Gardening tasks for September

September is traditionally that time of year when your garden needs a little attention after a productive summer. Some of your plants will be dying back, others will need pruning and dead-heading, the weeds will need to be dealt with and the grass could do with some care.  MOLLY MAID, the professional domestic cleaning company, has a few top tips to help you with your gardening tasks for September.

• Clippertastic

Autumn is a great time for those who love wielding the clippers! The summer growth will need a good trim, but remember that it’s also a good time of year with many off-cuts doing well by planting them into pots.

• Foliage

It’s important to remove dead leaves from plants (foliage) and vegetable patches. It’s a good idea to dig up any annuals, which you planted for the summer season and assign them to the compost heap. Any flowering perennials left over from the summer should also be cut back to encourage the goodness and nutrients back into the root of the plants. Also, be diligent to remove yellowing or dead leaves or flowers before rot develops as this could help to prevent disease. Add weeding as one of your gardening tasks to list too and dig up any weeds that have been allowed to develop under plants over the summer.

• Composting

Winter gives cuttings and leaves a chance to break down and produce nutrient-rich compost, which will be really useful in spring to help boost the garden. So, remember to add turning your compost heap to your gardening tasks for September!

• Plant for next year

No doubt you will have seen the garden centers full of spring bulbs for sale such as daffodils, tulips and other perennials. This is because it’s an ideal time of year to plant them while the soil is still warm and slowly moisture levels are increasing. So, if you haven’t already, another one of your gardening tasks for September is to plants your bulbs to allow them to establish before the real cold and frost sets in. This is also a good time of year to plant or move shrubs and trees to allow them to anchor down before the growing season. Reflect on what was and wasn’t successful in your garden this year, so that you can adapt your plans for next year.

• Love your lawn

For a healthy and luscious lawn next spring, start to mow less frequently and raise the height of the grass as the growth rate slows down. Scarify your lawn by raking out dead grass and moss that has built up over the summer. Follow this with applying a high-potassium autumn lawn feed, which will release the correct balance of nutrients throughout the winter.

• Protect your pond

Take precaution and add covering your pond with a net to stop autumn leaves polluting the water to your gardening tasks for September! It’s crucial to clean your pond regularly and to clear the net to prevent it from sinking into the bond to allow the living fish to breath properly. Make sure the pond is as deep as possible, because fish like to live in the deepest levels during the winter months.

• Give wildlife a hand

If you haven’t thought about the wildlife around you, please add them to your gardening tasks for September too as they could do with a helping hand. Placing a bird feeder near a tall shrub, fence or mature tree will help to encourage birds into your garden and will provide protection from predators. Consider planting berry-bearing plants for an extra source of food for birds and other wildlife.

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