September

 

September Gardening with Big Jims

 

 

Have a Spring Fling with your garden as it blooms into life!

 

The Edible Garden

 

With the temperatures warming up now is the perfect time to complete preparation of the vege garden.

  • Dig soil over and break down any large clods - mix in lots of organic compost and sheep pellets
  • Seedlings of summer veges can be planted directly into the ground - lettuce, silverbeet, beetroot, cabbage, and courgette.
  • Work in a general garden fertiliser at planting time.
  • Peas can be sown direct into the garden this month
  • Sow vege seeds in seed trays and peat pots to have young plants ready to plant out in October.
  • Blueberries, Tamarillos, Avocados and other edible shrubs arrive in store as the last of the frosts vanish.
  • Make sure to put plenty of slug and snail bait around young plants
  • Fresh young herb plants can be planted now.

 

The Flower Garden

  • There is still time to plant Dahlia and Begonia tubers for mid to late summer flowering.
  • Gladioli bulbs should also be planted now
  • Keep deadheading late winter/ early spring flowering annuals such a Primulas, Pansy, Cineraria, and feed with a liquid food such as Miracle Gro. This will help prolong flowering and give you colour until summer annuals come to life.
  • Seedlings of hardy summer flowering summer annuals can be planted out in the garden - Alyssum, Lobelia, Marigold, Nemesia, and Sweet Peas.
  • Start feeding roses with Rose fertiliser - water well after feeding or feed after rain.

 

General

  • Sow new lawns this month. Good preparation is essential. Spray out any weeds with Roundup, then rake and level ground thoroughly. Remember to keep ground moist once you have sown the grass seed
  • In existing lawns spray now with Yates Prickle Weedkiller to eradicate prickles before summer.
  • Now is a good time to start cleaning up pots and hanging baskets in preparation for new planting. Throw out any old tired potting mix and start afresh for best results. Remember to add in some water storage crystals to minimise summer watering.
  • Grasses make an interesting addition to the garden. They are easy care and as they sway in the breeze they add life and movement to the garden.