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September Trees Any trees that have been planted over the last two years will need careful attention during dry weather and especially if the weather is still dry. It is much better to water them thoroughly twice a week, than superficially, daily. If in doubt scrape away the top surface of the soil to see how far down the water has soaked after watering. It needs to reach right down to the roots, approximately 12.5-15cm deep (5-6 inches), to ensure that the tree can absorb the water. If you continually just wet the soil surface you will encourage roots to form higher up where they are much more susceptible to damage from extremes of temperature. Top up existing mulches around your trees. This will improve the overall appearance of the garden and reduces moisture loss through evaporation at the soil surface. It will also insulate the tree roots. Weed around young trees by hand removing any weeds that are within 60cm (2 ft) of the main trunk. Weeds will compete with your trees for precious water and nutrients and can also harbour a variety of garden pests and diseases. If you are away on holiday this month then be sure to check your trees before you leave. Make sure that they are given a thorough soaking, especially if they are relatively newly planted. September
is an excellent month to plant containerised trees. The soil will
still be warm from the summer and early autumn rain will help them
establish very quickly. If you are planning to move a tree this winter then start your preparations now. Decide where the tree will be planted and prepare the soil thoroughly. Dig the hole ready to take the root ball now and incorporate plenty of Farmyard Manure into the base and sides of the hole. Mix into this an appropriate amount of Bone Meal. To prepare the tree for moving, cut around the outside of the roots, about level with the edge of the canopy using a garden spade. This will sever some of the roots near the surface and reduce stress to the tree when you come to dig it up completely next month. Roses and Shrubs Keep a watch out for aphids and other late summer pests partial to roses. Be sure to deal with them as soon as you see any evidence of pest activity. Be particularly vigilant if you are leaving your garden for a week or two while on holiday. Just a few bugs can quickly become a heavy infestation. Choose a control that is friendly to bees, ladybirds and other beneficial insects. Organic gardeners should encourage pest predators such as birds, lacewings and ladybirds into the garden. Top up the bird food and water, and be sure to deadhead brightly flowered annuals so that they make lots of new flowers that will continue to attract a wide variety of garden insects. Prune out and remove dead rose flowers as soon as they have withered. Cut just behind the immature rose hip at the base of the flower and remove this and all the dead petals. This will prevent your roses from putting essential energy into making seed and will encourage the plants to produce more flowers. Remove any leaves showing signs of disease and either burn them or put them in the bin. Don't add them to the compost heap or you will help to spread the problem to other roses in the garden. If you have ordered bare rooted roses to plant this autumn and winter then decide where you intend to plant them and prepare the ground thoroughly. Container grown roses can be planted now. Prune late summer flowering shrubs when they have finished flowering. Some summer flowering shrubs flower on ripened stems that are 2 seasons old. By pruning out the stems that have flowered you will rejuvenate the plant, encouraging it to form new shoots and growth that will develop this season, mature early next season to flower next summer. After pruning feed and water and top up the mulch over the roots. Trim and prune overgrown conifer hedges now so that they encroach less on the garden and draw less water from the soil. Cut back Hawthorn hedges and also Lonicera hedges to keep them in trim allow them to thicken up before the onset of winter. Summer prune Wisteria to encourage the development of new flowering spurs for next year's display of flowers. Trim back all this season's new growth to leave about 6 leaves on each new stem. These can be pruned back harder over winter to encourage flowering. Feed shrubs that have already flowered such as some roses, Weigela, Potentilla and Philadelphus with Sulphate of Potash. This will toughen the plants and harden the summer's growth before the harsh winter weather, and help the plants survive extreme cold. Fruit and Vegetables Continue to harvest salad crops, carrots, radish, beetroot and other garden vegetables. Where possible remove alternate plants to leave plenty of room for the remaining plants to develop. As other crops start to mature in quick succession, keep up with the harvest. Vegetables such as peas, mangetout, runner beans and courgettes will be more productive if the crop