September is a busy month in the yard and garden. Here's the first of our monthly gardening checklists which give an overview of what to look out for and what you can start doing for each upcoming month.

Things to do in September

  • Plant grass seed, cover with straw and water until it comes up, then cut back progressively each week until you are only watering once per week providing there is no rain.
  • Plant trees, fruit trees for next year and evergreens are ideally planted early in the month.
  • Plant shrubs and finish transplanting perennials.
  • Plant the last remaining veggies in your garden and prepare your cold frames.
  • Watch for artillery fungus in mulch beds.
  • Spray for spider mites with insecticidal soap or horticultural oils.
  • Bring houseplants indoors for the fall and winter.
  • Transplant chrysanthemums.
  • Plant spring flowering bulbs.
  • Watch out for increased levels of ticks.
  • Spray poison ivy with vegetation killer or remove by soaking soil and using tools and bags to pull out the entire vine avoiding contact with your skin.
  • Cut back climbing ivy that has grown over the summer months.
  • Check evergreens for remaining bagworms which look like tiny pine cones and pull them off by hand.  There's nothing you can spray once they are in their sacks.

Have a great time out there in your garden this month! As always, send your gardening questions to chris.eannucci@townsquaremedia.com. Click here for more Garden Tips.

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