September 2025 Tips

Dear Gardening Friends,   Hard to believe (or maybe not) but the weird weather just keeps coming. As I write this it’s high 50’s. After the hot summer it was like going from mid-summer to mid-fall in 2 days!  At least we’ve gotten some rain. Hopefully September will even out with more typical temps and rainfall. The following are some tips for September in the garden.   If your tomatoes aren’t ripening well, it’s due to the hot temps. Logically you’d think hot temps would be good, but tomatoes don’t ripen well when the temperatures are above 86 degrees. The hot temps significantly reduce lycopene and carotenoid (red/yellow colors). Depending on the cultivar, the fruit may turn yellow instead of red or even stay partially green. Yellow shoulders may develop on normally red fruit. Nighttime temps above 75 can also effect ripening.   I had some yellow shouldered tomatoes wrapped in newspaper to ripen for more than a week with no change. A vendor at the Farmers Market said they won’t ripen once the shoulders are yellow, however the bottom half of the tomato is fine to eat.   With the cooler temps it’s time to think about bringing in any houseplants that have been outside as well as any annuals to winter over. Usually, they should come in when the night temps get to 50 degrees. Since it’s supposed to warm up again, you’ll have to keep your eye on the long-term weather. Perhaps bringing plants to a sheltered area if a few nights are cold. Ideally plants should be brought in before the furnace is turned on. This reduces the temperature shock from the move.   When taking cuttings of annuals to bring in be sure to do them soon while the plants are in their prime. Taking short cuttings from the parent plant will not hurt the plant and it will be fine for the rest of the season. Whether you bring in a cutting or whole plant: 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 rain nozzle. 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.   September is usually a good time for moving and dividing. Take a walk around your garden and make notes on what needs to be divided, moved or removed. Include thoughts on improvements for next season. Then prioritize chores 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 I’d planned done. That’s what next season is for!   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 its spot, needs a more appropriate site (sun, shade, etc.), 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.   Contrary to popular belief, trees and shrubs should not be pruned in the fall. If a branch is in the way or dangerously hanging over the house they can be removed. Trees and shrubs are heading into dormancy in the fall and won’t heal the pruning wounds as well. Late winter or early spring before the buds break open is the ideal time to prune with the exception of spring bloomers. Those get pruned right after the blooms fade.   Pachysandra available; I’ll be removing a bed of pachysandra this fall. If you would like some at a very reasonable price or you can dig your own for free. Just let me know.   Upcoming Garden Activities:   Master Gardener Fall Gardening Classes:   September 9                6:30 – 8:00 pm                        East Aurora Senior Center ‘Identifying Invasive Plants: What to Look For’  Carol Ann Harlos, Lyn Chimera        Gardeners keep a close eye on weeds trying to decide if they are seeing a common weed or an invasive species.  Learn how to recognize and identify invasive plants such as Garlic Mustard, Lesser Celandine, Mugwort, and Common Buckthorn in your garden and some management strategies.    September 17              6:30 – 8:00 pm                        Parkside Lodge ‘Soil Health’                                                              Peggy Koppmann It’s not just dirt; healthy soil is the foundation for healthy plants.  Factors such as soil pH, texture, and organic material content are critical to building a healthy soil system.  We’ll talk about soil pH, soil texture, and organic matter as features of healthy soil and the role of soil microbes and mychorrizal fungi and their role in plant health and soil fertility.   September 27              10:00 – 11:30 am                    Roswell Park Community Center ‘Seed Collection and Storage'                                               Nora Saintz                 Collecting seed is easy, inexpensive, and a great way to make more of your own plants or add new varieties to your garden.  Learn about saving open-pollinated plants, avoiding hybrids, collecting at the correct time, and storage techniques. You can build your own seed library and save seeds for your own garden and to share with others.    $15 for one class Public - $45 for all 3 classes Master Gardeners - $40 for all 3 classes Register at: erie.cce.cornell.edu/events   Indigenous Cultural Garden Inaugural Speaker Series      7PM Wednesdays at the Unitarian Universalist Church, 94 Buffalo Rd (www.uuea.org)      Sessions are free and open to the public:        9/3 - I’ll be doing Sustainability for the Home Gardener      9/10 - John Snodgrass - Sacred Spaces      9/17 - Kathy Contrino - Not Just a Pretty Face (Medicinal Native Plants)      9/24 - Kem Parker - Food is Our Medicine      10/1 - I’ll be doing What Are Native Plants and Why are They Important      10/8 - Bob Colligan - Creating Pollinator Beds with Minimal Effort for Maximum Enjoyment      10/15 - Jacob Clark – Haudenosaunee History and East Aurora     Garden Consultation: September is the time to think about gardening successes, failures and make plans for improvement. Contact me for a garden consultation. I can help improve your garden and gardening practices as well as save you time and money!             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