What To Do in Your Landscape for September

By Teresa Watkins

September 2024

 Average temperatures High 90 Low 72

Average rainfall 5.76 inches

Autumn arrives September 22nd, 2024

  September Plantings

 Vegetables: Early plantings include lima bean, snap bean, corn, cucumber, eggplant, pepper, southern pea, rhubarb, squash, and tomato; End of the month crops include arugula, broccoli, Brussel sprouts, cabbage, celery, collard, endive, lettuce, mustard, onion, radish, strawberry, and turnip.

 Flowers: Agapanthus, ageratum, angelonia, begonia, blue daze, butterfly weed, buttonbush, cat's whiskers, celosia, cleome, coleus, coreopsis, cosmos, firebush, garden mums, gaura, gazania, gerbera, goldenrod, gomphrena, heliotrope, impatiens, Jacobina, lantana, marigold, melampodium, New Guinea impatiens, nicotiana, pentas, periwinkle, plumbago, roses, salvia, sunflower, sweet alyssum, thyrallis, torenia, Turk’s cap, verbena, and zinnia.

 Herbs: Anise, basil, bay laurel, borage, chives, coriander, dill, lemon balm, lavender, Mexican tarragon, mint, parsley, rosemary, sage, sweet fennel, sweet marjoram, and thyme.

 Bulbs: African iris, agapanthus, amaryllis, blackberry lily, bulbine, calla lily, crinum, crocosmia, day lily, gladiolus, kaffir lily, narcissus, society garlic, spider lily, rain lilies and walking iris. Look for and purchase cool-season bulbs for refrigeration, including crocus, daffodils, crocus, hyacinths, muscari, and tulips.

 Fruit and Vegetable Care

 ·       Get a soil test of garden every year to find out what fertilizer nutrients to apply.

·       Clean used containers before planting.

·       Give large growing plants big containers to have room for good root growth.

·       Keep container-grown tomatoes uniformly moist to avoid blossom-end rot.

·       New to gardening? Start a garden journal and list names of seeds, the varieties, date planted, days to harvest, temperatures, and any weather conditions that might affect growth, i.e., extreme heat, lack of rain, storms.

·       Add vegetables and herbs to containers for patio and balcony gardens. 

·       All vegetables like a sunny site with at least 6 – 8 hours; leafy crops can often grow in filtered sun.

·       Remember the sun dips south Fall through Winter so note sites that may become shady.

·       Last year’s gardens may need an additional layer of organic compost or manure, like Black Kow.

·       Remove plastic covers from solarization treatments and plant without tilling.

·       Where nematodes are a problem, dig a large hole and fill it with organic amendments or potting soil before planting.

·       Keep new plantings and seedlings moist; water older plantings when the soil begins to dry.

·       Apply a first feeding two weeks after adding transplants or seed germination.

·       Continue with monthly feedings for in-ground plantings, every other week for containers.

·       Use slow-release fertilizer which may be the only feeding needed.

·       Add flowering plants to gardens to invite pollinators to visit.

·       Set tomatoes in the ground or in containers early and start training to a trellis.

·       Provide support for tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, and others from vegetables above.

·       Rejuvenate older herb gardens in late September by adding fresh plantings.

·       Check the garden daily to determine soil moisture of ground and check for pests.

·       Harvest herbs to encourage continued growth. .

·       Use mulches to conserve water, control weeds and keep soil off leafy crops.

·       Remove side shoots/pups to root from pineapple plants and increase your plantings.

·       Start seedlings of Fall cool season crops later in the month.

·       Begin citrus and avocado tree feedings toward the end of the month. For more specific information on fertilizing different size citrus trees: https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/HS132

 Lawn Care

 ·       Get soil test analysis of turf areas before fertilizing.

·       If your lawn is susceptible to fungus and you have had excessive rains during past storms, apply a preventative fungicide according to the label.

·       Where grass won’t grow because of too much shade, consider use of an ornamental ground cover, like ajuga, Asiatic jasmine, ferns, liriope, mondo grass, or pachysandra,

·       Lawns with aggressive weeds need attention; dig out, resod or spot treat with herbicides, but if temperatures average above 85 degrees, wait until October to use an herbicide.

·       Most local ordinances restrict fertilization until October 1st.

·       To green up lawns, use an iron-only or minor nutrient application until October.

·       Once weeds or pest issues are taken care of, patch pest-damaged or weed areas with new sod, plugs, or seed.

·       Complete seeding of Bahia turf in early September.

·       Lawn caterpillars and chinch bugs can continue in to Fall; control when noted.

·       Several products are now available for nematode control by lawn care companies.

·       Fire ants are frequently found in lawns; spot treat mounds with bait, then treat the entire lawn.

·       Aerate hard to wet or compacted soils.

·       Continue mowings at recommended heights

·       Change mowing patterns on regular basis, overlapping rows so mower doesn’t create ruts.

·       Service lawn care equipment to have it ready for Fall.

