Early September
·
Lawn Care
o Provide 1 inch of water per week. Adjust
the amount of water based upon rainfall and
temperatures. Water more often in very hot
weather and less frequently in cooler
temperatures.
o Early to mid-September is one of the
best times to plant grass seed. The warm soil
speeds up germination while the cooler air
temperatures aid in growth and development.
o Incorporate fertilizer in the soil prior
to seeding or sodding a new lawn.
o Now is a good time to correct poor
quality lawns that have compacted soils and
thatch problems.
o Keep mowing high.
o Fertilize to help your lawn recover from
the stresses of summer.
o Fall is the best time to control
perennial weeds, such as dandelion and plantain,
as the chemicals are usually more effective and
the actively growing grass will quickly fill in
the empty spaces.
o Complete all grub treatments by
September 15th; only treat lawns that
have been diagnosed with a problem that needs
control.
o Watch for leaf spot, mildew, and rust
caused by cool, wet fall weather.
·
Plantings
o Take pictures and record successes,
challenges and new ideas from your garden. This
will make winter planning easier.
o Plant exciting fall blooming plants such
as pansies, ornamental kale, mustard, mums, and
more to extend your garden enjoyment after
frost.
·
Sub-Zero™ pansies bloom in fall, survive the
winter, and bloom again in spring. Plant them
around tulips, daffodils, and hyacinths for a
colorful spring addition.
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·
Apply frost protection in late afternoon when
the danger of frost is forecast. Remove the
protection in the morning once the temperature
is warm. Re-cover plants each night there is a
danger of frost
Move containers into the house, porch,
or garage when there is a danger of frost. Move
them back outdoors during the day or when warmer
weather returns.
o Move hibiscus,
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and other tropical plants
to their indoor locations. These plants need
bright light for the winter. Place them in a
south facing window or under artificial lighting
for best results. Quarantine for a few weeks and
monitor for insects.
o Check soil moisture before watering
flower gardens. Only water when the top few
inches of soil begin to dry. Continue to water
thoroughly, but less frequently as cooler fall
temperatures and rain showers will help with
this job.
o Powdery mildew peaks in fall. Make a
note to replace the susceptible plants or use
slightly shorter plants in front to mask the
discolored foliage.
o Dig, divide, and transplant bearded
iris.
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o Leave Siberian iris leaves and seed pods
intact for fall and winter interest.
o Divide spring and early summer flowering
perennials.
o Take cuttings of browallia, coleus,
fuchsia, geraniums, impatiens, wax begonias, and
annual vinca you plan to overwinter indoors
before frost hits.
o Move caladium, calla lilies, dahlias,
and tuberous begonias indoors to be grown for
the winter before the first killing frost. Care
for them as you would your houseplants.
o Now is the time to dig, cure, and store
tender bulbs such as tuberous begonias,
caladiums, calla lilies, canna and dahlia
indoors for the winter.
·
When gladiolus foliage has browned, dig up corms
and dry in the sun for a few days before storing
in the basement.
·
Thrips overwinter on the corms of gladiolus.
Discard the thrip-infested corms or treat with
an insecticidal dust before storing.
o Fall clean-up improves the health and
appearance of your summer blooming bulbs.
Remove and discard foliage.
o Plant autumn crocus. These bulbs sprout
leaves in the spring, the leaves fade, and pink
or white leafless flowers appear in the fall.
o Move tropical vines indoors for winter
as the temperatures cool, but before the first
killing frost.
o Prune your tropical vines back just
enough to make them manageable for their indoor
home. Isolate these plants for several weeks
and monitor for insects.
o Plant sweet autumn clematis – this white
flowering vine blooms in the fall and has a
sweet fragrance.
.
o Keep adding perennials to your garden
and landscape. The warm soil and cooler air
temperatures are great for planting and
establishing new perennials.
o Roses: Avoid late-season fertilization
and pruning that stimulates growth. Limit
pruning to dead, diseased, and damaged canes.
o Start acclimating miniature roses and
tree roses to lower light levels if you plan on
bringing them indoors for the winter.
o Continue planting balled-and-burlapped
and container-grown shrubs.
o If your landscape suffered severe
feeding damage from Japanese beetles, some
borers, and other pests, check out soil applied
insecticides; use one labeled for these pests in
fall for control next season.
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Fall clean-up begins – rake and destroy
disease infested leaves to reduce the source of
infection next season.
o Established plants benefit from
supplemental watering during a dry fall. Check
the soil and water thoroughly when the top 4 to
6 inches are dry.
o Trees: Check tree trunks for gypsy moth
egg masses. The eggs are covered with a yellow
hairy substance; remove and destroy any egg
masses found.
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o Trees: Fall applications of soil
systemic insecticides can be made for spruce
galls, birch leaf miners, Japanese beetles,
gypsy moths, plantbugs, and several other pests.
o Trees: As the leaves fall, it is a good
time to start pruning. The bare trees make it
easy to see the plant’s structure and determine
which branches stay and which ones go.
