisting motion.
  • Harvest grapes & ferilize with 1-cup bone meal per/plant.
  • Harvest apples. Rake leaves and fallen fruit from apple trees to control disease and inspect
    problems next year. Be careful not to injure long-lived fruiting spurs when harvesting.
  • Cut out spent raspberry-blackberry canes after fruiting.

Brought to you by: Master Gardeners Association, UW Extension, Stevens Point, WI

Support Extension