September's harvest.
The Garden Website for September
New: Colourful Fall Plants
New: Tomato Taming
New: Speeding up Tomato Harvest
New: Saving Tomato Seeds
New: Plant Rusts
Planting Spring Flowering Bulbs - Prepping for Fall - September Vegetable Gardening
Get Those Weeds - Preparing Perennials - Lawn Care for Sept - Fall Pruning
September Garden Chores - September Roses - Tropicals & Houseplants - Fall Planters
Too Many Leaves - Plant Police - Plant of the Month: Compact Burning Bush
New: Tomato Taming
New: Speeding up Tomato Harvest
New: Saving Tomato Seeds
New: Plant Rusts
Planting Spring Flowering Bulbs - Prepping for Fall - September Vegetable Gardening
Get Those Weeds - Preparing Perennials - Lawn Care for Sept - Fall Pruning
September Garden Chores - September Roses - Tropicals & Houseplants - Fall Planters
Too Many Leaves - Plant Police - Plant of the Month: Compact Burning Bush
This bee is getting a noseful of 'sneezeweed' (Helenium), so called because it was used as snuff in days past.
September Intro
Espaliered apples complement purple coneflowers (Echinacea purpurea).
How was your garden this year? Did it perform well or did the weather put a damper on its success? Did some plants do awesomely well while others failed miserably?
When it comes down to it, it doesn’t matter if you are a seasoned gardener and have awesome soil, it’s the weather that brings us to our knees. Farmers can attest to being slaves to the whims of Mother Nature when crops fail due to drought, or even when there’s a bumper crop. Here in the south coast of British Columbia, this summer has been cooler and wetter than most. On July 2, Vancouver temperatures recorded the coldest day in more than 20 years. It was a woolly sweater day with a high of 14.8°C (58.64°F). Luckily I hadn’t put my winter woollies away – it had been way too cold for that. And instead of our usual drought, it rained. It was nice not to have to break out the hose and the ‘cool cats’ of the garden like English daisies, primroses, pansies, lettuce and peas, really appreciated the gentler conditions. But what about the plants that like it hot and dry? Tomatoes were not so thrilled. They were slow to form fruit and it’s taking forever for the tomatoes to ripen (hence my tips on how to hasten their ripening below). Unfortunately these conditions are a perfect environment for fungi. Sprinklings of powdery mildew have been noted on plants that aren’t normally prone to this disease such as wintercreepers (Euonymus). Other diseases such plant rusts and anthracnose are rampant - and it’s all down to the weather. I just hope a massive heat wave doesn’t show up now. It’s not that unheard of in Vancouver. It would be kind of nice for us folks, but methinks it might screw up the plants. It’s just too late for the mercury to rise and the rain to cease. Such are the joys of gardening. There’s no guarantees; plants are living things that respond to environmental conditions. Gardeners do the best they can to assist with their well-being as it helps us with our well-being! ‘Tis good for the soul (but not so good for the back and knees). Happy gardening and I hope your weather is being good to you and your garden. Cheers, Amanda 
The beautiful large flowers of the bottle gourd or calabash (Lagenaria siceraria).
Appropriate protocols for Covid-19 are observed.
Leisure time in the garden.
September PLANT COMBO
A sunny border planting with sneezeweed, purple coneflowers and purple gayfeather.
A late summer border is overflowing with a delightful mix of drought tolerant sun loving perennials. The orange and yellow daisies are sneezeweed (Helenium autumnale). and the purple daisies are purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea). This is a wonderful combination, and not just because it looks fab. The bees and butterflies were abuzz clamouring to get as much nectar and pollen as they could collect and devour.
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The sunny yellow bidens flower (Bidens ferulifolia) and a white yarrow (Achillea millefolium) with a bee.
Watering Restrictions ContinueFor Metro Vancouver, B.C.
