KENT GARDENER
By Maggie L. Moor
Delaware Cooperative Extension
Delaware State University
The following is the gardening calendar for September.
First Week of September:
¨ Start a compost pile using any disease-free plant material from flower and vegetable gardens (do not use weeds that have gone to seed), grass clippings, and pruned pieces from trees and shrubs (keep in mind, the smaller the piece of material, the faster the decomposition or breakdown).
¨ Have soil tested to determine the amount of lime and fertilizer required and apply to lawn area.
¨ Space strawberry runner plants about six inches apart. Pull out extra plants.
¨ Harvest vine-ripened vegetables from plants that continue to produce.
¨ Start tomato plant indoors in a peat pot. Select a short-day variety like “Pixie”. When large enough, transplant into three and one-half inch or larger pot and place in the sunniest window. Water and feed it regularly and tomatoes will be ready for Christmas dinner.
Second Week of September:
¨ Collect and dry herb blossoms, grasses, and seed pods to decorate holiday wreaths.
¨ Start cuttings from geraniums and begonias.
¨ Start new begonias by digging and dividing roots. Use a sharp knife to slice through the root system. When dividing, each division should have three or four buds (the small pinkish-colored buds at the crown of the roots). When planting new roots and buds, do not place the tops deeper than two inches below the soil surface; otherwise, the plant will produce foliage, but may seldom bloom. Provide moisture to promote new root growth.
Select and prepare site for spring flowering bulb bed.
Kent Gardener
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Third Week of
September:
¨ Plant evergreens. To transplant needle-leaf or cone-bearing evergreens, be sure plants have adequate rootballs.
¨ Clean up garden debris and add to compost pile or turn under vegetation. To improve soil structure and decrease erosion during the winter, plant a cover crop. These winter cover crops can be planted from September 1 through November 1.
¨ Bring in Thanksgiving or Christmas cactus and place on a cool porch or cool part of the house. Do not water for four weeks so that buds can set. After that time, fertilize well and resume weekly watering.
The Final Week of
September:
¨ Keep strawberry beds weed free. Every weed pulled now will make weeding much easier next spring.
¨ When planting spring bulbs, the depth of planting varies with the size of the bulb; for example, tulips are about five to six inches, four to seven inches for daffodils, three to four inches for hyacinths and one and one-half to three inches for small bulbs. A good rule of thumb when planting bulbs is to set them three times as deep as the bulbs’ greatest width.
¨ Bring poinsettia inside. It is best to repot into a similar but slightly larger container, using a regular commercial potting soil. Then, place in a warm, sunny window.
¨ Don’t wait for frost warnings to bring houseplants indoors. For many tropical houseplants, night temperatures of 50oF or lower, can cause damage. Check all houseplants for pests and diseases and repot if needed.