September

Garden Tasks for September

• Divide herbaceous perennials.

• Plant spring-flowering bulbs.

• Keep rhododendrons and camellias well watered so that next year's flower buds develop.

• Harvest sweetcorn. When it's ripe, pinching a kernel will release milky sap. If the sap is watery, leave a little longer to ripen.  Don't over ripen as sugars will turn to starch.

• Pinch out the tips of cordon tomato plants so they put energy into ripening fruit and not leaf growth.

• Remove any leaves shading the fruits of pumpkins and winter squash to help the sun ripen them.  Lift the fruits onto a slab or board to reduce rotting.

• Cut bean and pea plants down when they have finished cropping, but leave the roots alone as the underground nodules contain nitrogen which will fertilise the soil.

• Pot up strawberry runners to make new plants for next year.

• Pick apples and pears. Test by gently twisting the fruit which should come away easily.  Remove any rotting fruit to stop decay from spreading.

• Bring any houseplants that have been outside over the summer indoors.

• Pull netting over ponds to reduce autumn leaves in the water.