What needs doing in the garden in September?
Summer is coming to an end and the UK is heading for autumn. After this summer’s intense heatwaves, our gardens may be looking a bit worse for wear. That’s okay, now we can start to prune away the parts that didn’t make it and set our garden up to come back stronger next year.
While the weather is still mild – and not too cold and wet! – we can begin preparing our gardens for winter. So, what should you be doing in the garden in September?
1. Clean out garden storage before autumn/winter.
Now is the perfect time to take steps to prepare for the colder months. By the end of October, you will be putting your goods into storage. So, take the time now to make sure your garden storage is empty and ready for winter. Make sure you have space to put everything away and get rid of anything unnecessary.
2. Organise and prepare for the season.
This is also a good time to prepare for the season ahead. It’s unlikely you will have any more BBQs. Put them away in your garage or shed to clear space in your garden and protect it from the elements. This will help increase can also increase its life span!
As the weather gets colder, consider tidying away other items such as:
- Washing line
- Garden furniture
- Outdoor pizza ovens or fire pits
- Garden tools
- Wheelbarrow
- Hosepipe
3. Prune and prep your flowers.
Give your flowers their best chance of survival by pruning and deadheading your flowers. By removing dead flowers and cutting back excess, you can help your flowers live through winter. This is because it prevents them from expending more energy than they need to so they can come back stronger in the new year.
Use this time to add mulch to your flowerpots and flower beds. This can be added as a layer on top of your soil or just around the base of your flowers and plants. Mulching can help protect plant roots from extreme hot and cold temperatures, provide nutrients and retain moisture.
Don’t forget to raise your flowerpots onto stands as well! This will allow excess moisture to drain out and prevent your plant roots from rotting!
4. Plant spring flowering bulbs.
It’s not all about tidying and pruning, September is a great time to start sowing seeds and planting bulbs for spring blooming flowers. Look at getting daffodils, bluebells and hyacinths to put in pots or in your borders. By preparing the seasonal flowers now, you will have a beautiful and full garden when spring comes around again.
5. Carry out lawn maintenance.
While the weather is still mild, September is the perfect month to carry out lawn maintenance. This will ensure your lawn looks fantastic again in the new year! Aerating your lawn allows moisture and air into your lawn to improve the soil’s ecosystem. If you don’t aerate your lawn, it can prevent water from entering the soil, it can lead to compaction and poor quality grass.
It’s important to do this between late August and early October so your lawn has the right conditions to recover. September is just right because there will be enough moisture in the air without frost in the early morning.
If you’re going to cut your grass, remember to raise your blades to one of the longer settings. As the weather gets colder your grass won’t grow as quickly. Cutting your lawn too short can result in ‘scalping’ which will hinder the growth of your grass.
6. Tidy up.
Make sure you get your garden waste bags ready. With all the pruning, deadheading and weeding you will be doing, make sure you have a place ready to put your waste. You can also put debris like fallen leaves in you waste bags too.
After the intense heatwaves from summer, many places are going through a “false autumn” where trees shed their leaves early due to lack of water. So you may be dealing with piles of leaves earlier than expected. You should also check your drains and gutters throughout autumn to ensure they’re clear and ready for a lot of rain and snow. Blocked and leaking drain pipes can lead to damp forming in your home.
Make sure you clear any dirt from your pond and then net them. This will help prevent leaves and debris from falling in them over winter.