Water restrictions continue to October 15. Special permits are given for new plantings, including lawns. For more information, click here. If you don’t live in Metro Vancouver, contact your local municipality. |
September Garden Stars
White Fountain bush clover, Lespedeza thunbergii, deciduous shrub, 4- 6’ x 4-12’, sun part shade. Zones 4-8
Maidenhair ornamental grass, Miscanthus sinensis ‘Gracillimus’, 4-7ft x 3-6ft, copper blooms age to silver from fall thru winter, sun to part shade, attracts birds, drought tolerant. Zones 5-9
Autumn crocus, Colchicum autumnale, a corm, 6 to 10”, leaves appear in spring then disappear, only flowers appear in fall, sun to shade. Zones 4 to 8.
Sweet autumn clematis/virgins bower, Clematis terniflora, deciduous vine, 15-30ft, fragrant, sun, part shade. Zones 5 to 9
Mountain ash, Sorbus aucuparia, deciduous tree, 20' - 40' x 10'-20', spring flowers, fall orange berry clusters attract birds, sun to part shade, dislikes drought. Zones 3 to 6.
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Pink Japanese anemone, Anemone tomentosa ‘Robustissima’, herbaceous perennial, 4ft, sun, part shade. Zones 5 to 9.
Black-eyed-Susan, Rudbeckia fulgida, herbaceous perennial, 2 ft, sun, part shade, Zones 4 to 9.
Devil’s walking stick, Aralia spinosa, deciduous shrub or small tree, 10’-20’ x 6’-10’, thorny stems, blooms July, Aug, black berries in fall, attracts birds. Zones 4 to 9.
Abbotswood cinquefoil, Potentilla fruticosa 'Abbotswood', deciduous shrub, blooms late spring into fall, 2-3’ tall & wide. Zones 2 to 8.
Ornamental kale, biennial, 1’x 15”, Zones 2-9.
Charity Oregon holly, Mahonia x media 'Charity', broadleaf evergreen shrub, 10’x5’, sun to part shade. Zones 7 to 9.
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'Karl Foester' feather reed grass, Calamagrostis × acutiflora 'Karl Foerster', herbaceous perennial, 3’-5’ x 2’-2.5’, flowers May to Feb, sun, moist soils. Zones 5 to 9.
Fall aster, (Aster spp.) herbaceous perennial, 10"- 6’ x 10"- 4’ , attracts, butterflies and bees. Zones 4 to 8.
Chrysanthemum, herbaceous perennial, 1-3’ x 1-2’, many flower colours and flowers from September to frost. Zones 5 to 9.
Autumn Joy Sedum, Hylotelephium 'Herbstfreude', herbaceous perennial, sun, 1.5-3', attracts butterflies, drought tolerant. Zones 3 to 9.
Peegee hydrangea, H. paniculata 'Grandiflora', deciduous shrub or tree, 10’-25’ x 8’-16’, blooms stay from July into winter, sun, part shade. Zones 3 to 8.
Purple coneflower, Echinacea purpurea, herbaceous perennial, 15” to 18” x 12” to 16”, sun, part shade, attracts butterflies, July into fall. Zones 4 to 8.
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plant police
Hollyhock rust.
Rust (Phragmidium spp.) is a common disease found on roses, beans, tomatoes, snapdragons, hollyhocks, fruit trees and many other plants. I admit it’s difficult to grow susceptible plants, such as hollyhocks, without them getting rust. Since they are not perennials, most people don’t bother with treating them with fungicides, as they often soldier on despite the infection.
Symptoms: Lower leaves show the first symptoms with yellow spots on topside with white pustules on the undersides. The pustules mature to a reddish brown then become black and penetrate through to the topside of the foliage. As the infection progresses, their foliage yellows, becomes distorted and eventually falls off. To learn how to control and prevent rust click here. 
Whitish pustules on the undersides of a hollyhock leaf before they age to a rust colour.
Ripen those Tomatoes!
Cut stems back to a tomato to encourage remaining fruit to ripen.
Prepping For Fall
These asters and phlox will be cut back once they finish flowering and the leaves yellow.
Throughout the fall, plants collect and store their sugars in their roots as they prepare for winter. Short days, cool evenings and low daytime temperatures signal to all plants that winter is coming. Petunias, impatiens and other annuals are on their last legs; they will not survive the winter. However as spring and summer flowering perennials fade, fall blooming ones are strutting their stuff whilst trees and shrubs they don their autumnal foliage.
