September Jobs

Although the days are getting noticeably shorter and there’s a distinct chill to the morning air, September can bring plenty of warm sunshine, so make the most of any good weather by preparing the garden for the colder months ahead, and plan for spring by planting plenty of bulbs.

Indoors:

• Plant up bulbs such as paper white narcissi, hyacinths and hippeastrum for a colourful indoor Christmas display.

In the garden:

• On a dry day collect the seeds of annuals, store in paper envelopes, label and keep them somewhere cool and dry until spring.
• Give hanging baskets and containers a thorough soak as the compost will be congested with roots by now and it can be hard for rain to penetrate the dense top growth.
• Have temporary frost protection at the ready this month. Horticultural fleece and cloches are prefect for quickly popping over plants that might be affected if frost is forecast and they can be easily removed the following day.
• Give your lawns some TLC: remove the thatch with a spring-tined rake; make holes in the lawn with a garden fork to relieve compaction; and brush a pre-mixed dressing of sand, top soil and fertiliser (this is available at garden centres) into the holes to improve drainage and encourage healthy root growth.
• Plant biennials into their final homes so that their roots can get established before winter. If you forgot to sow some earlier in the summer, garden centres will have a good range from which to choose.