SIR’s BRANCH #1 GARDENING GROUP

SEPTEMBER IN YOUR GARDEN 8/24/07-revised 8/29/07

September is probably only second to April as the busiest time of the year

Table of Contents-note comments at the end

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1 1 BUY YOUR BULBS as soon as they are available, and where

1 2 WHEN AND WHERE TO PLANT YOUR BULBS: November, and some suggestions

on where, and those bulbs that needed ‘chilling’

1 3 BULBS TO CHOOSE FROM: how to select and handle them, when to plant them

and what to do

1 4 POTTED BULBS (daffodils, hyacinths and tulip-plant for a mass effect):

1 5 BEARDED IRIS: time to plant, or lift, trim, and replant

2 6 SOIL PREPARATION BEFORE PLANTING: a plant’s need for oxygen, water and

fertilizer; soils complexity, and the importance of understanding Cation

Exchange and the part it plays in making K (potassium) available to plant roots,

and why K and P are relatively non-mobile.

2 7 LATE SUMMER-FALL COLOR: What to plant

2 8 COOL SEASON FLOWERS: what and when to plant

3 9 PLANT PERENNIALS. A. Fall-bloomers, B. When the weather cools, C. For

Shade, D. For sun, E. Sow seed, F. Plant sweet peas

3 10 SET OUT PERMANENT PLANTS-perennials

3 11 PLANT or SOW Fall and Winter Blooming Annuals

3 12 SUMMER BLOOMERS

4 13 CUT FLOWERS FOR WINTER & SPRING.

4 14 INSTANT FALL COLOR

4 15 PERENNIAL BORDERS: A. Most affordable when planted from 6-packs, B. What

to plant C. Spring and summer blooming perennials- D. Plants to divide

E. Ground covers

4 16 TREES for fall foliage color can be planted now; best local source for Japanese

maples; explanation for ‘fall colors’; benefits of fall planted trees

4 17 SHRUBS to plant

4 18 VEGETABLES to plant

4 19 WILDFLOWERS

5 20 REPLANT FLOWER POTS containing annuals; don’t confuse ‘potting mix’ with

‘planting mix; a large variety of new ‘potting mixes’ with many new claims; where

to use planting mixes.

5 21 MAINTENANCE

5 22 DIG-UP- A. gladiolus-some choices to dig or not dig; B. tuberous begonias, dig

up and avoid water molds; C. Dahlias-if you choose dig them up, how to handle

5 23 CLEANING BULBS TO BE STORED

5 24 DIVIDE PERENNIALS: criteria for dividing

5 25 FERTILIZE actively growing plants with a fertilizer containing N, particularly

winter annuals while it is still warm; change to a low N fertilizer to ‘harden off’

plants for winter, but also to improve bud set and enhance flower development. .

5 26 RECOMMENDATIONS BY PLANTS

5 27 Azaleas, camellias & rhododendrons

5 28 IRRIGATION

6 29 PRUNE. cane berries; dahlias if you don’t plan to dig them up.

6 30 PLANT LAWNS toward the end of the month; soil preparation; select seed; direct

seed or sod?

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5 31 LAWNS-Perforate and dethatch: this should be a must at this time every year;

over-seed now if needed.

6 32 NEWER PESTICIDES

6 33 BAYER ADVANCED GARDEN PRODUCTS, what they control,

2-in-1 Systemic Rose & Flower Care, and lists what it controls.

All-in-One Rose & Flower Care contains both a systemic insecticide and a

systemic fungicide, and lists what it controls

Tree & Shrub Insect Control contains a systemic insecticide with control up to

12 months, and lists what it controls

Disease Control for Roses, Flowers & Shrubs contains a systemic fungicide and

lists what it controls

7 34 PEST & DISEASE CONTROL: A. Tobacco budworms-use Bt-Bacillus

thuringiensis B. Thrips-try Tree & Shrub Insect Control C. Spider mites

-try 2-in-1 Systemic Rose & Flower Care, D. Snails & Slugs use baits

E. Earwigs use baits F. Codling moth F. Fire-blight of pears

8 35 HARVESTING FRUIT: apples and pears, techniques used.

8 36 DEBRIS CLEAN UP:

8 37 CUTTINGS: now is the time to start cuttings of geraniums and other frost

sensitive plants, that you might loose if you had a ‘killing frost’.

Periodically I will call to your attention something from refereed books or journals that I feel will help you become a Master Gardener, or at least a convert from a Brown Thumber to a Green Thumber. As such I would suggest that you study the section on page 2 #6 on cation exchange. For me it put a lot of pieces together of things I knew, and made it very meaningful

Today most readers have more to read than they have time to read and a table of contents allows them to select only things that interest them. I would suggest that you do the same with each the ‘table of contents’ for each Month in Your Garden. I would suggest that you highlight those things of interest and things you would like to do in your own garden or with your houseplants. Also, I would suggest you file these in a 3-ring binder for reference. You might also include a sheet for each month where you can write your own notes of things quite pertinent as ongoing references of what you planted, the variety, the nursery grower, and your gardening needs. You might start a garden diary to include in your notebook, and after you have included an entire year in your notebook, you will have a rather complete garden book of your own. Also, to make the Months in Your Garden even better I would like to incorporate some of your gardening experiences in a special section of Notes from our Garden Group’s gardeners, as well as those from others that receive this monthly. To do this, I would like you to send me your experiences by E-mail, whenever you have time.