Tour Your Garden Take your time to inspect your garden. There will be some that need to be moved as they are either too small or too big for neighbouring plants. Don't wait for spring; do it now as temperatures are cool and rain is plentiful. Sad plants? Maybe they are in the wrong location. It could be too sunny, shady, too wet, too dry or maybe it's just too crowded. If in doubt, do your research to find out what are the correct conditions for the plant in question. Too much shade? Plants are weak, straggly and pale with few or no flowers. Stems maybe elongated and stretched towards the light. Too much sun? Plants look fried, weak, bleached and are stunted with very few leaves.
The same border after fall clean up reveals a statue named Sophie.
September Vegetable Gardening
Harvesting: Keep on harvesting and discard any buggy or diseased produce, plants and plant parts. This prevents diseases and insects from overwintering to re-infest next year’s crops. Removing rotting fruit, including tomatoes also doesn’t tempt wildlife into the garden. It’s not a good idea to compost infected plants unless you have a hot compost, 50 to 66° Celsius (122°-155°F) for a few days. For more on composting click here.
Cool Crops: Clean up your kale, chard, broccoli and other cool crops by removing yellow leaves and such. For more information on the best stage to harvest specific crops, click here. 
Plant cover crops on bare veggie beds to protect and build soil. Click on the picture for more. (Cocoa not included.)
Get those Weeds!
Prepping perennials
This sneezeweed (Helenium) needs to be divided.
Lawn Care for September
Fall is great time to sow some grass seed and renovate lawns.
Fall is the ideal time to work on the lawn because active growth is resuming after their summer dormancy. Although most people think spring is the best time for lawn renovation, autumn is a better time. The soil is warm hastening seed germination and root growth. Fall rains help establish new lawns quickly and the upcoming cool weather allows roots to continue to grow well into winter.
Fall Pruning
Pruning spring flowering trees and shrubs now will remove all their flowers! Wild Cherry (Prunus avium 'Plena') is pictured.
Prune lightly: Severe pruning in fall is not recommended. Cutting off too much, making them susceptible to winter damage.
What to remove:
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September Garden Chores
It's a great time to plant roses, trees, shrubs and vines. Pictured, a David Austin rose called Jubilee Celebration.
Please note that coloured text are linked to another page on this website or another website. Most of the pictures are also linked and will redirect you if you click on them.
Deadhead: Keep removing dead flowers from perennials and annuals to further their blooming.
Beds & Borders: Cut back perennials, remove spent annuals and any diseased or buggy plants. Don’t remove fallen leaves and other plant debris on top of the soil unless it is diseased or buggy. To top up mulch on beds use fallen leaves as they are beneficial and full of nutrients. Veggie Gardens: Don’t leave the ground bare for winter after harvesting your veggies, sow a green manure (cover crop) such as crimson clover or annual rye. Or mulch bare beds with heaps of fallen leaves. Thick layers quickly pack down but light layers easily blow away, so add as much as you can. For more on cover crops click here. Potatoes: Harvest potatoes, but let them dry in a cool, dark area for a couple of days before storing. For more click here. Winter Veggies: Sow seeds or purchase starter plants of kale, broccoli, cabbage, peas, brussel sprouts and other cool season crops. For more on winter veggies click here. 
Take cuttings from your favorite plants. Shown buttercup winterhazel (Corylopsis pauciflora).
Plant: Autumn is the perfect time to plant trees, shrubs, perennial vines, fruits and perennials. For more on how to plant click here.
Prune: Prune fall flowering plants if needed. It’s too late to prune spring flowering shrubs and trees. Lawns: Renovate sad lawns, fix patches and plant new lawns with either seed or sod. Lawns: Mow often and mow high at 2.5 to 3 inches, apply Dolopril lime, corn gluten to control germinating seeds (don’t use if seeding lawn). Perennials: Once they start to yellow, cut them back to a few inches above the ground. Divide overcrowded clumps. Transplant: Move plants that crowd others and one that need more suitable conditions. For more on how to plant click here. Spring bulbs: Plant daffodils, tulips, hyacinths etc. as soon as possible for best growth and selection. For more click here. 
Hydrangeas: Remove flowers just above a couple of plump green buds near the top of the stems. Cut off really old branches, spindly and dead one at their base.
