September 2024 Tips

Dear Gardening Friends,    Can’t believe it’s September! August went by in a blur. Don’t think this is the end of the gardening season. Fall is for gardening!! It’s finally getting cooler and is a perfect time to do lots of garden chores like dividing, planting and transplanting.   What to divide/transplant when is always a question. Basically, spring blooming plants are best divided in fall. Avoid moving or dividing plants that are blooming in fall. Moving a plant in bloom is very stressful for the plant. Those are best done in early spring.   Some indications a perennial needs dividing are: reduced bloom, a “doughnut hole” or bare spot in the middle of the clump, has outgrown it’s spot, needs a more appropriate site (sun, shade, etc.), is blooming less or you just don’t like it there. If a perennial hasn’t done well after 3 years you might want to try a different spot or share with a friend. Perennials you move this fall need to be kept well watered until the ground freezes,   My strategy is to walk around the garden and make notes on what needs to be done.  A notebook is helpful as all your info is in one place. Note what should be divided, moved, or eliminated as well as what changes you would like to make for next season.   Then prioritize chores into things to be accomplished this fall and those that can wait until spring. Some of which depend on the weather and of course how long your energy lasts! Somehow, I never get everything done I’d planned. That’s what next season is for!   I tend to leave up perennials that don’t have disease or insect infestation. The seed heads feed the birds and the crowns of the plants help protect them from winter temperature fluctuations. -Plants with powdery mildew or other fungal disease like black spot should be cut back to the base and all stray leaves cleaned up from the ground. This is important as the fungal spores can winter over. - Plants that had 4 lined plant bug damage (small lines of black spots on the leaves) should be cut to the base as the insect lays its eggs in the stems of affected plants. -Make sure to discard all infected plant parts. Do not compost. - When cutting blossom stems back leave the crown (leaves at the bottom) intact   When to prune is always a question. Fall is NOT the best time to prune most things. Trees and shrubs are heading into dormancy and will not heal cuts as well. Early spring/late winter is the best time to prune most things. The exception is spring blooming trees and shrubs like forsythia and rhododendron. They should be pruned right after blooming.   Early September is a good time to take cuttings of annuals or bring in whole plants to winter over. This should be done very soon when the annuals are in their prime. It will be less successful if you wait until the plants are starting to diminish. An easy way is to take a cutting and root in water. After roots form, they can be planted in potting soil. When bringing in whole annuals or cuttings follow the procedures below to clean them before bringing them in the house.   When the nighttime temperatures get around 50 or you turn the furnace on, it’s time to bring in house plants that have spent the summer outside. Check them well for insets and signs of disease – A good soapy water bath is very helpful. (a squirt of Dawn in water works well) Then rinse with the hose. Remove weak or damaged leaves. Give them a few days on the porch or other sheltered area where they can start adjusting to indoor light conditions. Watch carefully after they’re inside in case any hitchhikers came along. Then there is always weeding! Anytime is the right time to weed. The seeded annual weeds you remove now won’t be dropping seeds for next spring and the perennial weeds will be removed before they get larger and harder to deal with. This will be a chore until the first freeze. Definitely time well spent.     Upcoming Gardening Events:   Master Gardener Fall Gardening Classes: This Fall we have an excellent choice of 3 classes all taught by Master Gardeners. I’m doing the one on 9/28. Check out the topics below. There’s something for everyone.   September 10, 6:30 – 8:00 pm, East Aurora Senior Center             Garbage to Gold: Create Your Own Compost Using compost as a soil amendment adds nutrients to your soil and improves its texture, condition and drainage. Learn about the ratio of nitrogen and carbon sources and how to maintain moisture and temperature levels to produce “black gold” for your garden.   September 18, 6:30 – 8:00 pm, Parkside Lodge             Eight Rules for Overwintering Plants Many garden plants can be overwintered as houseplants or by allowing them to go dormant in a protected spot. Others can be dug up and stored, including dahlias, begonias, cannas, and geraniums. Learn the best practices for helping your plants survive until the next season.   September 28, 10:00 – 11:30 AM, Roswell Park Community Center Fall Gardening: Tips for a Productive Garden Next Year (I’ll be doing this class) What should I do in the garden this fall? What jobs can wait until spring? Can I plant trees now? What perennials should I leave standing and which should I cut back? Get the answers to these questions and more to get a head start on next year’s garden.   $15 for one class -$45 for all 3 classes   Register at: erie.cce.cornell.edu/events   Contact me for a garden consultation. I can help improve your garden and gardening practices as well as save you time and money! It’s not too late for improvements.   Happy Gardening! Lyn Chimera Lessons from Nature 170 Pine St. E. Aurora, NY 14052 [email protected] 716- 652-2432         Happy gardening! Lyn Chimera Lessons from Nature 170 Pine St. E. Aurora, NY 14052 [email protected] 716- 652-2432   Copyright © 2023 Lessons From Nature, All rights reserved. You're receiving this message because you requested to receive Lessons from Nature newsletters. unsubscribe from this list    update subscription preferences