Ornamentals

Continue planting evergreens now.

Herbs such as parsley, rosemary, chives, thyme and marjoram can be dug from the garden and placed in pots now for growing indoors this winter.

Begin readying houseplants for winter indoors. Prune back rampant growth and protruding roots. Check for pests and treat if necessary. Houseplants should be brought indoors at least one month before the heat is normally turned on.

Perennials, especially spring bloomers, can be divided now. Enrich the soil with peat moss or compost before replanting.

Vegetables

Sowing seeds of radish, lettuce, spinach and other greens in a cold frame will prolong fall harvests.

Keep broccoli picked regularly to encourage additional production of side shoots.

Harvest herbs now to freeze or dry for winter use.

Tie leaves around cauliflower heads when they are about the size of a golf ball.

Pinch off any young tomatoes that are too small to ripen. This will channel energy into ripening the remaining full-size fruits.

Sow spinach now to overwinter under mulch for spring harvest.

Lawns

Cool season lawns are best fertilized in fall. Make up to 3 applications between now and December. Do not exceed rates recommended by fertilizer manufacturer.

If soils become dry, established lawns should be watered thoroughly to a depth of 4-6 inches.

Begin fall seeding or sodding of cool season grasses. Seedbeds should be raked, dethatched or core-aerified, fertilized and seeded. Keep newly planted lawn areas moist, but not wet.

Lawns may be topdressed with compost or milorganite now. This is best done after aerifying.

Newly seeded lawns should not be cut until they are at least 2 or 3 inches tall.

Miscellaneous

Autumn is a good time to add manure, compost or leaf mold to garden soils for increasing organic matter content.

Monitor plants for spider mite activity. Reduce their numbers by hosing off with a forceful spray of water.

Seasonal loss of inner needles on conifers is normal at this time. It may be especially noticeable on pines.

~Missouri Botanical Garden

For additional September tips from the Missouri Botanical Garden, please click here.

To download the latest version of Adobe Reader for free, please click Adobe Icon.