September’s Garden Notes

• Stop pruning and fertilizing shrubs, so that new growth develops.

• Bring the house plants that have been on vacation outside inside while the windows are still open. Be sure to check the plants for insects.

• Start fall clean-up in the flower beds by cutting any diseased branches or plant parts, and placing them in a bag and putting them in the garbage, not in the compost pile. Leave the large seed heads of the sunflowers, coneflowers, and Black-eyed Susans for the winter birds.

• Start winterizing the water garden

• Turn the compost pile

• Dig and store tender bulbs like dahlias and cannas

• Harvest the green tomatoes just before frost, wrap them in newspaper, and place them in a cool dark place to ripen

• Clean up fallen fruit from the fruit tree to prevent rodents from moving in to feed, and disease from spreading

• Don’t forget that all important “Soil Test,” if you have not had one in 3-4 years. Many plant problems come from soil deficiencies.

• Leave hummingbird feeders out until October. Those little fellows are still migrating through the county

• Check on the cool weather crop seedlings. Things like spinach, peas, kale, turnips should be up.

• Continue to divide and plant perennials such as daylilies, liriope, and echinacea

See! There is still a lot going on in the garden, and a lot for the gardener to do before the October 15th first frost date for Frederick County. I hope the gardens have been bountiful and beautiful this year, making you eager to start again in the spring. Experience is a great teacher, and the new gardening lessons you learned this year will lead to greater success next year.

FCFCDB

Nature note for 9/23/22