September is here and there is still plenty to do in your garden! Here are a few steps you can be taking right now to help your garden thrive.
1. Decide
Decide if you are going to plant, and what you are going to plant. The middle of September is a good time to plant fall veggies like potatoes, onions and carrots. It is important to decide if you will have a fall garden, as the best window for planting is closing fast.
This also includes if you are planning on planting fall flowers. Fall annuals include mums, pansies and ornamental peppers. Cool-weather herbs such as cilantro are also great to plant this time of year.
2. Move
Now is the time to start moving your plants before the first frost. If you have plants in containers they are generally easy to move. If you can probably wait until later in the month to move them.
The perk of moving plants now is to "extend seasons" and transplant. If you have a plant you know can overwinter, consider transplanting it into a pot and/or moving it indoors. This can help extend your season and get a longer harvest.
Be aware that transplanting may also damage the plants. Try being strategic about this to maximize your yield.
3. Care
Now is a great time to give your plants a little extra care like fertilizing and pruning.
It is a great opportunity to fertilize your vegetables to extend their life and yields. It is also a good time to fertilize your lawn and even some flowers to help them overwinter. Grasses and herbs need fertilizers high in nitrogen. Do not give your vegetables the same fertilizer. High amounts of nitrogen will cause them to produce more foliage and less fruit. Look for vegetable fertilizers high in phosphorus (P) and potassium (K).
Care also includes harvesting. Right now quite a few plants are beginning to produce their last big harvest of the year. It is the perfect time to prune while you harvest.
4. Plan
It may seem early, but spring and summer will be here before you know it! Another perk of starting to plan early is being able to rotate your plants efficiently. For example, beans are nitrogen-fixing. So planting herbs where your beans were helps them grow lush foliage.
This is a general guide, consult other sources for localized information. My favorite information sources are my local extension and the old farmer's almanac. If you have specific questions about garden planning I would be happy to help! Feel free to get in contact with me.