Here in Ohio, the month of September is one of the most pleasant months of the year. Warm days and cool evenings are perfect for getting work done around the yard. You might think that the growing season has ended, but you’d be surprised at all the work there is to be done!
Here are a list of things you should be doing this coming month:
- Clean up vegetable and perennial gardens
- Plant spring-blooming bulbs
- Harvest apples; put spoiled fruit in compost pile
- Clean off bird feeders and restock with seed
- Deadhead chrysanthemum plants to prolong bloom
- Plant garlic for harvest next summer
- Sow wildflower seed for bloom next spring
- Clean out rose beds and apply fungicide one last time to susceptible varieties
- Plant perennials
- De-thatch and aerate the lawn
- Prune summer-bearing raspberries
- Divide peonies, bearded iris and other spring- and summer-blooming perennials.
- Collect fall seeds from plants
- Take softwood cuttings of Evergreens and root in sand under mist
- Start growing/prepping holiday plants such as Christmas Cactus, Amaryllis and Poinsettia
And you thought you were done after you ate the last zucchini? Get busy! There’s still more to do next month!
Mike, you had an article/video about leaving plants in pots and then I believe you put them slightly in the ground-side by side. Am I dreaming? I can’t find the article. Thanks
Terry,
There are a lot of ways to over winter plants in containers and we discuss this a lot in the members area this time of year. I always recommend covering with white plastic, that’s what all of the big growers do. http://mikesbackyardnursery.com/2013/11/over-wintering-protecting-plants-for-the-winter/
Our Backyard Growers Members area is awesome! Learn all about it here:
http://backyardgrowers.com/join
My question is about “overwintering”. I have many field grown plants and I want to pot them then overwinter. Many are 1-2 years old-should I pot, surround with leaves, straw, sand? then put a hoop over them with white plastic. I did many smaller plants last year and that worked really great although they weren’t potted. What’s your best advice? Thanks
Terry,
If you are going to cover them with white plastic, which is a good idea, then don’t put leaves or straw under the hoop. You don’t need it. Just water them well before covering them, and don’t cover until they are completely dormant. http://mikesbackyardnursery.com/2013/11/over-wintering-protecting-plants-for-the-winter/
I have another question? Should I fertilize or wait until spring? I will be using white plastic. Thanks again.
Terry,
Waiting until spring is really the best thing to do. You don’t want to initiate a lot of new growth this late in the season.
Your article about sweet potato slips mentioned not to let the runners go too far or touch the ground to avoid poor harvest of tubers by having too many points of root contact.. What do you do with them then – cut them back?
Steven,
I didn’t write that article so I honestly don’t know the answer, anybody else?
I’ve always let my slips run all over the place and have no problem getting a great harvest. They root at nodes all along the vine, and those roots grow into tubers. The key is to let them grow as long as possible – wait until just before it gets cold before you harvest. If you do want to cut your leaves/stems, saute the leaves up with some butter and garlic. The youngest leaves are the most tender, of course, but they are all absolutely delicious.