Here, to make sure you are doing the right things at the right time, we have swept up a pile of advice from the experts and created a shopping list of the most pleasing kit with which to carry out your jobs.
Recover
‘The summer’s extreme heat has placed many plants under immense pressure, so use September to rebuild and help your garden recover,’ says Haskins Garden Centres’ in-house plant expert, Alasdair Urquhart. ‘Jobs such as dividing perennials, scarifying lawns, and planting should only begin once sustained rainfall has restored moisture deeper into the soil. Until then, the focus should be on helping the garden recover and avoiding anything that could place plants and roots under further stress.’
Buy: AMOS Manual Rolling Lawn Aerator, £25
Tidy
‘Perhaps the rains haven’t started yet, and things are rather dry and dusty, or perhaps the leaves have started to fall,’ says Laetitia Maklouf, author of The Five Minute Garden. ‘Some of my favourite September husbandry forays include using a leaf-blower to get dirt out of nooks and crannies that can’t be reached using a brush, and removing or reducing large clods of earth in the flowerbed to make it ready for seed sowing.’
Buy: Bosch Universal Leaf Blower, £67
Prepare
‘September is also a good time to clear gutters and install additional water butts so autumn and winter rainfall can be stored for next year,’ explains Alasdair Urquhart. ‘The reality of successive hot summers has made water conservation and healthy soil increasingly important, while late autumn and winter are becoming valuable planting periods for trees and shrubs.’
Buy: Zinc Water Butt, £249
Divide
Pollyanna Wilkinson, author of How To Design A Garden advises autumn gardeners to ‘lift and divide congested clumps of perennials such as achilleas, geraniums, Nepeta, Geum, herbaceous peonies, Dicentra, and lily of the valley, among many others, once they finish flowering. Then replant in new positions with plenty of organic matter. Water well and await the pride and glory of creating free plants.’
Buy: Marshalls Garden Organic Extra Fertiliser and Soil Improver, £31.99
Sow
Sow hardy annuals for early flowering next year, advises Sarah Raven – you’ll get bigger, better plants which can flower a good six weeks earlier than those spring sown. For example, briza, bupleurum, calendula, centaurea, Papaver rhoeas, Papaver somniferum and scabious. Remember to keep them weed free as they germinate.
Buy: Black Papaver Somniferum Seeds, £2
Collect
Collect ripe seeds from your favourite flowers and store in labelled envelopes, ready to sow in spring.
Buy: Seed Collecting Envelopes, £4
FAQs: September Gardening
What gardening jobs should you do in September?
September is an important month in the gardening calendar, with jobs including tidying, collecting seeds, dividing perennials, sowing hardy annuals and preparing the garden for autumn. However, after a particularly hot, dry summer, it is important to wait until the soil has recovered before carrying out jobs that could put plants under further stress.
Is September a good time to divide perennials?
Yes, once perennials have finished flowering and there is sufficient moisture in the soil, September is an excellent time to divide congested clumps. Dividing plants such as geraniums, nepeta, geum and achilleas creates healthy new plants for free and helps rejuvenate established borders.
What flowers can you sow in September?
September is a particularly good time to sow hardy annuals for earlier flowering next year. Briza, bupleurum, calendula, centaurea, poppies and scabious can all be sown in early autumn, producing larger plants that may flower several weeks earlier than those sown in spring.
How can I help my garden recover after a hot, dry summer?
After a hot and dry summer, the priority should be helping plants and soil recover rather than immediately carrying out major gardening jobs. Wait for sustained rainfall to restore moisture deeper into the soil before dividing perennials, scarifying lawns or planting, and avoid putting additional stress on thirsty plants and their roots.
What should you do in the garden in September to prepare for autumn?
September is a good time to clear gutters, install or top up water butts, tidy borders and prepare areas for autumn planting. Storing rainwater is increasingly useful after successive hot summers, while autumn and winter can provide valuable opportunities to plant trees and shrubs.
How do you collect and store seeds from the garden?
Collect seeds from your favourite flowers once they are fully ripe and dry. Place them in clearly labelled paper envelopes and store them somewhere cool and dry, ready to sow when the conditions are right next spring.
Should you tidy the garden in September?
September is a good month for a gentle garden tidy, particularly as the first leaves begin to fall. A leaf blower can be useful for clearing dirt and leaves from awkward corners, while removing large clods of earth from flowerbeds can help prepare the soil for future seed sowing.
