SEPTEMBER - FLOWERS, SHRUBS, & LAWNS - LET’S GET GARDENING!
TIME TO PLANT...
Roses (the range will still be extensive), summer perennials as they become available, the hardier spring/summer annuals (alyssum, white dwarf chrysanthemum daisies, pansies, lobelia, petunias, violas, antirrhinums, osteospermums).
TIME TO SOW...
Petunias, alyssum, lobelia, marigolds, in fact just about all Summer annuals, but hold back for another month on impatiens and begonias as they’re more heat-needy.
TIME TO FEED...
Roses should be fed every second month and at Terra Viva we feed in September, November, January, & March.
A general feed for all perennials & shrubs will be worthwhile – I use a mix of Nitro Blue, Oceanfert seaweed, and Dave’s Growth Booster Pellets (sheep manure + southern humates).
Always use liquid or controlled-release fertilisers for container growing to avoid root burn.
Growth on indoor plants will accelerate now so maximise that with a feed.
TIME TO PROTECT...
Newly planted seedlings from slugs and snails (use slug bait) and birds (1 metre long plastic-covered wire netting cloches).
TIME TO CONTROL...
Pests and diseases on roses, spraying every 2-4 weeks with fungicide and pesticide, with ‘prevention being better than cure’ being the key. Impossible to over-water roses and that is another key to success and prevention of disease.
Keep pots watered as the weather warms up.
Control weeds that suddenly appear from nowhere in spring and can become an unwanted time-consuming task. Easiest control? Use a hoe to leave the weeds on the soil surface to shrivel up once the sun has some heat.