By Gary Crispell, NC State Extension Master Gardener^SM volunteer of Durham County

Hey, look! It’s September and for the moment it has cooled off and the relentless humidity has dropped below 185%. How sweet is that? Another drop or two of rain here in Durham would be nice. It got a little dry in the last half of August, but at this time of the year one must be careful what one wishes for. Ask the folks in Asheville.

(Left to right) Resilient purple coneflowers (Echinacea purpurea) continue to enliven the ACG. Let your coneflowers go to seed and leave the seed heads and stalks. Goldfinches and other small birds feed on them in the fall and throughout the winter months. Blanket flowers (Gaillardia pulchella), are long, reliable, no-fuss bloomers even in heat and drought conditions. Their seed heads are also enjoyed by a host of songbirds. (Image credit: Javin Griffin; iStock.com/ABDESIGN from NC State Extension)

The Accidental Cottage Garden (ACG) looks, well, pathetic. I eschewed using city water for anything except the tomatoes and peppers, and the rain barrels have gotten down to the bottom of the (Dare I say it?) barrel. The butterfly weed (Asclepias tuberosa) looks weird with new blooms and nearly ripe seed pods. Looks like an “oops” late-pregnancy sort of thing. The purple coneflowers (Echinacea purpurea) are barely hanging on, but the goldfinches (Spinus tristis) are loving the seeds, and we had a bumper crop.

Gaillardia (Gaillardia pulchella) are really drought resistant. They keep their spot in the garden colorful for months with absolutely no care whatsoever. The spreading garden mum (Chrysanthemum “I-don’t- have-a-clue”) is reblooming as usual. It, too, requires very little attention other than deadheading the first blooms.

The other hangers-on are evening primrose (Primula vulgaris) (What possessed me to plant those?), False vervain (Verbena carnea), Balloon flower (Platycodon grandiflorus), African marigold (Tagetes erecta), Zinnias (Zinnia elegans), Black eyed susans (Rudbeckia fulgida), and sun flowers (Helianthus annuus). And climbing all over everything, Cypress vine (Ipomoea quamochit). I love the red flowers, but the vine is a bit much.

(Left to right) Summer-to-fall flowers still going strong in the ACG are the vibrant purple balloon flower (Platycodon grandiflorus), African marigold (Tagetes erecta), and the assertive self-seeding evening primrose (Primula vulgaris). (Image credit: Jimmi Lazuli; Javin Griffin)

Now if we could get an inch of rain a week through September the rest of this article will be relevant.

Lawn Care

If your fescue lawn looks like mine, September is the time for rejuvenation
(reseed/overseed). Loosen the soil in bare areas (or till up the whole yard) before sowing seed. A major key in sowing a successful lawn in the seed/soil contact—the more the better. If your bare spots are larger than 1 square foot a light layer of wheat straw will help maintain moisture and keep the birds from finding all of your grass seed.

Apply lime and fertilizer per your SOIL TEST recommendations. (I just know you got a FREE soil test this summer. If not, it’s free now through the end of November!) Resist the urge to fertilize any warm season lawns (Bermuda grass, Zoysia, centipede) now. It will encourage too much new growth just when they should be getting ready for dormancy.

You may treat lawns for grubs up until the middle of the month. After that the grubs will have “settled down for a long winter’s nap.”

Pruning

Still not allowed. Wait until Thanksgiving. Since you are going to do all your shopping online you will have time to prune on Black Friday. You need to work off the extra slice of pumpkin pie anyway. Otherwise, sharpen the equipment and hang up on the wall for now.

Spraying

Look for the same usual suspects as you did in August (i.e. wooly adelgid on hemlock, spider mites on all coniferous evergreens, tea scale on euonymus and camellia and lace bugs on azaleas and pyracantha. FYI: azaleas grown in the sun will be more susceptible to lace bugs than those grown in shadier conditions.) Perpetuate your perpetual rose program. Keep an eye out for other insects and diseases. They like fall as much as Homo sapiens do.

Propagation

It is time to dig and divide spring-flowering bulbs. Daffodils in particular will be appreciative of the attention and reward you in the spring. It is also, time to transplant peonies. Oversize the new planting hole and the root ball and avoid planting too deeply. Cut back any old stems. Mulch well.

IF SEPTEMBER TURNS OUT TO BE MYTHICALLY GORGEOUS…

• Go outside just to be outside.
• Mulch your plant beds if your OCD/ADHD won’t let you kick back and relax.
• Clean up and put up all the equipment you won’t need until next year.
• Plant a fall garden. Beyond that, fall is an excellent time to plant perennials, trees and shrubs. “Fall is for planting!”
• Clean up the summer garden, but consider leaving it a bit untidy to give a boost to birds and insects during cold months.
• Take a kid or a dog or a kid and a dog to a park and enjoy their enjoyment.
• Stay hydrated, stay healthy, and get your fall vaccines so that you can garden through the fall and winter without interruption.

Savor September, Y’all.

Edited by Melinda Heigel, NC State Extension Master Gardener^SM volunteer of Durham County

Resources and Additional Information

Make your home landscape more bird-friendly: https://caldwell.ces.ncsu.edu/2021/12/feed-the-birds/

Helpful information on grub control for turf grass: https://www.turffiles.ncsu.edu/insects/white-grubs-in-turf

Revisit some of our earlier blogs on fall planting: Starting Cool-Season Annuals for Early Spring Blooms; Garden Veggies Year Round: One Gardener’s Calendar; Best Practices: Planting Trees and Shrubs

Learn more about the advantages of planting in the fall: https://arboretum.ucdavis.edu/blog/5-reasons-why-fall-best-time-plant

For pro tips on dividing your perennials: https://forsyth.ces.ncsu.edu/2022/10/dividing-perennials

Edited by Melinda Heigel, NC State Extension Master Gardener^SM volunteer of Durham County

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