 In the Landscape

 ·       Keep eye on trees and shrubs that may have been affected by the drought in Spring and Summer. Decline from 2024 drought may be an issue for next few years.

·       Make sure any shrubs and trees leaning from storm winds are straightened as soon as possible.

·       Note plant decline in landscapes, from excessive gutter drainage. Bury gutter and extend out into yard to prevent displacement of soil and mulch.

·       Prune away dead or declining plant portions affected by Summer weather or pests.

·       Weeds are plentiful; remove them before they flower and disperse seeds.

·       Renew mulches with only a light topping to keep 3” – 4” of mulch.

·       Clean and sharpen pruning equipment to make trimming easy with minimal plant damage.

·       Prune declining brown fronds only and flower stems from palms but leave the green fronds.

·       Sterilize pruners between plants when trimming palms with possible diseases.

·       Many plants have grown out of bounds; now is the time to do needed pruning.

·       Give poinsettias and hydrangeas a final pruning.

·       Check roses that have dead or declining stems and old flowers that need to be removed.

·       Expect caladiums and some ginger to start to decline and go dormant until Spring.

·       Replant declining flowers with warm season selections; delay planting the cool season types until end of November.

·       Avoid planting palms with prevalent disease problems.

·       Scale insects, mealy bugs and aphids have been active; control as needed.

·       Sooty mold grows on the excreta of insects; control both with a horticultural oil spray.

·       Check container plantings for plugged drainage holes; repot as needed.

·       Chrysanthemums make attractive Fall flowers, but they only last a few weeks in the heat.

·       Divide perennials and replant in the garden.

·       Now is the time to ensure poinsettias have 12 hours of complete darkness every night to encourage blooming in time for Christmas.

·       Plan for cool weather bulbs, i.e., tulips, hyacinth, daffodils, etc. and refrigerate bulbs for 16 weeks so they can be planted in the landscape two to three weeks ahead of when you would like them to bloom.

·       Add new trees, shrubs, and palms.

·       Feed palms with a slow-release fertilizer three to four times a year.

·       Begin late September shrub and perennial feedings for Fall where permitted.

·       Feed hanging baskets and orchids every other week.

·       Remove declining leaves and flowers from water lilies; give a monthly feeding.

 Houseplant Care

 ·       There is still time to revive foliage plants by moving them outdoors to a shady site.

·       Indoor orchids and bromeliads make good outdoor additions when they begin to decline.

·       Groom foliage plants growing outdoors for an improved appearance.

·       Control pests including scale, mealybugs, thrips and mites with natural sprays.

·       Gradually reduce feedings and watering of Christmas and holiday cactus.

·       Transplant foliage plants needing new containers before the cooler Fall weather.

·       Feed foliage plants monthly or use a slow-release fertilizer according to the label.

·       Replace declining plants with new selections for Fall.

·       Obtain amaryllis and paper white narcissus bulbs for Fall forcing.

Teresa's What To Do in Your Landscape in June

Average temperatures: High 91    Low 71  

Average rainfall 7.35 inches

First day of summer June 20.

What to plant

Vegetables: Amaranth, boniato, calabaza, chayote, cherry tomatoes, dasheen, Everglades tomatoes, Jicama, lima beans (NF), Seminole pumpkin, sweet cassava, sweet potatoes, and yard-long beans.

 Flowers: Angelonia, begonias, bush daisy, butterfly plant, caladium, cat's whiskers, celosia, coleus, coreopsis, Dahlberg daisy, firespike, four-o'clock, gaillardia, gerbera daisy, ginger, goldenrod, impatiens, kalanchoe, lantana, lion’s ear, marigolds, melampodium, Mexican petunia, Mexican sunflower, moon flower, Porterweed, pentas, periwinkle, portulaca, purslane, salvia, showy primrose, shrimp plant, Stokes aster, sunflower, torenia and zinnias.

Herbs: Anise, basil, bay laurel, cardamom, chives, culantro, cumin, ginger, lemon balm, lemongrass, marjoram, mint, oregano, rosemary, sage, turmeric, and thyme.

Bulbs-type plants: Achimenes, African iris, agapanthus, amaryllis, Aztec lily, blackberry lily, bulbine, caladiums, canna, crinum, crocosmia, day lily, eucharis lily, gladiolus, gloriosa lily,  Hedychium, spp.  peacock ginger, society garlic, rain lily, and walking iris.

Lawn care

• Lawn fertilizing laws vary throughout Florida; check the rules in your county.: https://ffl.ifas.ufl.edu/fertilizer/ Most counties have summer fertilizer ban from June 1st through October 1st.

• Do not use. herbicides when temperatures are over 85 degrees.

•  Yellow lawns can often be greened up with an iron only application where permitted.

•  Fill bare areas or start new lawns with seed, plugs or sod for the grass type desired.

• Avoid sodding shady areas during summer to prevent rot problems caused by the wet weather.