is harvested regularly. Take cuttings of perennial herbs such as rosemary and sage. Protect young vegetable plants and fruit such as strawberries from slugs and snails. Employ your preferred method of control. Keep the vegetable patch well weeded so that the weeds do not compete with your plants for vital moisture and nutrients. Keep vegetable and fruit plants well watered while they are cropping to ensure that the crops develop and swell properly, this is particularly important for beans, potatoes, tomatoes, courgettes, marrows, melons and pumpkins. Keep the vegetable and fruit beds weed free. Weeds not only compete for any available food and water, but they also provide shelter for a number of garden pests and diseases. Dig out any perennial weeds making sure to remove all the roots, and hoe off any annual weed seedlings as they appear. Always hoe when the soil is slightly dry and on a sunny day so that the uprooted weed seedlings will quickly wither. Protect fruit bushes, especially raspberries, currants and gooseberries from bird damage. Cover with fruit netting to keep the birds off while the fruit is ripening. Use the Instant Planter to grow a winter crop of your favourite salads. Sow winter varieties of lettuce, spring onion and radish directly into the rich layer of finely balanced compost. Be prepared to protect these plantings with a cloche or horticultural fleece in the event of an early frost. Support branches laden with plums to prevent them breaking off and causing damage to the tree and loss of the crop. Finish pruning plum trees, as the silver leaf fungus to which they are susceptible is less of a problem during the summer. Keep pruning to a minimum and ensure that it is completed before the end of September. Cut off the stems of tomatoes at root level and hang the plants complete with fruit upside down in the greenhouse. This will encourage the fruit to ripen. Hang a banana skin among the stems to speed ripening. When your strawberry plants have finished fruiting, cut all the leaves off to the ground. Clear away the leaves and stems and top dress around the plants with Soil Conditioner. Keep a watch on apple trees and harvest early ripening fruit as it starts to ripen. Finish harvesting main crop potatoes as they mature. Store in a cool, dry, dark place. Finish drying onions and garlic bulbs and then hang them up in a cool, dry dark place for easy access. Keep an eye out for rots and problems and be sure to use any bulbs showing signs of damage. Remove any that are diseased and dispose of them. Keep harvesting runner beans. Choose the plants with the healthiest, tastiest pods and leave one or two still on the plants to set seed. This can be dried and used to grow a new crop next season. Protect fruit bushes from the birds using an appropriate barrier that will not trap them or other visiting wildlife. Fruit cages are a good idea for fruit bushes. Fruit trees can be protected using old net curtains or bird scaring tape that hums in the wind. Propagate Tay berries and loganberries by tip layering. Bend a healthy cane to the ground and dig a hole level with the tip. Incorporate some Multi Purpose Compost with added John Innes into the hole and bury the tip into it to a depth of about 6in (15cm). These should root easily and will be ready to cut from the main stem by mid autumn. Cut them off above a healthy bud and leave the plant to establish for 4-6 weeks. Then they can be dug up and replanted into their final positions, or potted up for friends. Plants propagated in this way should fruit after 2-3 years. Keep an eye on greenhouse grapes that may be showing signs of mildew, especially in very warm weather. Spray them with water daily if possible and if the problem is bad, prune out affected growth. Keep the air flow within and around the plant as good as possible, remove overcrowded leaves and thin heavy bunches of grapes by removing every third grape. Plant out spring cabbages now into well-prepared soil. Earth up around Brussels sprouts and firm in around the stems to give these plants better resistance to heavy wind and rain. Check the plants for signs of pests and disease and remove any affected leaves. Start to harvest plump sprouts from the base of the plant stems as they mature, moving up the stem. Bend the outer leaves over the top of developing cauliflowers to keep them white and clean. Lawns As the weather starts to cool, the grass will grow more slowly. Adjust the cutting height of your mower so that you allow the grass to grow a little longer than over the summer months. Quality lawns should be mown to about 1- 1.5cm and Utility lawns to 2-3cm high. Cut about once a week, or once a fortnight according to the conditions. Don't be tempted to use a summer feed on the lawn now; it will encourage too much soft and sappy growth that will be affected by the frost. Instead treat the lawn to Westland Autumn Lawn Feed & Moss Killer, which will deal with moss and feed the lawn in one easy application. Aerate