To Do List - September

September in the Mediterranean is considered a transitional month for gardeners. The nights become cooler though the days remain warm. We might experience some autumnal showers but also be prepared for some very hot temperatures and equally balmy nights. September is a good time to clean out the summer garden, and prepare the soil for winter plants. Many winter.blooming flowers and even some vegetables can be put into the ground in September, for colour and food during the onset of the coolest season.

• Temperatures might have cooled slightly, but your citrus trees are still in need of deep watering. Using a spade or enchada, dig a deep well around your citrus trees, trying not to disturb any surface roots. Bank up the edges and fill the basin twice a week. This will keep your fruit well hydrated and allow any fertilizers you add to absorb easier.
• Keep a check on your bedding plants throughout the month. It’s not always the case that your plants need more water. This lavender (below) has been waterlogged from too many top ups. Allow your troughs or pots, as much as possible, to dry out for a day. Watch out for yellowing of the leaves (above right), it may not be a sign of mineral deficiency. In this case the hibiscus was being overwatered and drainage was very poor, due to the compact clay soil it was planted in. Don’t be afraid to get your hand below the plant and check the soil conditions.
• Pennesetums look great in the garden but get ready to cut back towards the start of Autumn. Once the plumes have stopped flowering they can often turn quite brown and look out of sorts. Clip back very hard, to around 10cm from the soil, and next spring they will regenerate and look just as good as the first year.
• Don’t allow plants to get over cramped and grow into each other. From a hot summer, many fast growing species will hamper others who mature more slowly. This can restrict light and pass on disease and pests.
• Bougainvillea will continue to need clipping if kept as a hedge. Cut out runners and fast shooters and restrict feeding of a nitrogen fertilizer, as this will produce too many new shoots that are a haven for aphids. Many varieties are sending up huge long runners from the base. Some of them will never produce flower so keep them pruned to keep this glorious beast in order.
• The rose season lasts longer throughout the Mediterranean than it does in northern European gardens. However, to benefit from continual flowering it’s imperative that ongoing dead-heading takes place but stop feeding, you don’t want to encourage new fresh nitrogen rich growth when rose dormancy is close by.
• If you are planning a wildflower meadow or garden, then latter September is a good time to prepare for seeding when the likelihood of rain increases. Poppies, snapdragons, cornflowers, viscaras and borage can all be used, for a variety of colours to surprise you in the spring.
• This is a good time to plant the big green vegetables, including broccoli, cabbage, spinach, lettuce and cauliflower. They love the cooler days and oncoming rains.
• Don’t worry too much if your evergreens are starting to shed some needles or foliage. It often happens after hot summers. Usually a good downpour from Mother Nature is enough to revitalise them, and hydration is restored.
• Many of the popular annuals can be over-winterised and have cuttings taken for next year. It might mean bringing them indoors once the cooler weather is upon us. So rather than let them become leggy, take some cuttings now, and they should root and last until next year when they’ll be ready to go outdoors.
• Continue to be on the lookout for disease in your lawns, especially cutworm. September can be a devastating time for lawn diseases including fungal problems from over summer watering and keeping the lawn mower set to the highest level. I would start to cut lawns shorter by the end of this month and start to clear out any thatch by scarification. Birds and wasps on the lawn are a sign of cutworm especially the colourful hoopoe birds; they are a warning sign for what lurks below. If you see them repeatedly visiting yours, treatment is needed immediately.
• The compost bin hasn’t properly ‘cooked’ during the summer due to the dry conditions. Remember that in order to keep the compost bin active it needs water to create the ideal hotpot conditions.
• If you are still harvesting tomatoes, and some are still green, you can pick and place in a paper bag, as they will happily ripen, albeit slower.
• Start to think about adding manure to your soil areas, preferably before the first rains arrive. September is an ideal time to boost the organic and nutrient content from the depleted soils after a long dry summer. Horse, cow, chicken or alpaca!
• I would consider carrying out a water test to check your water pH and mineral contents, especially if you have a borehole. After extensive use, you will find that the composition changes, which will affect many of your garden plants.
• Divide and move perennials.
• Irrigation systems can be reduced, but watch out for sudden sharp peaks in temperatures this month.

You can begin all those garden chores again now, but don’t forget that our own summer dormancy will put extra pressure on our rusty knees and backs, so take it easy starting off!