For the avid gardener September can be a very busy month. This is when harvest is underway,
as such your home will benefit from the hard work you’ve put in. But there are many things
you can do to keep your garden viable and healthy after the harvest.
1. General Garden Clean Up: Reduce the negative impact of bugs and blights on your garden. Take the time to pick up any rotting fruit, dead vines or diseased leaves. Don’t give insects a nice warm home over the winter, clean up that rotting debris now to head off issues next spring.
2. Improving The Soil Quality: A better growing medium will result in a better garden – September is the ideal time to make sure your soil is the best it can be. Once you’ve completed your clean up, spread your accumulated compost or rotted manure (two to three inches deep) over the surface of your garden. Turn it in, either manually or with a rototiller, to ensure it has a chance to mingle with the soil you presently have, adding to its richness.
3. Planting Flowering Bulbs for Spring: September is also a good time to plant hardy springtime flowering bulbs. Early blooming flowers, such as daffodils, crocus, hyacinths and even tulips can be planted now to provide that welcome burst of colour once the snows of winter finally melt. It’s even an easy job, dig a hole, drop in your bulb
and cover with soil. Mother Nature will take care of the rest. Every region of the country is different, so take time to research a plan so that you can do what works best for you. Efforts made now will have lasting benefits in the coming months.