compacted areas and apply Westland Lawn Dressing to fill in any holes, cracks and hollows. If the lawn is very mossy then either treat with Westland Autumn Lawn Feed & Moss Killer or use the dedicated Westland Moss Killer. Wait until the moss has turned black, (about 2 weeks) and remove the dead moss with a spring tine rake. Resow bare patches using Westland Lawn Repair Kit. Be sure to sweep up fallen autumn leaves and to keep the lawn free from debris. Keep a watch out for chewed lawn roots and patchy lawns that may indicate a problem with leather jackets and chafer grubs. These are underground larvae that feed on grass roots and can be controlled using naturally occurring nematodes. Autumn is a very good time to sow a new lawn from seed. The soil is still warm from the summer and the autumn rain will provide vital moisture as the new lawn develops. It is vital to prepare the soil thoroughly and to keep the developing lawn properly watered. Repair damaged or worn areas of the lawn. Large areas can be top dressed with Westland Lawn Dressing and then over sown with an appropriate lawn seed. Westland Fast Acting Lawn Seed is ideal for quick establishment or choose a lawn seed that is specially formulated to suit your garden conditions and the way you use your lawn. Keep newly sown lawns and freshly turfed areas well watered in dry spells. It is far more effective to water the lawn thoroughly once or twice a week than to wet it superficially on a daily basis. Water at dusk and really soak the area so that the water filters through to the soil around the roots, this encourages deeper roots to develop and reduces the likelihood of surface roots forming that may be susceptible to extremes of temperature. Recut the lawn edges with a half moon edging iron. Trim the lawn edges every week using lawn-edging shears to give a neat finish. Cut long grass around trees and along the base of fences and walls using a nylon line trimmer. Take care not to damage neighbouring trees, shrubs or wildlife when you are trimming grass. Beds and Borders Dead head your bedding plants and border perennials to keep them blooming. Harvest seedpods and seed heads from any valuable plants and dry in a cool dark place. Leave some seed heads such as sunflowers for the birds. Pick flowers for drying when they are at their prime and hang in bunches upside down in a warm, dry atmosphere. Pot up heather cuttings taken last month. Grow them on in small pots filled with Ericaceous Compost and place them in a sheltered spot to overwinter. Continue to protect bedding plants and perennials from slugs using your preferred method of control. Sow seeds of hardy biennials such as Wallflowers, Foxgloves and Sweet Williams. These will grow and develop to flower next year. Sow hardy annuals such as sweet peas, cornflowers, poppies and others now for an earlier crop of flowers next season. Keep on top of weeds, dig out perennial weeds removing the whole root and hoe off annual weeds from between the plants on a weekly basis. Keep an eye on any new plants in the garden and be sure to water them if the weather is dry. They need time to establish a good root system before they can fend for themselves in a dry spell. Pots and Containers Keep trimming, tidying and deadheading container-grown plants to keep them looking at their best. Keep up with feeding your plants in containers. Even though you may have used a Slow Release fertiliser you can still give plants a boost by a tonic feed of Feed-all Concentrated Plant Food. It is a liquid concentrate that can be diluted and watered onto the soil and over the foliage of your plants for fast acting results. It's the perfect choice for all garden plants and it gives fast, effective results. This formulation contains trace elements, which are important where mineral deficiencies in the soil or compost may be present. It is also high in potassium to encourage the development of strong, healthy flowers and has a generous proportion of nitrogen too, for healthy leaves. Water the plants thoroughly before applying and then apply the diluted feed via a watering can. Alternatively choose the ready to use formulation that can be watered on. You can still plant up new containers for the patio. Don't forget that all container plants are totally dependent on their immediate environment for all their basic needs. For perfect container plants you need to plant them using a quality compost that has good drainage and excellent water retention. Choose Multi-Purpose Compost with added John Innes; it holds onto precious water and nutrients for longer and promotes well-balanced plant growth. The inclusion of John Innes makes this a truly superior compost that is easier to manage and maintain because it retains water and added nutrients for longer. This compost is also much easier to rewet after drying out. Added perlite improves the texture and creates the optimum air/moisture ratio for your plants. It is also an excellent choice for tall, top-heavy