Things to do in September

Refresh Container Gardens: Fall is in the air. Refresh container gardens with snapdragons, dianthus, mums, petunias, crotons & more.

Watering: Maintain watering on newly planted seeds and transplants. On St. Augustine and other lawns, water well but less often. With shorter days and cooler nights – begin to reduce the amount of water applied as needed. Avoid watering in the evenings if possible to prevent fungal diseases.

Hummingbirds: Migrating hummingbirds can be found at your feeders and natural nectar sources. Keeping feeders clean, filled, and in a shady area will encourage visitors.

Recipe for Nectar: Bring 4 cups of water to a boil, add 1 cup of granulated sugar, stir until dissolved. Allow to cool, fill feeders. Keep excess sealed in refrigerator.

Natural nectar sources for hummingbirds: Turk’s cap, hamelia, shrimp plant, firespike, salvia, lobelia(cardinal flower), Mexican oregano, pride of Barbados, anisacanthus, and cigar plants. These are all hummer magnets.

Vegetable Transplants: Get your transplants in your fall vegetable garden. Early September is your last chance to get tomatoes and peppers in the ground. Cool-season vegetables such as cauliflower, broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage, kale, mustard, and kohlrabi can be planted September through January. Plant sugar snap pea seeds.

Mulch, Mulch, Mulch: Mulching keeps plant roots cooler and weed seeds at bay. Apply 3” deep around trees and shrubs. Add compost around annuals, herbs, and vegetables. Do not mound mulch against the base of a plant.

Pests: Blast off sucking insects (aphids, mealybugs, etc) with water and/or spray with insecticidal soap. BT will get rid of cabbage loopers. Insects such as chinch bugs and fungal diseases (grey leaf spot) are two things to watch out for. Organic treatment products can be found in our plant care shed.