What to do in the Garden this Month

Whew!  Fall is right around the corner and we find ourselves busy harvesting, canning, freezing and generally enjoying the bounty of another great year in the garden.  As you prepare for the upcoming Labor Day celebrations, take a few minutes and walk through your gardens.  Enjoy the beauty you have created (with a little help from Mother Nature!!) and actually smell some flowers.  Roses are my favorite but any will do.  Watch out for small bees and crab spiders: it's a busy time for them as well!!!

Here are a few tasks to do this month.

• Cool nights and ample precipitation mean it is time to fertilize your lawn.
• Early September is an excellent time to sow grass seeds.  Be sure to water the area seeded frequently so it grows in well.
• If broadleaf weeds (dandelions or plantains, for instance) are a problem in your yard, herbicides can be effective if applied now and in accordance with product recommendations.  Alternatively, hand weeding in moist soil helps - be sure to get the taproot!!
• Pick your warm season veggies before frost hits.  This includes squash, melons, tomatoes, eggplants and peppers.  
• Pumpkins and gourds should be ready now.  Store in a dry, cool cellar after washing with a weak bleach solution to retard mold.
• Pick herbs on a cool, dry morning for drying or freezing.
• Sow lettuces and mixed greens for harvest later in the season.
• Turn your compost pile.
• Begin planting spring flowering bulbs in your flower beds.
• Divide your day lilies and give some to your friends. 
• Divide and plant spring blooming perennials now, especially if they haven't been divided in 3 or more years.  These make fabulous gifts for your gardening buddies!
• Remove spent annuals.
• Houseplants that have been kept outside should get a good washing before bringing in the house.  Check their pots for ants, spiders, or any insect you do not want in your house. 
• Later in the month, begin planting your garlic for next year.