·
Gardening
o Harvest pears when they are still light
green in color.
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For indoor kitchen gardens, pot up
chives and parsley. Take cuttings of oregano,
rosemary, sage, marjoram, mints, and winter
savory for your indoor winter herb garden.
o Use a knife or pruning shears to harvest
eggplants when the fruits are 6 to 8 inches long
and glossy.
o Pick musk melons when the fruit stem
starts to separate from the fruit. Wait for the
crack to appear all around the stem for a fully
ripe, great tasting melon.
o Harvest watermelons when the fruits are
full sized, dull colored, and the portion
touching the ground changes from white to
cream. Also, the tendrils nearest the fruit
will curl and dry when the fruit is ripe..jpg)
o Continue harvesting tomatoes, peppers,
and squash.
o Make one fall harvest of rhubarb before
the first killing frost. Cut the rest of the
stalks back after a hard freeze.
o Continue watering the garden as needed.
Check container vegetable gardens every day and
water whenever the top 2 to 3 inches of soil are
dry.
o Leave ferny asparagus leaves and stems
standing for the winter to help capture snow
that will insulate the roots for winter.
o Prune out the stem tips on tomatoes,
squash, and melons early this month to allow the
plant to use its energy on ripening the existing
fruits rather than producing more fruits that
will not have time to mature.
Mid-September
·
Lawn Care
o Provide 1 inch of water per week. Adjust
the amount of water based upon rainfall and
temperatures. Water more often in very hot
weather and less frequently in cooler
temperatures.
o Early to mid-September is one of the
best times to plant grass seed. The warm soil
speeds up germination while the cooler air
temperatures aid in growth and development.
o It is still a good time to lay sod as
the good growing conditions speed up the root
development of newly laid sod.
o Control violets in the lawn with a
broadleaf weed killer for difficult weeds; apply
first in mid-September. Repeat in late October
if weeds are still present. (wait to treat
creeping charlie)
·
Plantings
o Transplant peonies now until after the
tops are killed by frost although peonies rarely
need transplanted.
o Prevent Iris borer by removing old iris
leaves and debris.
o Water the garden and landscape as
needed. As the temperatures cool, you will need
to water less frequently.
o Continue weeding all gardens. Removing
weeds now reduces the amount of weeds you will
have to pull next year.
o Stop deadheading plants you want to
develop seedpods for winter interest, such as
fall-blooming rudbeckias, echinaceas
(coneflowers), astilbes, and sedums.
o Cut back summer blooming perennials that
have faded to improve their appearance and open
up space for the fall flower display.
o Established plants benefit from
supplemental watering during a dry fall. Check
the soil and water thoroughly when the top 4 to
6 inches are dry.
o Fall leaves: shred with your mower and
leave on the lawn or rake, shred, and dig them
into vegetable and annual flower beds. Or rake,
shred with the mower and pile them in a compost
pile.
o Check your trees for signs of nutrient
deficiencies such as poor growth and off-color
leaves; this may indicate the need to
fertilize.
·
Gardening
o Protect tomatoes during first frosts for
extended harvests.
Late September
·
Lawn Care
o Provide 1 inch of water per week. Adjust
the amount of water based upon rainfall and
temperatures. Water more often in very hot
weather and less frequently in cooler
temperatures.
·
Plantings
o Plant tulip bulbs outdoors in the
northern part of Wisconsin (early October in the
southern part of Wisconsin). Select healthy
bulbs with a strong growing tip that are
full-size, firm, and free from signs of insects
and disease.
o It is still a good time to plant
deciduous trees and shrubs right up to the first
hard frosts. Water well and mulch after
planting.
o Remove diseased and insect-infested
plant material during fall clean-up to reduce
the potential for problems next season.
o .jpg)
Watch for squirrels digging in the
garden as they love to store their nuts in
gardens where the soil is disturbed and digging
is easy. Tolerate them or use repellants to
deter them.
o Established plants benefit from
supplemental watering during a dry fall. Check
the soil and water thoroughly when the top 4 to
6 inches are dry.
·
Gardening
o Protect tomatoes during first frosts for
extended harvests.
o Cut out old fruiting canes from
raspberries and remove any diseased canes.
NOW GO OUT AND ENJOY
THE END OF SUMMER SEASON
MUCH SUCCESS TO YOU ALL!!!
Sources:
Minnich, Jerry. The Wisconsin
Garden Guide – The Complete Guide to Vegetables,
Flowers, Herbs, Fruit, & Nuts, Lawn &
Landscaping, Indoor Gardening. 3rd ed.
Madison: Prairie Oak, 1995. Print.
Myers, Melinda. Month by Month
Gardening in Wisconsin: What to Do Each Month to
Have a Beautiful Garden All Year. Franklin:
Cool Springs, 2006. Print.
