10 Things to do in the Garden in September

Here are 10 Things to do in the Garden in September. Up first:

1. Deadhead your summer blooms to get a last flush of flowers and extend their performance before Autumn really hits.

2. Harvest fruit such as apples and plums. Test to see if they're ready by cupping and twisting, if they come away without a fight then harvest away.

3. Prune berry plants such as blackberries, blackcurrants and summer fruiting raspberries: Identify old canes by looking for the canes that are brown and cut to the base. This will aid airflow to the younger canes, as one year-old canes will produce fruit the following year.

4. Start designing your Spring Layout and order spring flowering bulbs. You can plant spring bulbs between September and November and why not plant crocus and snowdrop in clusters on your lawn as these will make your lawn look fantastic come spring.

5. Collect seeds from your summer flowers that you may have let go to form seed heads. You can store away in paper envelopes for sowing later, or start now for winter sowing to get a head start on next year’s planting.

6. Lawn Care. ​​Give your lawn a final mow and aeration, which will improve drainage and help alleviate compaction. This can be done with a garden fork, and remove thatch by using a strong rake. Also feed your lawn with an autumn fertiliser which is rich in potassium and low in nitrogen.

7. Start dividing your herbaceous perennials and pot up. It’s a great way to multiply your plants, saving you money for spring and summer planting. 

8. Pinch out the tips of tomato plants so that they are encouraged to concentrate energy into ripening fruits, and to not produce further growth.

9. Prune pumpkin and squash plants to increase fruit production. Pinch the growing tips of the vines once there’s a few fruits established as this will stop the plant from focusing energy on leafy growth and directing it to fruit development. Help the fruits ripen in time for halloween  by removing any leaves shading the fruits.

10. Take semi-ripe cuttings. These are taken from this year's stems after they have grown and begun to firm up but are not yet fully woody. Plants such as Hydrangea, Buxus, Laurel, Fuchsia, Hebe, Bay and Lavender. Hard wood cuttings are taken later in Autumn, after leaves have begun to fall.