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September is a swing month in the southern gardening world with the official arrival of Autumn later this month, and hopefully, a return of cooler and wetter weather. Despite the heat that lingers this month, September is still one of the better times of the year to be gardening, especially for planting landscape plants.
September is also the month for new learning opportunities. The Fall Gardening
Seminar, sponsored by the Smith County Master Gardeners, is always on a
Saturday,
in September or October, at the Tyler Rose Garden Center. Check the East Texas
Pineywoods Gardening Calendar for the date
and details on what is always a well-designed free program for home gardeners with
well-known speakers.
September is also the time to apply lawn fertilizer to keep the grass healthy and
growing up to first frost. Fall fertilized lawns are better equipped to make it through the
winter and resume growth next spring than lawns that receive no fertilizer.
Did you have weeds last spring before the grass started growing? These would have
been cool-season weeds which germinated last fall. A pre-emergence herbicide (weed
preventer) applied this month will help reduce the recurrence of the same weeds next
spring (unless they are perennials like dandelions). Avoid pre-emergent herbicide
applications on newly planted, or weakened grass or in dense shade. Carefully follow
label rates of application, since applying more than is called for can damage your lawn.
Lawns that suffered dieback from drought, chinch bugs or disease can be safely
sodded in September. It's too late to try to establish Bermuda or Centipede from seed,
but ryegrass and tall fescue can be sown toward the end of the month.
Fall is also a good time to test your soil, especially to determine the pH which tells you
the acidity of the soil. Strongly acidic soils are corrected with an application of lime.
Keep in mind that it takes a few months for the lime to react with your soil, and that you
may need to reapply lime every few years.
Sow spring wildflower (like bluebonnets) seed now. For more reliable, uniform seed
germination of our State flower, purchase acid-treated bluebonnet seed. This treatment
pits the seed coat, allowing nearly 100% germination in one to two weeks.
Perennial phlox should be divided about every third or fourth year. Early fall and early
spring are the best times to plant and transplant them. Divide big clumps into thirds.
Create new perennial flower beds, and dig, divide, and replant overcrowded beds of
cannas, irises, daylilies, daisies and other perennials. Spread a liberal amount of
organic matter evenly over the area and mix into the soil at least 6 to 8 inches deep.
Space divisions at least 1 foot apart in all directions so root competition will not be a
problem for several years.
Purchase spring blooming bulbs as soon as they become available in the garden
centers, or mail order special varieties. Smith Co. Master Gardeners will hold a
Fall Bulb Sale of hardy but
less common bulbs in the fall at the Tyler Rose Garden. Tulips and hyacinths should
be stored in a refrigerator until November.
Plant bulbs by loosening the soil and make a hole with a trowel or bulb planter. Don't
mash the bulb into the soil or you may damage the basal plate (bottom of the bulb),
causing it to rot.
Tip back roses the first week of September if you didn't last month to stimulate a new
flush of growth for a final burst of fall color. Don't take off much, cutting back only a
quarter of the growth. Make a light application of fertilizer, and watch for black spot
disease which can be a problem once frequent rains return.
Examine your flower, ground cover and shrub beds for seedlings of privet, sweetgum,
oaks, elms, blackberry, greenbriar, sedges and other unwanted weeds. If they are
already well established, wait for soaking rains to soften the ground when they'll be a
little easier to pull. A pair of pliers may also help get woody plants out of the ground.
Pine needles will soon be abundant. Collect and use them as a long lasting mulch
around shrubs, young trees, and in vegetable gardens and other places where weed
control and water conservation is needed.
Keith Hansen is Smith County Horticulturist with Texas Cooperative Extension. His web page is http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/county/smith. Educational programs of Texas Cooperative Extension are open to all individuals without regard to race, color, sex, disability, religion, age or national origin.
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