Gardening Jobs for September

Top 10 gardening jobs for September

September is a wonderful time to enjoy late-season colour while preparing your garden for autumn and next spring. Here are ten jobs to tackle this month.

1. Plant spring-flowering bulbs. Plant daffodils, crocuses and alliums in borders and containers. Leave tulip planting until November.

2. Give your lawn some autumn care.Remove fallen leaves and, where needed, scarify and aerate established lawns. September is also a good time to sow lawn seed while the soil is warm and moist.

3. Plant autumn and winter colour. Refresh tired containers with violas, pansies, heathers and hardy cyclamen. Choose pots with good drainage.

4. Keep harvesting fruit and vegetables.Pick apples and pears as they ripen, harvest beans regularly and lift maincrop potatoes once ready. Store only sound, undamaged produce.

5. Plant autumn onion sets and garlic.Choose varieties suitable for autumn planting and give them a sunny spot in well-drained soil. On heavy, wet ground, use raised beds or wait until spring.

6. Divide established perennials. Lift and divide overcrowded clumps of suitable summer-flowering perennials once flowering finishes. Replant promptly and water well.

7. Collect seeds for next year. Gather ripe seeds on a dry day from favourites such as calendulas, nigella and poppies. Dry them thoroughly, then label and store somewhere cool and dry.

8. Keep late flowers blooming. Deadhead dahlias, cosmos and other repeat-flowering plants. Leave some seedheads for birds and autumn interest.

9. Get ready for cooler nights. Check greenhouse heaters and have fleece ready for tender plants. Bring tender houseplants indoors before temperatures drop, checking for pests first.

10. Make compost and support wildlife. Add healthy garden trimmings to the compost heap, mixing green material with dry, woody waste. Leave a quiet corner with stems, logs or leaves to shelter garden wildlife.