With Clarence Shepard Day Jr. getting little and an occasional touch of break of the day iciness in the air , September begin to feel like declension . In both the ornamental and the edible garden , it ’s prison term to start traditional autumn tasks such as declination cleanup , amending grease , devise for winter , and planning in advance for the following saltation .
In the Edible Garden
Continue to reap your produce . September is often peak harvest season in Northern California . Garden - grown fruit and vegetable are openhanded — sometimes overwhelmingly so — and canning season has officially commenced .
Shop for seed garlic . If you ’ve never rise your own garlic , now is the time to start ! Just like springtime - blooming bulbs , the adept and freshest selection of ejaculate garlic bulbs becomes usable either online or in your favorite nurseries in September for plant in former October . They are well grow in copious , amended soil and in full sun . softly divide the cloves , planting them sharper end down 2 inch bass and 4 inches apart . For more info on planting and growing garlic , read here .
Plant your crepuscule crops . As outer space becomes available , summertime crop become expend , and you tear out the hardworking plants , it ’s time to plant the fall - and - wintertime garden . Clean up diligently , and repair the soil well with constitutive compost . Check your irrigation organisation ( which is still needed until the fall rains kvetch in ) , and begin planting yourfall - and - wintertime veggie garden , direct - seeding carrots , chard , peas , beet , and radishes , and transplant your Brassica oleracea italica , cabbage , scallion , brussels sprouts , cauliflower , and kail starts .
In the Ornamental Garden
Plant new additions . With gloaming rain near , September is a fantastic time to add new Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree , shrubs , perennials , and cosmetic grasses to the landscape . aboriginal plantsrespond peculiarly well when embed in declination just before the pelting are expected . Your new planted additions have time to establish deep ascendent systems during the nerveless seasons and will get off to a great commencement the following spring .
Plant sweet peas for next leap . It ’s hard to believe , but late September is the best metre to plant sugared pea plant seed ( Lathyrus odoratus , annual ) to ascertain thick roots , plushy vine , and abundant , delightfully fragrant bouquets as betimes as the following April . get a line more about growing sweet peas in our region here .
works winter - blooming annuals and perennialsnow while it ’s still warm . pansy , Iceland poppies(Papaver nudicaulevar.croceum , Zones 2–7),violets(Violaspp . and cvs . , Zones 3–9),primroses(Primulaspp . and cvs . , Zones 3–9 ) , andornamental cabbages(Brassica oleraceacvs . , one-year ) will add delightful daddy of color . These are all outstanding pickax to brighten up your fall and winter mete , windowpane boxes , and containers from former fall through other spring .
Be on Guard for September Hazards
go on to water thoroughly . Despite shorter days , September can still be one of the hottest calendar month of the twelvemonth in Northern California . gardener need to be train for heat waves and tend to their gardens ’ water needs consequently .
lie in wait hungry deer . forage deercan be a big problem in fall when gardens are satisfy with succulent foliation and blooms . Your garden will become resistless because the wild grasses and aboriginal plant that incorporate the deers ’ regular grazing diet have gone dormant or dry up in the heat of summer . Protect your industrial plant with deer repellents , or block off easy access to your garden with deer netting or fencing material .
Continue monitoring for pest and disease . Look out for aphids , ants , slugs , snail , weeds , and fungal problems .
— Fionuala Campion is the possessor and manager of Cottage Gardens of Petaluma in Petaluma , California .
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Cooler temperatures signal that it’s time to head to the nursery and shop for new additions, like pink cestrum (Cestrum elegansvar.simithii, Zones 8–11).Photo: Fionuala Campion
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Continue harvesting your produce, and preserve what you can’t eat.Photo: Ann E. Stratton
Invest in some seed garlic that you can reserve for replanting.Photos: Danielle Sherry
Plant your cool-season veggies now with compost mixed in.Photo: Fionuala Campion
Look for underused bulbs before they sell out, like this ‘Mr. Fokker’ anemone de Caen (Anemone coronaria de Caen‘Mr. Fokker’, Zones 3–7).Photo: Michelle Gervais
If you’ve got some empty spots, shop for fillers like ‘Siskiyou Pink’ guara (Gaura lindheimeri‘Siskiyou Pink’, Zones 5–9).Photo: Fionuala Campion
Plant sweet pea seeds now for a beautiful show in early spring.Photo: Fionuala Campion
Switch your wilted summer annuals out for cool-season bloomers like ‘Jersey Jem’ violets (Viola cornuta‘Jersey Jem’, Zones 6–9).Photo: Michelle Gervais
Be sure to water thoroughly through heat waves.Photo: Brittany Carlson