containers as it adds essential weight to the base. Several plants growing in a container will quickly use up the fertiliser held in the compost, especially towards the end of the season. For the best results you need to feed them regularly throughout the growing season. Use Feed-all Slow Release Plant Food for great results. At this time of the year it releases food only when the plant needs it. Deter an invasion of vine weevils in your pots and containers by applying the nematode based biological control to all your tubs, pots and containers. This will keep the compost around your containerised plants free from these voracious pests. If it is very hot and dry keep a close eye on hanging baskets and terracotta pots. Drying winds will quickly desiccate the compost and hot weather can scorch plants that have no shade. Move exposed baskets to a more sheltered position. Make sure they are thoroughly watered. Bring them down off their brackets in the evening. Stand them on buckets and give them a really thorough soaking until the compost is saturated. Collect any run off in the buckets below and use this water for other container plants. Re-hang the baskets at night to keep them away from marauding slugs. If you haven't already done so, feed potted shrubs and perennials. Top dress the compost surface with fresh Multi-Purpose Compost with added John Innes and push Feed-all Slow Release Tablets into the compost. Water thoroughly. In hot weather your patio pots will be very demanding in terms of water. Water them at dusk, and make sure that the compost is thoroughly soaked. If the weather is intense, consider moving the planters into the shade so that the plants do not suffer. Start to plant up containers and tubs to provide colour and interest through the winter until spring. Make the most of hardy winter flowers and evergreen plants to create interesting effects. Visit the local garden centre now and buy early to get the best choice of what's on offer. Buy a variety of spring flowering bulbs and plant these into the base of winter containers so that the flowers will emerge through the foliage in spring. Choose dwarf narcissi, dwarf irises, crocus and other small and dainty bulbs for a natural effect. For stunning displays plant single varieties of tulips en masse into pots and planters. Keep them gently watered and in a sheltered position until the bulbs emerge in spring. Pots of bulbs can also be forced in the greenhouse to create earlier displays and also flowers for cutting over the winter months. Containers of plants that have finished flowering should be tipped out and dismantled. Check the compost thoroughly for the grubs of vine weevil and feed them to the birds. Seeds and Cuttings Sow hardy biennials such as Wallflowers, Foxgloves and Sweet William into small pots containing Multi-Purpose Compost with added John Innes. Keep them in a frost-free greenhouse or cold frame to germinate and grow on. Although they will not flower this year, they will produce strong healthy blooms next spring and summer. Take semi ripe cuttings from shrubs and roses. Choose stems that have started to ripen but are not woody and tough. Good plants to propagate at this time include Hebes, Rosemary, Weigela, Hydrangea, Pieris, Buddleia and Pyracantha. You can take heel cuttings by pulling short side shoots away from the main stem with a heel of bark still attached. Trim off any excess bark, pinch out the growing tip and remove the basal leaves. Push individual cuttings into Seed & Cutting Compost. Alternatively take tip cuttings by choosing healthy shoots and removing the top 15cm (6inches) of growth. Pinch out the growing tip and trim the base of the cutting immediately below a leaf joint, to leave a cutting that is about 5-8cm (2-3inches) long. Remove the bottom leaves and push the bottom of the stem into a pot containing Seed & Cutting Compost. Cover with a plastic bag tied around the pot and place into a cold frame. Take stem cuttings of climbers such as Ornamental vines, Summer Jasmine. Climbing Hydrangea and Kiwi (actinidia). Root them in pots of Seed & Cutting compost, and place them in a sheltered cold frame. Take stem and tip cuttings of established fuchsias and geraniums so that you have plenty of plants for next season. Propagate climbers such as Honeysuckle, Passionflower, Clematis and Virginia creeper by layering. This is easy to do. Choose healthy stems on the outside of the plant and bend them to ground level. Where the stem touches the ground close to the plant, remove a small piece of bark and some of the tissue below, taking care not to cut through the whole stem. Mix in some Multi-Purpose Compost with added John Innes into the soil around the main plant and peg down the stem with a piece of bent wire into the improved soil. Layered cuttings can take several months to root. When rooted cut the stem to sever it from the parent plant and dig up the rooted cutting to plant elsewhere. Ericaceous Plants Give acid loving plants, especially