September Garden Calendar

Vegetables and Fruits

Continue to harvest vegetables
Pick apples and pears and store in a cool place to extend freshness
Harvest pumpkins when flesh is completely orange and avoid carrying by stem
Harvest winter squash when rind is hard enough to puncture with fingernail
Plant lettuce, spinach, and radishes
Remove weeds from garden plantings before going to seed
Herbs can be dug from garden and placed in pots for indoor use this winter
Remove small tomatoes from their vines to increase late development of more mature fruits

Flowers

Plant spring flowering bulbs, tulips, daffodils, and others
Dig, divide, or plant peonies
Divide perennials, especially spring bloomers
Remove seedheads from perennials to prevent reseeding in the garden
Plant chrysanthemums for fall color
Dig gladiolus as foliage begins to yellow and air dry before storing for winter
Clean up garden areas to reduce insects and disease as plants dieback for winter
Enrich soil by adding organic matter such as peat moss or compost

Lawns

Trees and Shrubs

Plant trees and shrubs, deciduous and evergreen
Rake up fallen leaves and compost
Prune broken and dead branches from trees
Avoid pruning spring flowering shrubs such as lilac and forsythia to ensure spring flowers
Hand pick bagworms to reduce problem in future

Houseplants

Bring plants in before temperatures drop into the fifties
Clean and wash before moving indoors to reduce insects
Fertilize before winter conditions arrive and growth slows
Poinsettias can be forced into Christmas bloom by starting dark treatment of short days

Have questions? The Garden Hotline is staffed by trained EMG volunteers and Extension staff who will assist you with questions.

Phone: (913) 715-7050