You might think of spring as the ultimate gardening month – all that fresh greenery sprouting through, nature waking up after a long winter and the promise of warmer weather on the horizon. But actually, when it comes to tending to your garden, harvesting crops and sowing seeds – autumn is where it’s at.
There are lots of garden jobs in September, not only to make the most of the last of the warm weather but to prepare your plants for the first frost and make sure they’re protected over the colder months.
Here’s our guide to what to do in the garden in September – read on for more!
Gardening in September
Tackling your garden after a long, hot summer might feel like a mammoth task… especially if you’ve been a bit lax on the weeding front. But September is the month of fresh starts – it’s all about going back to basics and planning for the year ahead.
If you have an ornamental garden that’s more about flowers than crops, your September gardening jobs should focus on choosing bulbs for your spring florals and keeping up watering your existing plants.
For those with crops as well as plants and flowers, here are some more hardy jobs to get stuck into this September.
1. Clear the dirt and debris
Clearing your garden of weeds, dirt, debris and stray summer bouncy balls is the first job for September. Start at one corner of your garden and work your way methodically up and down, pulling up weeds by their roots, deadheading your flowers and trimming back any over-enthusiastic bushes.
2. Sweep up leaves
Leaves that are left in deep piles on your garden will kill the grass beneath and leave it patchy. Leaves in amongst your plants can attract slugs, and any wet weather will leave them slippery and dangerous. Sweep them up and compost them or leave them in an out-of-the-way corner for wildlife to burrow into.
3. Divide perennials
September is also a great time to divide your perennials – plants that flower in summer won’t be in active growth come autumn. Lift the plant from under the root base using a garden fork, shake off excess soil and carefully break into two parts. Replant both separately to reinvigorate growth and add to your garden.
4. Cover your crops
to protect them from hungry birds and biting frost is a key job for the September gardener. Pigeons in particular love to target leafy crops – they feast on a wide range of plants but seem to favour broccoli, sprouts, cabbages and cauliflower as well as cherries and peas.
To keep birds at bay, stretch netting across your crops and check it regularly to ensure it’s taught and free from holes. You might also want to dig up any remaining potatoes before slugs move in.
5. Gather seeds
Just like fruit and veg, you can harvest seeds during September too. When you spot a plant that’s gone to seed, collect the seeds in a freezer bag or envelope and leave them out on newspaper for a few days until they’re completely dry. Then label them and store until they’re ready to be sown in spring.
6. Protect any ponds
Once autumn really gets going, leaves will be falling across your garden. If you have a pond, make sure to cover it with netting to stop leaves falling into the water.
7. Add mulch to your borders
Once you’ve tidied up your plants and flowers, spreading a thick layer of mulch or compost will help the soil retain moisture and stops weeds from growing.
8. Plant flowers in containers
Violas, pansies and chrysanthemums will add much-needed colour to your garden during the autumn months, so start planting them in September. Using containers means they’re not in the cold ground, plus you can move them around to sunnier spots and even bring them inside if needed.
Hanging planters are a good idea, and we love this rustic oval planter too.
9. Raise your beds
If you have flower beds around your garden, consider creating some raised beds to protect them from winter frosts and hungry wildlife. If you have a greenhouse, look at adding some raised planters like a freestanding metal planter to house less-hardy flowers and plants.
10. Clean out greenhouses, gutters and water butts
Creating a clean environment will help support your garden through the colder months, so make sure to brush away debris, clean glass panels to let maximum light through and skim off any algae from water sources.
11. Cut your grass – but not too short
Giving your lawn some TLC is a top September gardening job, as soon the weather will be too wet for mowing. But don’t give it a super close crop in the hopes it won’t grow back too high over winter, as this can damage the health of your grass. Instead, put your mower on a higher setting and keep the grass longer through the season, so it’s lush and thick come spring.
12. Pick your end of summer harvest
Enjoying a bountiful harvest is one of the most joyful parts of gardening, and September is when you really reap the rewards of your planting.
Summer crops like tomatoes, courgettes, cucumbers and runner beans will still be growing in September, so make the most of those by harvesting before it becomes cold.
13. Enjoy the autumn bounty
Autumn crops like apples, pears, squash and leeks will be almost ready, so keep checking on those. And September brings all the berries – raspberries, blackberries and blueberries as well as plums, damsons and figs.
14. Plant for winter growth
There are plenty of things you can plant in September to grow over winter or to nestle down until next summer. Strawberry beds, for example, can be planted in September.
On the veg front, there are lots to choose from – onions, turnips, spinach and winter lettuce to name a few. If you have spring cabbages that were sown in August, these can be planted out in September.
15. Prep for Christmas
It’s not only outdoor garden jobs that you can get started this September – if you want to grow festive florals like hyacinths, poinsettia and narcissi, it’s time to get those bulbs into an indoor container and watch them blossom just in time for Christmas.
16. Protect your garden furniture
Hopefully we’ll have a few more weeks of sun to enjoy in September, but towards the end of the month there will be minimal chances to sit out in the garden, so it’s a good idea to pack away your furniture.
If you have space to store things inside a shed or garage, give everything a clean first and then move inside. If not, a chair cover, or parasol protector will keep off the rain and stop mould and rot forming.
17. Plant spring bulbs
A late autumn job is planting spring bulbs – tulips, daffodils, pansies, bluebells and snowdrops can all be planted between September and December, but it’s best to wait for the soil to cool before you do so.
Autumn jobs in the garden
As September rolls on, you might want to start thinking about other autumn jobs that can be done as the weather starts to turn – like protecting your plants with insulation, supporting any weaker plants with stakes or bringing smaller plants inside to see out the winter in the warmth.
A final job is to cut back your perennials to soil level so they’re ready to grow back out as the season ticks over.
Garden jobs in September to avoid
There’s plenty to keep you busy in the garden in September, but one thing to avoid is over-pruning and overworking. Particularly with soil, if you dig it too much you’ll remove the protective layer of mulch that’s gathered over the summer. This mulch keeps nutrients in the soil even when there’s frost around, so it’s important not to move your soil around too much at the start of autumn. Similarly, don’t deadhead all your flowers – leave some to go to seed, so birds will have a source of food during the colder months.
Now you’ve got a list of jobs for your garden this September, it’s time to get out there and enjoy it! And if you’re hosting any end-of-summer or early autumn garden parties, here are five ideas to get your garden looking party ready.