those with leaves that are starting to yellow, a late summer boost with Ericaceous Plant Food NPK (3:3:4). It actually reduces the soil pH creating and maintaining the necessary acidic environment around the roots of acid loving plants. For best result use it in combination with Ericaceous Compost. Top dress around acid loving plants using Ericaceous Compost. Take care not to dig this in around your plants, as you may cause damage to the roots. Instead mulch around the plant stems with the compost, covering an area of soil on the ground that corresponds to the area that the leaves, stems and branches occupy above ground. The activity of worms and other beneficial soil organisms will gradually work this into the soil, acidifying the area around the plant roots and providing vital plant nutrients for strong and healthy growth. Look out for tell tale signs of vine weevil damage on rhododendrons. Typical signs include jagged edged notches cut into the edges of the leaves. You may even see the occasional blue/black weevils. If you think there is a problem, then apply a nematode based vine weevil control to the soil around your plants. This will attack the larvae and break the life cycle of this destructive pest. House Plants Bring inside plants that have been outdoors for the summer. Check them over for signs of pests and disease and if they are affected quarantine them and deal with the problems before introducing them to plants that are not infected. Top dress houseplants with Houseplant Compost to give them a boost after their summer performance. Feed your plants if they are still growing vigorously or flowering, with Feed-all liquid plant food. Dust foliage plants and wash gently with tepid water. Do not use water on cacti and succulent plants, or plants that have hairy leaves. Provide support for tall and climbing plants and tie them in carefully. Take softwood, tip cuttings from plants such as Coleus. Choose plants that are brightly coloured, as the offspring will be identical to the parent plant. Cut 5-10cm (2-4inch) stems and root them in pots filled with Seed & Cutting Compost, on a warm, shaded windowsill. Take stem cuttings of most houseplants. Remove suitable non-flowering stems, and cut below the tip to leave a 12cm section. Remove the leaves from the lower half. Cut the stem at the base of the cutting with a very sharp cuttings knife immediately below a leaf joint. Fill small flowerpots with Seed and Cutting Compost, and push several cuttings into the compost making sure that they are not touching. Collect seed from cacti plants that have flowered and sow them in John Innes Seed Compost. Alternatively store the seed somewhere cool and dry and sow in the spring. Plant bowls of spring flowering bulbs such as Hyacinths, Crocus and Daffodils, and grow them in a sheltered spot such as behind a shed, covering them over with a thick layer of damp bark or peat. When the bulbs start to emerge and the buds are showing, bring the pots inside for an early display of flowers. Feeding As plant growth starts to slow in preparation for the autumn it's important to feed your plants very carefully. A last feed now will help to support your plants as the weather cools. Make sure you do not feed your plants much later than the middle of September or you may encourage too much soft and sappy growth that is less able to withstand the ravages of the winter. To get the very best from your plants it is essential to feed them with a quality plant food. Use the Feed-all range of food. It is specially formulated to suit most garden plants and will provide a generous proportion of all the essential plant nutrients, plus trace elements to keep plants performing. For the best results with ericaceous plants use Ericaceous Plant Food that is tailored to provide a high-quality diet for these specialist plants. For more targeted feeding for other garden plants choose a plant food specially formulated for your plants from the extensive Westland Garden Health range. For example Rose Plant Food is specially formulated for roses, trees and shrubs and is a particularly good choice for flowering shrubs. Use this for a late summer feed to boost the plants before autumn. Be sure not to feed the plants too late in the season or you will encourage soft and sappy growth that may be damaged by the winter weather. Flowerbeds and borders can still be fed using Feed-all Concentrated plant food. It is a liquid concentrate that can be diluted and watered onto the soil and over the foliage of your plants for fast acting results. It's the perfect choice for all garden plants and it gives fast, effective results. This formulation contains trace elements, which are important where mineral deficiencies in the soil or compost may be present. It is also high in potassium to encourage the development of strong, healthy flowers and has a generous proportion of nitrogen too, for healthy leaves. Keep feeding your container plants throughout September. They need