September Gardening Tips

September is the ideal time to renovate, rejuvenate, and fertilize your cool season lawn!   Your last feeding with high phosphorous should be done in early September for Zoysia and Bermuda (warm season).

If you’re planting a new bed this fall or installing new trees and shrubs, be sure to prepare your soil for success!  Have your soil tested and work in recommended nutrients and soil amendments. Stop at Logan’s to pick up your free soil test kit. We’ll help you interpret the results, too.

If you have heavy clay or compacted soil, amendments such as Permatill, Soil Conditioner and/or compost can improve drainage and add needed micro-organisms into the soil. If you have sandy soil, adding compost or Bumper Crop will improve moisture retention and add needed organic matter.

To plant trees and shrubs dig the hole in your prepared bed about twice the diameter but slightly shallower than the root ball. Gently loosen roots that were starting to circle the container.  Backfill with the native soil, water in well and place a 2”-3” layer of mulch around the roots, being careful not to mulch right up to the trunk.

Trees and shrubs planted in fall will require watering. Water in early morning if possible, at the base of the plant rather than overhead. If you have questions about the water needs of a plant, give us a call. We are here to help.

September is an ideal for planting many fall vegetables. Check out Logan’s Fall Garden Seed Schedule and Growing a Fall Vegetable Garden from NC Cooperative Extension. We have a great selection of seeds and starter plants.

Stop pruning evergreen trees and shrubs to avoid promoting new growth that may not harden off before first frost. If possible, wait until late winter to prune, while the plant is dormant and before new growth emerges.