Welcome to September, gardeners! Summer in Utah is coming to a close, and it’s time to get in gear for a new season.
“September was a thirty-days long goodbye to summer, to the season that left everybody both happy and weary of the warm, humid weather and the exhausting but thrilling adventures.” – Lea Malot
Check these September gardening tips off your to-do lists. If you missed our tips last month, you can find them here.
Trees and Shrubs
As leaves begin to drop be sure to apply copper fungicides to fruit trees. Take care to clean up your orchard and small fruiting plants. A clean orchard is essential for disease and pest control!
One of the things we love most about fall is the beautiful change of colors in the trees. From green to golds, oranges, reds, and yellows – autumn puts on a spectacular show. Now’s a great time to choose and plant trees and shrubs with wonderful autumn colors so you can enjoy them this autumn and for years to come.
While there are benefits to planting in spring and summer, the best time of year for rooting in a new tree or shrub is as the heat of summer starts to fade and the plants ready themselves for dormancy.
This window of time is when plants shift their energy from growing those beautiful flowers, leaves, and fruits and start promoting deeper root growth to establish the tree more.
Flowers
“A chrysanthemum by any other name would be easier to spell.”
– William J. Johnson
Purchase spring-flowering bulbs early while there is a good selection, and wait until the temperatures cool down to plant. They are available at Glover Nursery now, so get here soon for the best selection.
September has the best selection of Mums and Asters. This is also a great time to plant hardy annuals like Pansies, Snap Dragons, Ornamental Cabbage, and Kale.
Dig out Gladiolus, Begonia, Cannas, and Dahlias after the first hard frost. To preserve them, let the bulbs dry out for a couple of weeks then dust them with sulfur. Store them in vermiculite in a cool dry place free from frost.
Lawn Care
Be sure to aerate your lawn if it was not done in the spring or if you plan to spread compost on it anytime soon. This is, in fact, the perfect time of year to top-dress your lawn with good compost.
To prevent disease problems, clean up fallen leaves and debris in your yard. Apply weed killers as necessary to control broadleaf weeds. Fall is also an ideal time to put on pre-emergent to help prevent annual weeds.
Have fun in your gardens this September and soak in the time we have left – we know we will! Check back next month for October tips.
For more pointers, check out our Seasonal Tips page.