• Water new lawns every day for the first week, every other day the second week, and every three days the third week. By end of 4 weeks, lawns are established and only need 1 - 1½  inches of water a week. Overwatering causes new lawns to decline.

• Check monthly, adjust and replace sprinklers to only water the lawn, not driveways and sidewalks.

•  Track the water lawns receive; up to 3/4-inch is normally adequate at each watering or rainfall.

• Walk yards on a weekly basis to catch pest issues early, look for chewed foliage, pests, even under leaves. 

• Chinch bugs cause yellow to brown areas in St. Augustine lawns; treat when found.

• Sod webworms are active right now. Check for damage. 

• Notice moths in your turfgrass? Wait until chewing damage is noted to treat. 

• Maintain the turf at correct height; learn the proper height for your lawn type.

• Sharpen the mower blade after five mowings.

• Mow a different direction each time the lawn is cut to avoid ruts in the turf.

•  Lawns that are overfertilized and overwatered are more susceptible to thatch.

•  Aerate older lawns and immediately water lawns that are compacted, hard to wet or have nematode problems.

• Replace constantly declining turf in dense shade with mulch or a ground cover.

•  Check rain sensor devices for efficiency this month.

Landscape chores

• Due to severe drought last winter and spring (2023-2024), some plants and trees suffered die-back that needs pruning.

•  Add new plants when the rainy season returns to help with the watering.

• During hot weather new plants may need daily watering for several weeks.

• When transplanting existing perennials and shrubs, wet the root balls and new holes several times before adding new plants to the landscape. Let water drain and repeat before placing plants in holes..

• ·Tropical bromeliads, orchids, Spathiphyllum, Aluminum plants and dracaena like shady sites.

• Mix old soil from containers and raised beds with organic matter before planting.

• Deadhead and remove broken and winter-damaged foliage and stems from perennials, roses, and spring flowering shrubs.

• Hurricane season begins June 1; it’s not too late to have your trees checked and trimmed.

• Make plans now to protect plants and landscape accessories from wind and storm damage.

• Don’t let weeds grow out of control; remove by hand.

• Do not prune azaleas or camellias after June.

• Trim back poinsettias 4” to 6” after a foot of new growth to keep them compact

• Established plants do not need watering during the rainy season.

• Hot summer days make it difficult to transplant trees and shrubs; wait until cooler weather.

•  Root cuttings of shrubs and foliage plants to grow more plants.

• Feed shrubs and palms with a slow release fertilizer where permitted.

• Give container gardens a weekly feeding or use a slow release fertilizer as labeled.

• Divide orchids and bromeliads outgrowing their containers.

•  Feed orchids every other week with a liquid or slow-release fertilizer as labeled.

• Most orchids and bromeliads grow best in the shade of a tree, water frequently when hot & dry;

• Check out terrestrial orchids and full-sun bromeliads are available for sunny areas.

• Feed lilies and other aquatic plants in home water gardens.

•  Trim formal hedges after they produce 4- to 6-inches of new growth.

• Groom hanging baskets removing old flowers and lanky shoots.

• Clean and refill bird baths as needed.

• Place Summit Responsible Solutions Mosquito Bits and Dunks in bird baths, containers, and places that fill with water.

• Remove sprouts, Spanish moss, and tillandsias, from the trunk and base of crape myrtle, maple and similar trees.

• Trim suckers and branches smaller than your pinkie from crapemyrtle before they get too large.

Vegetable and fruit care

• Keep vegetable plantings moist and fertilize monthly to continue harvests into summer.

• Make fertilizer applications every 3 to 4 weeks or use as slow release product as instructed.

• Check planting lists to determine what your family likes for summer planting.

• Obtain the seeds you need now for summer and fall planting; store in the refrigerator.

• Many herbs can survive the summer if kept moist, but not wet. and lightly fertilized.

•  Continue cutting and using herbs to keep the plants productive; preserve extras. 

• When gardens will not receive summer plantings consider soil solarization to bake out pests.

• Sweet potatoes are easy to grow: start transplants from a spouting grocery store root.

• Handpull weeds in and near the garden under control  to prevent pest  problems for Fall.

• Continue to add fruit trees, shrubs and vines from containers to the landscape

• Learn the pests of your new fruits, check trees regularly to  decide if you need a control plan.

• Reshape blueberry shrubs and hedges and prune blackberries

• Feed bananas monthly; harvest stalks when the first hand formed begins to yellow

• Feed pineapples with a slow release fertilizer following label instructions

• Provide citrus trees with proper fertilizing and pest control to avoid the greening disease.

Foliage and house plant care

• Find a spot in the sunny garden for Easter lilies; plants gradually decline & regrow in  winter.

•  Give declining foliage plants a rest outdoors in the shade.

• Repot plants needing a new container.

• Feed plants outdoors every two weeks and indoors monthly.

• Use a slow release fertilizer as instructed to stretch the time between feedings

• Wash away insects with soapy water.

• Remove declining leaves, stems and blooms; pinch the tips of shoots to cause branching.