Hi Gardeners!  Here’s my list of “To Dos” for September

Although this list pertains primarily to my garden climate (Intermountain West, USDA Zone 6A/6B and Sunset 2B/3A) it may offer some good tips or reminders to gardeners in any zone.

-WATER FOR TREES, NOT TURF

To keep trees planted in heavy clay soil at optimal health, water deeply once a week or so.  If watering manually, set up a small amount of flow that can slowly soak into the tree’s feeder roots which are around the branch line or drip line of the tree.  If using automatic sprinklers, set your sprinklers to run 2-3 times a day once a week to get the water to soak deep into the root system

-FERTILIZE  ALL CONTAINER PLANTINGS WITH FISH EMULSION AT BEGINNING OF MONTH

-CUT BACK ON WATER FOR TOMATOES TO ENCOURAGE FRUIT TO RIPEN

If you have lots of green tomatoes but no signs of ripening now is the time to help the plant put its energy into ripening existing fruit

-PLANT COOL, SHORT SEASON VEGETABLES S FROM SEED FOR A FALL CROP

-SURVEY GARDEN FOR SPACES THAT MAY NEED TO BE REFRESHED OR REFORMED

Fall is a great time to plant most perennials, shrubs and trees and nurseries will begin discounting all inventory this month.  Look at your garden with a critical eye for areas you may want to change 

-EVALUATE NEED FOR ADDITIONAL SHADE OR FOCAL POINTS

The best time to plant trees is in the fall and trees sales will start towards the end of the month

-PERUSE BULB CATALOGS AND MAKE OUT SPRING BULB ORDER

-SPREAD MULCH FOR COOLNESS AND WARMTH

It is a great time of year to spread mulch to help plantings stay cool during the hottest days of summer and to protect them against the winter cold that will be arriving in a few months.  Mulch is your friend.

-DO NOT FERTILIZE ROSES AFTER MIDDLE OF THE MONTH

Stop fertilizing roses about six weeks before dormancy or first frosts. If your roses are growing, blooming and in full production of new growth when the frosts hit, your roses can be badly damaged or set back.

-HARVEST, HARVEST, HARVEST WARM SEASON CROPS

Have questions about the “August garden”? Please ask here.  This new page is to be used as a place my readers can ask specific questions about what is going on in their garden each month and myself and others can provide comment that may be helpful.

Note: Please understand I am not a trained horticulturist or “professional master gardener”.  Any advice I offer is meant to be a suggestion that may help.  I do have years of “hands-on” experience but do not pre-tend to compete with professionals.