Cuttings: Take semi-hardwood cuttings from trees, shrubs and vines. For more click here.
Containers: Fix up tired planters by removing spent plants and adding new ones with some fresh compost. Click here for more. Winterize: Apply a winterizer fertilizer (high potash), to newly planted plants, hungry and sickly plants. For more on feeding plants click here. Compost: Turn weekly and water when needed. Avoid adding plants that have gone to seed, are infested with bugs and/or diseases. For the carbon/brown layer add a few inches of fallen fall foliage. Keep extra for future use. Click here for more on composting. 
A frost damaged dahlia is ready to be dug up.
Dahlias: Keep dead-heading until frost kills their tops, then dig them up and store in a frost free place. To learn how to store dahlias click here.
Weed Seeds: Apply corn gluten to kill winter weeds that germinate in fall such as shepherd’s purse and chickweed. Do not apply where you have sown desirable seed. 
Collect seeds when seed heads turn brown. Click on the picture for more info.
Need fall colour? Get thee to your local plant nursery to pick out autumnal beauties such as chrysanthemums, ornamental kale, Japanese maples, Virginia and Boston creeper (Parthenocissus), burning bush (Euonymus alatus) and witch hazel (Hamamelis).
Pictures: Take pictures of the garden and make entries into your garden journal regarding successes and any learning experiences, while it’s still fresh in your head. Saving Tomato Seeds
These tomatoes were grown from a tomato bought from a produce stand.
The Process
Tomato seeds are surrounded by a jelly-like substance that inhibits them from germinating. To remove this substance, they need to be fermented. Fermentation also improves resistance to diseases and bacteria.
September Roses
Don't deadhead this time of year if you want colourful rosehips. Pictured 'Hansa' rugose rose.
Many roses are still blooming away, while others are shutting down. It all depends on the climate. There'll be few if any flowers followed by defoliation, however in more temperate zones, they might be enjoying the cooler temperatures and rain – it all depends on the weather!
When plants start to fade and go into dormancy, remove all spent flowers to an outward facing 5 to 7 leaflet, unless you want them to mature into colourful rosehips. Remove all dead, dying, broken, diseased, spindly and old canes. Loppers are a good idea to remove thick canes. Pull or cut any suckers that have grown from under the bud union on grafted varieties. Suckers are more vigorous and bigger than the rest of the canes. Remove all spent foliage from the ground. Cut back overly long canes to a side branch or outward facing node or leaf. Give it a good drink if the soil is dry. Cover the bud union of grafted varieties with a three inches of soil or fall leaves. Unless rose leaves are yellow and the plant is obviously hungry, don’t fertilize. Subsequent new growth is susceptible to frost injury and you are giving the rose the wrong signals as you don’t want it go into active growth this time of year. For more on roses click here for the Rose Section. Its full of goodies! Planting Bulbs
When: Plant spring flowering bulbs from late September through October. The earlier they're planted the stronger and longer their roots will be plus and they will have the adequate amount of chilling months to develop and flower properly. Purchase bulbs now for the best selection, as stores sell out quickly. Select large bulbs, as the bigger they are the bigger the blossoms. They should be free of disease and rot. To read more on where to plant, how to plant, how to protect them from critters, and design tips click here.
Tropicals & Houseplants
Bring in houseplants and tropicals this month.
The vacation is over for houseplants and tropical plants that have been lolling outside. The sooner they are brought inside the better this includes tuberous begonias, citrus, impatiens, coleus, geraniums, bougainvilleas, palm trees, angel trumpets (Brugmansia & Datura), mandevilla, allamandas, tender jasmines and oleanders. To learn more about overwintering tropicals, tender summer bulbs and how to propagate them by taking cuttings, click here.
Fall Planters
Ornamental kale, winter pansies and colourful gourds spruce up a tired summer planter.
Give new life to planters that have past their prime for some lovely fall colour.
Too Many Leaves
Fallen leaves make a nutritional mulch.
Colourful fall leaves sure are purty when they are still attached to the tree, but they make lots of people unhappy once they start to fall. Although raking them up seems like an endless chore, keep in mind that these leaves are full of nutrients. They can be used as a mulch, turned into leaf mould, mixed into the soil or added to compost as the brown, carbon layer.
