September To Do List | Central Texas Gardener

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September To Do List

hairy vetch courtesy of Burpee

Plant: ornamental & wildlife

Late month: Perennials, shrubs, ornamental (clumping) grasses
Late month: Cover crops for dormant vegetable beds: clover, hairy vetch, elbon (cereal) rye, Austrian winter peas, or annual rye

Plant: herbs

Perennial herbs like thyme, rosemary, oregano

Plant: food crops

Start winter seeds like lettuce, broccoli, kale and spinach in pots in shady areas
Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Vegetable Planting Guides (Central Texas) http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/travis/home-landscape/edible-gardens/growing-vegetables/

Prune

Early month: lightly prune roses and perennials
Oak trees safe to prune

Divide/Move

Iris, daylily, fern, liriope, spring-blooming perennials, violets, cannas

Prep

Add compost to vegetable gardens along with organic fertilizer in prep for winter vegetables
Decide wildflower seeds and bulbs to plant in November

Lawn

Brown patch: Apply a quarter inch of compost. Apply corn meal. Find out what’s causing the problem like low drainage spots or compacted areas.
Apply corn gluten as a weed pre-emergent. Results are erratic but it does add some nitrogen to the soil
Mow high to fend off weed seeds that germinate in September’s rains. Taller grass shades them out.

Other tasks

If fall webworms are a problem, puncture webs with broom handle for wasps to naturally control. Or spray with Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt).

Tips for all 12 months

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Recent Episodes

Garden for Birds and Pollinators

Bird populations have declined dramatically in recent years. Wildlife biologist Rufus Stephens, co-author of Land Stewardship for Birds with Jan Wrede, explores how to give our birds a helping hand, even in our backyards. Chris Garza sheet mulched his small front yard to kill weedy Bermuda grass to restore soil health and wildlife diversity. Watch | watch episode →

Changing the Winter-Tidy Mindset

Explore nature-to-garden perceptions with Dr. Bob Duke and Dr. Art Markman of KUT’s podcast, Two Guys on Your Head, produced by Rebecca McInroy. A Army Veteran’s new backyard lacked personality until she dug into gardening. Find out where beneficial insects snuggle down in winter with entomologist Wizzie Brown and get the secret to composting with | watch episode →

November To Do List

Plant: ornamental & wildlife

Perennials, shrubs, ornamental (clumping) grasses; fall is the best time to plant
Avoid planting cold tender plants like Pride of Barbardos, Esperanza, lantana, plumbago
Trees
Strawberries (best time to do it!)
Winter annuals, including calendula, snapdragon, pansy, viola, dusty miller, ornamental kale and cabbage, alyssum, stock, cyclamen, dusty miller, flowering kale and cabbage
Early to Thanksgiving: native wildflower seeds like bluebonnets, phlox, Mexican hat, Indian paintbrush, Indian blanket (gaillardia). Also, non-native poppies, larkspurs, hollyhocks
Early to Thanksgiving: spring bulbs

Plant: herbs

Perennials thyme, oregano, lavender
Cilantro transplants, parsley, dill, fennel , chervil, summer savory, borage, chives, rue
Be prepared to cover in case of deep freeze

Plant: food crops

Keep planting winter crops for successive harvest
Water weekly with liquid seaweed
Spray cabbage loopers on broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, cabbage with Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt).
Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Vegetable Planting Guides (Central Texas) http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/travis/home-landscape/edible-gardens/growing-vegetables/

Prune

Avoid pruning shrubs right now unless you see damage
Okay to prune live oak and red oaks through January
Okay to prune trees
Thyme

Divide/Move

Shrubs, roses, trees, evergreen spring-blooming perennials

Prep

Mulch cold tender plants like gingers, Esperanza and semi-tropicals
Select spots where you want fruit trees, grapes, or berries to plant in January; for now, prep with compost
Get that row cover ready! Do not protect plants with plastic!

Lawn

If must mow, keep high to shade out germinating weeds
It’s really not a good idea to overseed with rye unless you have new, muddy construction and a dog!

Other tasks

Cut basil to freeze in oil in ice cube trays to use this winter in soups and stews
Collect seeds from summer annuals to dry and store indoors until next spring
Take cuttings of tender annuals to propagate in warmth to plant next spring
Rake leaves into beds to mulch over winter and return nutrients to the soil
Mow leaves on grass (if not raking to beds or compost) to break them down
Collect leaves from neighbors to add to compost pile!
Deeply water new plants; keep new seedlings moist but not drenched