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Gardening Calendar
We have had a season of extremes. From bitterly cold this
winter, then a cooler than normal spring and then we basically went from winter
to summer overnight. It is surprising that our plants have done as well as
they have. How well you have kept up with their water needs also has a big role
in how well they are doing right now.
You can tell who has and hasn’t been watering by the color
of the lawn. If it is brown, it needs a drink. This is the last month to
fertilize warm season grasses, and we would prefer you do so by mid month. Skip
the application if your lawn is overly drought stressed. If you have a green
vigorous lawn, make sure you water well before fertilizing and then water it in
lightly after fertilizing. Keep up with mowing needs and try to never remove
more than 1/3 of the leaf blade at a time. Summer weeds are beginning to set
seeds and play out. It is too late to seed new warm season lawns, but you can
still sod if you need to. Seeding of tall fescue in shady areas can begin late
this month.
If your summer annuals have seen better days, you can
replace them, but use plants that can take the heat. We still have at least two
months of warm weather, and September is often pretty darn hot. You may see
ornamental peppers now with great fall colors, zinnias and even lantana can
still be planted. Garden mums are hitting the market, and many gardeners treat
them as annuals, rounding out their fall color palette. When purchasing them
for seasonal color, look for plants that are showing color but not totally
open. Keep them watered and they can last for a month or more. Hold off on
planting pansies until late in the month or October, as they stretch and get
leggy if exposed to hot weather. Violas are more forgiving and you can begin to
plant flowering kale, cabbage and purple mustard. You might also find dusty
miller, dianthus, snapdragons and diascia on the market now for fall and winter
color. If your summer annuals still are blooming well, continue with regular
applications of fertilizer and water. Deadhead if needed and pinch back plants
that have gotten leggy. They still have plenty of bloom time if they are
healthy and happy.
Fall blooming perennials are a great way to add some zest
into the fall landscape. Plants that are blooming now or will be soon include
goldenrod, Japanese anemones, toad lilies, Joe pye weed, and autumn sedums.
Grasses are setting their plumage and most of the salvias are in full bloom
now. Salvias include a huge range of sizes and flower colors from 10 inch tall
plants up to 6 foot tall or more. Flower color can range from shades of purple
and pink to sky blue, red and white. Sawtooth sunflowers are large plants and
can get a bit weedy, but give you a huge display of yellow blooms. Fall asters,
sneezeweed and other natives are also adding to the show. Spring is not the
only season we have for flowers. Long season bloomers like echinacea,
rudbeckia and gaillardia are all blooming still. Begin to collect seeds to
plant in October.
Many vegetable gardens went from feast to famine seemingly
overnight. You can still plant cool season vegetables such as lettuce,
radishes, greens and spinach now. Consider edible landscaping and intersperse
these plants in with your flowers. The leafy greens don’t need as much sunlight
as those that produce a fruit. Harvesting edible portions and enjoying their
foliage serves dual roles in the landscape. Just use caution about using any
pesticides in mixed gardens. If you have thrown in the towel and you are truly
done with the vegetable garden, practice good sanitation now. Remove spent
foliage and plants. It can be added to a compost pile if it did not suffer from
insects and diseases. Till the soil and consider planting a cover crop or
applying a nice layer of mulch. Leaving exposed, bare soil will lead to weed
problems.
This is the end of the growing season for most shrubs.
Spring blooming plants have set flower buds or are still doing so. Look closely
at your camellias and azaleas and you will likely see the flower buds. The only
care these plants need now is water. Fertilization and pruning tasks are long
over. We don’t want to cut or encourage new growth this late in the season.
Summer flowering shrubs are still blooming. If you deadhead (cut off the spent
flowers) of your butterfly bush (buddleia), summer spireas, and crape myrtles
you will see more flowers still. Trees need water just like any other plant.
If yours have been severely stressed, they may be shutting down early, dropping
leaves. This is a self-preservation process. As long as the leaves are
falling, don’t be overly concerned. If they are dying , drying and curling on
the tree, that is not as encouraging.
Don’t forget about those container plants. Water and
fertilizer is still important. You can do some deadheading or cleanup and even
replant if need be. Summer tropical’s should continue to bloom provided they
have ample sunlight and care. Any plants you plan to carry over indoors should
be looked at late in the month. Moving inside should begin by mid October.
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