WOW , this twelvemonth the   “ Dog Days of August ”   morph into the “ showery day of August . ” Sometimes too much a   skilful thing becomes a challenge for even the most experienced gardener .   peculiarly challenging this summer were the diseases in the love apple patch   get by an abnormally crocked summertime .   One of the enceinte attributes of gardening is that there is   always a reset button , and   a twilight garden offer us gardeners a novel   horticulture opportunity .

September in the Piedmont is a month that transition into drop with hot summer days but cool off nights . It ’s also a month that confront the gardener with mixed feelings . After a long season of planting , weeding , harvesting , and combat an ever - exchange list of plague , I sometimes wish well that the season would just come to an goal ! At other times , I need to extend the grow and harvesting season into winter . But , mixed tactual sensation or not , there are always gardening task to do , and here is my list for September . get ’s begin with the short adaptation of theSeptember To - Do List : continue harvesting vegetables , go on removing worn-out spring and summer crop , plant fall crop , and overlay crop , and , of course , continue weed .

Here in central Virginia , we can harvest fresh garden truck well into the fall and often into early wintertime . No matter how ragged the summer garden looks , a drop garden offers us not only a second growing time of year , but also a second chance to plant those early spring crop that failed in the summer heat . September in central Virginia is a continuation of nightfall planting season and a time to begin preparing the garden for wintertime by implant cover charge crop in vacated areas of the garden .

The following planting chart was created by using theVirginia Cooperative Extension Publication 426 - 331 , “ pass Vegetable Gardening . ”

Plant garlicin our area during the month of October . recall , many retailers quickly expel their inventory of the most democratic diversity before October . If you have n’t purchased garlic for dusk planting , prison term is running out . A few garden center in our country deal garlic bulbs for fall planting , but the varieties are somewhat circumscribed . However , an online hunting for “ Garlic Bulbs for sales event ” will play up numerous informant . For additional entropy , see out the clause on growing garlic in theOctober 2015issue ofThe Garden Shed .

September is an fantabulous time to sowcover crop in bare areas of your garden . For additional   info on cover crops , refer to theSeptember 2015issue ofThe Garden Shed .

Give your tomato plant plantsone last eating . Compost tea or fish emulsion should give them the extra vim they necessitate to make that final get-up-and-go at the end of the season . Pinching off small green tomatoes and any new flowerswill channel the plant life ’s energy into ripen the remain full - size of it fruit .

works somecool - season vegetablessuch as radishes , spinach , scratch , table mustard and collards .

garner herbsfrom your herb garden for freezing and dry . If you do n’t have access to a dehydrator , herb can be dried quickly in a microwave oven oven . Simply place the herb between two paper towels and heating system for a minute . take them from the oven , cool , then test to see if the leave are terse . If not , return them to the microwave oven for a few more seconds . Store in seal jars in a dark place so they will keep their color and relish .

kitty upchives , parsley , and other herbs , and institute them into the house to lead the growing season .

off any diseased plantsfrom the garden and glow them or traveling bag and dispose of them to prevent spreading disease to next plant . Only compost sizeable industrial plant .

Take a tour of your own vegetable garden andmake noteson this year ’s varieties , successes , challenge , and chore , so that you’re able to learn for next twelvemonth . Make a sketchshowing the location of this yr ’s plants to be used next spring for revolve your crops .

Continue to weedyour garden to prevent the weeds from going to seeded player and germinating over the wintertime and spring .

Removeall two - year - quondam canesfromraspberry and blackberry plantsto boil down overwintering of disease . Fertilizers contain atomic number 19 , phosphorus and magnesium or calcium can be applied but do not cultivate or irrigate at this time of the class .

Keepthestrawberry patchweed gratuitous . Every grass you rend will help making weeding easier next bounce .

nightfall gage controlaround fruit treesis crucial becauseweeds act as hosts to overwintering insects .

Thanks for bring together us inThe Garden Shed — trust to see you again next month !

Sources :

“ Gardening by Month – September , ”   Missouri Botanical Garden , http://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org / gardens - gardening / your - garden / help - for - the - place - gardener / advice - tips - resources / horticulture - by - calendar month / september.aspx

“ Monthly Horticulture Tip Sheets — Herbs , September , ”   Va. Coop . Ext . Albemarle / Charlottesville , https://albemarle.ext.vt.edu / cognitive content / dam / albemarle_ext_vt_edu / files / hort - tip - sheets/9 - 14 - herbs.pdf

“ Monthly Horticulture Tip Sheets — Fruit and Nuts , September , ”   Va. Coop . Ext . Albemarle / Charlottesville , https://albemarle.ext.vt.edu / contentedness / dam / albemarle_ext_vt_edu / files / hort - pourboire - sheets/9 - 14 - fruits - nuts.pdf