Garden blog for September 2012

August has proved, once more, to live up to a well deserved reputation for heat, heat and more heat.  With some stead fast work it is hoped that your plants were spared from getting fried and you have enjoyed a bountiful harvest.  Those vegetables that our gardeners are reporting to have had especially large harvests of include: cherry tomatoes, zucchini, cucumbers and corn.  But enough about last month, let’s get ready for September.

September is our busiest month of the year!  First we are harvesting those abundant crops and keeping our plants vibrant by watching for pests and clipping out dead or spent plant sections.  Remove those plants that are not thriving and either replant or make space for a new crop.  Go ahead…don’t be scared.

Second, it is time to begin our plans for Fall.  It really is just around the corner.  But we have a few surprises in store like Santa Ana winds with their hot and extreme drying effects.  So adjusting watering patterns would be a great start.  For some, that means changing sprayers to a drip system as the winds will assure that every drop of water ends up several feet away from the intended target.  Also, it may be best to change watering times to dawn or dusk to allow the water to soak in before the wind and heat evaporate all the moisture.

Third, write down plans for winter and spring blooming flowers to plant.  A few nice choices are snapdragon, cineraria, stock and alyssum for seeds.  For plant starts, it is a good time to find calendula, candytuft, Iceland poppies and most any daisy variety.  This is also the month to select all of the bulbs that you will plant later and see in the spring.  A little bit more about bulbs in a few weeks.  October, our best planting month, is still ahead but these early plans will make certain that your favorite varieties are not sold out and that they arrive in time.