plenty of food to keep them in tip-top condition. Several plants growing in a container will quickly use up the fertiliser held in the compost. Keep your plants performing into the early autumn, feed them now with one of the Feed-all fertilisers. Feed-all Concentrated Plant Food is a good choice for containers and it is also available in a convenient ready to use formulation. It's the perfect choice for containerised plants and it gives fast, effective results. This formulation contains trace elements, which are important where mineral deficiencies in the soil or compost may be present. It is also high in potassium to encourage the development of strong, healthy flowers and has a generous proportion of nitrogen too, for healthy leaves. Feed Ericaceous plants with Ericaceous Plant Food. Often the soil they are growing in is alkaline, so it is important to acidify their root zone and supply them with an easily assimilated fertiliser. Use Ericaceous Plant Food, it has a low pH which helps to unlock essential nutrients from the soil, and it also contains iron that alleviates plant chlorosis (yellowing leaves) and helps provide these special plants with just the right diet to suit their needs and perform to their full potential. Soil Matters September is a good month to start looking at the overall health of your soil. If you keep the soil in good heart it will support plant growth right through the season and your garden will be healthier all round. If your garden soil is poor or depleted from overactive plant growth then improve it using one of the specially formulated soil improvers from Westland. For example Top Soil or the new Premium Garden Soil are both carefully selected soil with a high content of organic matter, vital for healthy soil. Premium Garden soil has added fertiliser so it is ideal for planting specimen garden plants such as Topiary sculptures. Both formulations are great for new beds and borders, rockeries and for replacing existing soil. Top dress around existing plants or make plans to improve the soil in the autumn and winter. Farmyard Manure is ideal for conditioning the soil and adds vital nutrients and water holding organic matter to garden areas where heavy feeders deplete soil nutrients quickly such as the vegetable plot or rose beds. Organic gardeners can opt for Organic Garden Compost or Soil Conditioner to improve the soil and add vital structure and organic matter to support healthy plant growth. Keep adding these soil foods to the surface of the existing soil, either by lightly working it into the soil surface, or by applying as a mulch. Either way the worms and other soil organisms will work the organic matter into the soil to create a healthy structure. Dig over the area of soil that needs improving. If the area is planted then take care not to dig close to the plants or disturb their roots. You can use the Soil Conditioner or Farmyard Manure as a mulch near to established plants and allow the worms and soil organisms to work it into the soil. Spread Soil Conditioner or Farmyard Manure over the surface of the dug area and work it into the soil with a fork. Soil Conditioner contains a high proportion of organic material mixed together with a generous proportion of chicken manure. These natural materials will absorb and hold water in the soil and improve its structure, providing essential air pockets for drainage and for the roots to breathe. The high organic content also encourages the activity of beneficial soil dwelling organisms including worms. Mulching As autumn approaches, with it come the heavy rains that revitalise our garden soils. When the soil is wet through it is a very good time to apply a garden mulch. Dig out any perennial weeds and then apply your chosen mulch over the area to a depth of 3-4 inches. To make the mulch last longer consider applying it over a permeable membrane or planting fabric, this reduces contact between the soil and the mulch and slows down the degradation of the mulch. Use an ornamental mulch on the surface of your pots and containers. It not only looks good, but it also insulates the plant roots from high temperatures and early frosts. More importantly it helps to retain moisture in the compost. Make sure the compost is wet through before applying the mulch. Use a small piece bark such as Mini Chipped Bark for the best-looking results over a small area. Water Gardening Keep the oxygen levels in your pond as healthy as possible to avoid stress to any wildlife or fish. If you don't already have one install a pond pump to keep the water moving and to introduce oxygen into the water. Keep this running as much as possible. Add oxygenating plants to the water to increase the oxygen levels. Cover over the pond with a net to prevent falling leaves from reaching the water. Otherwise these will rot and pollute the water. Remove dead leaves from water lilies and pond plants so that they do not contaminate the water.
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