I have no idea where the month of September went – do you? Last I looked, it was hot and humid, with no rain. The last couple of days, it has been chilly and seemingly determined to make up for the lack of rain all summer. I’m not complaining though. My gardens really need a good soaking rain like we’ve been getting, and I really can’t say I miss those hot, humid days! I would like a few crisp, sunny days to get some of my late-season garden chores done, however.
~Jennifer
In this issue:
Vegetables & Herbs
- If you still have plants in your vegetable garden, keep fleece row covers handy.
- Harvest the last of your warm-weather produce early in the month.
- Plant garlic! Our garlic just arrived, and it looks great.
- Once your plants have stopped producing, clean out the garden.
- After you’ve cleaned out your garden, don’t forget to clean your tools before putting them away.
Flowers
- Divide and transplant your perennials.
- Make sure your plants go into winter with a good layer of mulch over their roots.
- Keep watering up until the ground freezes, as a lack of water causes stress to the plants, making it harder for your plants to make it through the winter.
- If you haven’t already, it’s time to dig up your dahlias, cannas, caladium, and glads.
- Ornamental grasses and perennials – I like to leave my ornamental grasses and other perennials up for the winter and cut them back in early spring, while other people like to cut them back now.
- Plant spring-blooming bulbs this month. It’s best to wait until we have had at least a couple of good frosts, so wait a little longer to do this task.
- If you are considering forcing spring-blooming bulbs, you should get them now.
- If your summer-blooming container plants are starting to fade, replace them with ones to take you all the way through fall.
Trees & Shrubs
- Keep watering your trees and shrubs all the way up until the ground freezes.
- The best things to do with fallen leaves are:
- 1. Mow them up and mulch them into your lawn or
- 2. Shred them (a mower works well for this) and use them for mulching your perennials, trees, and shrubs or
- 3. Shred them and use them to create leaf mold.
Lawn
- These temps and the rain are ideal conditions for growing grass, so make sure you are keeping it mowed.
- Mid-October is a good time to give your lawn one last application of fertilizer to help it be at its healthiest going into winter.
Birds
- If you are putting in new plants this fall and you also like to watch birds, consider plants that will attract more birds and more varieties of birds.
- Don’t put your hummingbird feeders or birdbaths away yet. As long as we aren’t getting freezing temperatures, both your hummer feeders and birdbaths can still be useful to the birds.
- One of my favorite bird-watching activities at the time of year is visiting the local sanctuaries to see the Sandhill Cranes.
Store News & Specials
- All Halloween on sale all month- 10% off
- 11th Annual Wine, Women & Shopping- Saturday, November 12, 2016
10:00 am to 6:00 pm. - $10 off $50 coupon.
Read the October 2016 issue of Let’s Get Gardening
Remember to regularly visit The Garden Mill’s website and follow us on Facebook (fb.com/TheGardenMillChelsea) for our latest gardening and birding tips, as well as seasonal specials and fun stuff going on at the store.