Rake them off the lawn or bag them while mowing, then empty the shredded leaves onto the beds. A nice thick 3 inch layer works to protect the ground from fluctuating temperatures, erosion, weeds - and as an added benefit, it feeds the soil, which in turn feeds the plants. This is why it is so important to leave organic debris on garden beds, as this interferes with the soil food web. You’re just making more work for yourself if you remove it, so let it be. For more on mulch click here. September Arrangement
September's arrangement includes roses, asters, hydrangeas and fall crocus.
Purple asters follow the curve of the basket handle. The deep pink flower clusters are hydrangeas. The light mauve single flowers are fall crocus. The roses include Guy de Maupassant, Sweet Vigorosa® Rose and Buff Beauty. Deep green leaves used as a filler are Mexican mock orange. For more details on this arrangement click on Monthly Arrangements.
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Plant of the month
Dwarf Burning Bush
Euonymus Alatus 'Compacta'
The compact burning bush puts on a fiery show in autumn.
Flowers appear in May among fresh green foliage.
The more sun a burning bush receives the more colourful the display.
The red foliage persists well into fall.
Flowers sit atop and among the simple leaves.
Dwarf burning bush makes a stunning hedge.
Elliptical leaves are arranged opposite each other.
Corky wings are found along stems.
Their pale green flowers usually go unnoticed.
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Common Name: dwarf burning bush, winged euonymus, winged spindle tree
Botanical Name: Euonymus alatus 'Compactus' Form: multi-stemmed, vase-shaped, flat-topped Family: Celastraceae Genus: Euonymus Species: alatus, cultivar ‘Compactus’ Plant Type: deciduous shrub Mature Size: 9’ to 11’, equal spread Growth: moderate Origin: Asia and Russia Hardiness Zone: 4 to 8 Exposure: sun best for fall colour Foliage: up to 3”, serrated, green, bright red fall colour, Flowers: small, yellowish-green flowers appear in May but are not showy. Fruit: small purplish red to pink capsules with small seeds surrounded by bright orange flesh Stems: green stems bear strips of cork and are known as ‘wings’ Soil: soil tolerant, prefers well-drained, dislikes drought Uses: hedge, screen, specimen, massing, foundation, accent, small gardens, containers, mixed borders, attracts birds and wildlife, Propagation: semi-hardwood cuttings Pruning: winter Problems: invasive in some locations, powdery mildew Comments: The Euonymus alatus ‘Compactus’ is called the burning bush because its simple green leaves turn a fiery red in autumn. It is a head turner! The more sun it gets, the more dazzling it is. This award winning deciduous shrub is a cultivar of its much larger cousin, Euonymus alatus, which grows to 20 feet in height and width. Because of its smaller stature, this versatile shrub can be used many ways in the garden. During the summer, while still green, it sits nicely in the garden as a background to other plants, or a hedge, and livens up borders and foundation plantings. On top of its flashy fall foliage, this plant has another feature that sets it apart. This feature is responsible for its other common name – the winged euonymus. Along its stems are strips of cork that stick out like wings. The original burning bush ‘wings’ are more prominent and plentiful than its dwarf cultivar. The small simple chartreuse flowers aren’t showy, but their seeds are quite unusual resembling flying orange beetles with dark red wings. Birds and other wildlife love the fruit and spread the tiny black seeds far and wide. In some location it has naturalized and has impeded native flora. Check your area before purchasing. 
The flower isn't flashy but it's quite charming.
Tiny black seeds are surrounded an orange fleshy aril, which are encased by a colourful capsule.
Many viable seeds exist inside these colourful seed heads.
A lack of sunshine inhibits reddening of the foliage.
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for the tropical Gardener
While working in Florida as horticultural consultant, it became apparent that there was a need for a book on tropical shrubs. There are so many wonderful shrubs to choose from, so I wrote a reference book to make the selections easier. Ornamental Tropical Shrubs includes pictures in full colour and information about the plants in point form. So if you live in the tropics and subtropics and need a reference book on tropical shrubs, or you just want to have a look-see click here.
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