September: A Transition Period

In September the last traces of summer fade to make room for early autumn. The nights grow noticeably longer and temperatures start to dip - you can see that autumn is coming. During this time of transition, there is a lot to do in the garden. When the nights start to get frosty, it's time to start preparing your garden for winter. Here is a short list of the most important activities.

Plant

Until mid-September, winter plants like winter lettuce, spinach or kohlrabi can be planted.

If you are no longer using your flower or vegetable beds, you can sow green manure to replenish the nutrients in the soil.

Harvest

September is a wonderful time to reap the benefits of summer's hard work. Some plants will still survive into the fall, like:

• broccoli
• chillies
• potatoes
• herbs
• radishes
• beets
• onions

In the orchard, apples, some pears, plums and late raspberries can be harvested. Just be careful not to harvest the fruit too soon. For apples, pears, etc., the stalk should gently detach from the branch when turning the fruit. This is how you know the fruit is ready.

Fruit that has fallen to the ground should also be picked up. This helps avoid disease and pests.

Plan & Plant

If you want to have a beautiful flower garden in the spring, then this is the ideal time to take care of it. All bulbs that are supposed to flower in the spring can be planted now.

There are also a variety of woody plants that should be planted now so that they can grow a little before the winter and then shoot up next year. Evergreen deciduous shrubs can be planted in the second half of the month.

Cut Back

Now is the perfect time to give fruit trees a break.

Hedges like barberry, beech hedge, evergreen deciduous tree hedges, hawthorn and roses with withered flowers should be cut back.

Invest Time

You can plan and plant flower seeds for next year. Flower meadows and lawns can be planted as there is enough time for the seeds to grow and survive the winter.

Do not forget: if your lawn is patchy you can repair sections or fertilise.

Winterize

Do you have potted plants in your garden? You can start winterizing them in September.