Here are our gardening tips for September:
Plant or move evergreen shrubs and conifers. This is a good time to introduce new plants or move existing stock because the roots are fairly inactive and less likely to suffer stress from moving. Loosely tie branches to protect them and remove as much of the toot ball as possible. Some thicker roots may have to be cut but make a clean cut with a sharp knife or secateurs. Well water the new site before planting and, if possible, complete both removal and replanting in one operation.
Plant spring bulbs. Now is the time to plant spring bulbs such as daffodils, crocus, and hyacinths. As a general rule, plant in sunny areas and dig a hole approximately two to three times the size of the bulb – so a 3-inch bulb should be placed in a 6-to-9-inch hole. Place them pointy side up and water in well. If you have visiting squirrels you may want to cover planting to prevent thefts.
Plant bulbs in garden pots. At the same time as garden planting, put some bulbs in pots too. These will flower a little earlier than their garden cousins and can be moved around to display to advantage.
Sow annual flowers. Now is the time to sow hardy annual flowers such as English Marigolds, Love in a Mist, Cornflower and Ammi Majus for flowers next year.
Pick fruit. Apples and other tree fruit are becoming ready for picking. Apples are usually ready when the colour deepens or there are signs of windfalls. If in doubt, conduct a taste test. The best way to pick an apple, hold it in the palm of your hand and gently twist until it comes away.
Prune bushes and clip hedges. There should be no birds nesting in hedges at this time of year, so it is safe to tidy up hedges and trim bushes and to remove any dead or damaged branches.
Check your box hedges and bushes for box caterpillar infestation. Usually these infestations occur earlier in the year but the strange weather conditions we have experienced this year has led to some late arrivals. A relatively new visitor to the UK, it was first noticed ten years ago, but is now quite common in London and the South-East. It came from East Asia and can quickly devour a whole box (Buxus) bush.
It can be controlled by removing the caterpillars manually and apparently blue tits quite enjoy them. There are also a number of insecticides available that are sprayed on the plant ensuring the centre of the bush is covered where the caterpillars may be hiding. One that is available from Amazon is Top Buxus XenTari which seems quite effective. The important point here is to keep a close watch on your plants. An established box bush may cost a few hundred pounds to be replaced but can be destroyed by these little critters very quickly.
Clear and disinfect greenhouses. If you have a greenhouse, now is the time to give it a clean and tidy up. Remove plants and clean with disinfectant. Domestic cleaning products can be used but there are specialist products available such as Just Glasshouse Cleaner, also available from Amazon. If you have any bird boxes, it’s also a good time to clear them out and clean them up for next year’s tenants.
Plant winter containers and hanging baskets. To keep some colour in your garden during the winter months, it’s time to plant hanging baskets and pots with hardy winter flowers such as winter flowering pansies, hellebore, and cyclamen. Also include some hanging ivy and small ferns to add some greenery.
Reseed lawn patches and scarify. Now is the time to prepare your lawn for winter, reseed any bald patches and scarify to remove thatch which is dead grass and roots that collects within the live plants. There are powered scarifying machines that are easy to use but a good rake and muscle power will do the job