September Gardening Tips

by Stephen Gent, Owner
McDade's Nursery
Stephen has 14+ years of experience in horticulture as Publisher and Marketing Director for Nursery Management and Production, Greenhouse Management and Production and Garden Center magazine. An avid gardener with a lifelong passion for plants, he enjoys sharing his knowledge and experience with customers.

September is a month of transition in the garden. The long hot days of summer give way to cooler temperatures and the opportunity to prepare your landscape for Fall. Here are some important tips for homeowners and gardeners in and around the Cedar Creek Lake area.

Early September is a good time to fertilize your lawn for Fall and Winter. This year especially, with the record breaking temperatures, lawns need extra care and attention. Use a slow-release fertilizer with a 16-4-12 formulation for turf and soil types in our area. We highly recommend the McDade's blended fertilizer that is specially formulated for Cedar Creek Lake lawns. For best results, remember to water deeply after applying.

If you want a weed-free lawn during Winter and Spring use a pre-emergent in September. Pre-emergents work by stopping weed seeds from germinating, so applying at the right time is important. After we receive a heavy rainfall, weeds will sprout and grow aggressively. If you are interested in organically treating your lawn, Corn Gluten can be used as an effective organic pre-emergent.

If your St. Augustine grass has dead patches due to lack of watering, chinch bugs or fungus, now is the time to replace with new sod. If you have Bermuda grass, it's best to lay down new seed before mid-September.

Fall is the best time of year to plant, especially larger trees and shrubs. Planting now allows the root systems to get established during the winter months. When Spring arrives the plant is acclimatized to its new environment and is ready to put out strong leaves, new top growth and lots of flowers. An important lesson we have learned from this year is a tree or shrub planted during the Fall has a higher chance of surviving the summer heat.

Mid to late September is the best time to start planting Fall color. As cooler type plants become available from growers, look to plant snapdragons, kale, cabbage, chrysanthemums, dianthus, pansies, violas and dusty miller into your yard. Chrysanthemums are perennials and can add wonderful color to the garden, patio or porch blooming up to three times in a year.

Remember, vegetables are not just for Spring and Summer. Beans, beets, broccoli, cabbage, winter squash, peas, Swiss chard, lettuce, turnips, onions, and carrots are all crops that do well this time of year. Vegetables can be planted from seed or transplanted.
Happy Gardening.

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