September is the crossover month for Southern gardens. The last throes of the sweltering heat begin to loosen their grip on summer, offering us a promise that autumn is peering over its shoulder. The best gardening conditions occur now! This month is perfect for planning ahead, planting new crops, and keeping your garden alive and productive. These are the tasks you should be tackling at your Southern garden this September.

1. Get the Ground Ready:

As temperatures cool, it’s important to start prepping your garden beds for fall planting. Start by reading the late-season summer crops and also the harvests that are done for your own purposes. Clean up garden beds to keep away overwintering pests/diseases. Once you have cleaned out your beds, look into adding compost or aged manure for some soil enrichment. It adds organic matter that in turn will improve soil structure, increasing nutrient content and water-holding properties. If you have very sandy or clay-heavy soil, add peat moss for better texture and drainage.

2. What to Plant in September:

September is a great time to plant your fall vegetable garden in the South.

• Leafy Greens: They flourish in cool temperatures and can be harvested throughout the fall and winter. Some popular options are lettuce (try Slobolt Romaine or Red Oak), spinach (Savoyed Smooth Leaf is very hardy), kale (read Wallflower Winter Mix as well!), Swiss chard.
• Root Vegetables: Fall is also a great time to plant many root vegetables like carrots, beets, radishes, and turnips—all of which taste best after the first frost.
• Brassicas: Broccoli, cauliflower, and cabbage keep on developing in fall when planted towards the finish of summer.
• Plant Now for Spring Alliums: Sowing onions, garlic, and leeks.

Make sure to plant seeds or seedlings for each such crop at the right spacing and water them well.

3. Plant Fall Flowers:

Just like vegetables, fall is a great time of year to plant flowers that will add color to your garden as the seasons change. Add these to your fall garden:

• Mums: Chrysanthemum varieties are curated for colors and can bloom well into the chilliest days of autumn.
• Pansies and Violas: These old-time favorites add color to garden beds or containers.
• Asters: Asters offer a burst of late-season color and attract pollinators to your garden.

When planting fall flowers, make sure you know what variety will work best in your local climate and soil conditions.

4. Week 3 (Splitting Perennials):

September is a great time to split and transplant perennials. Numerous perennials—like daylilies, iris, and hosta—need dividing every few years to ensure they remain vigorous and aren’t overly crowded. For perennials, dig the entire plant up and separate root clumps into smaller pieces (all with some shoots and roots). Replant the divisions in well-drained, but fertile soil and water them deeply to help get all those roots deep into your earth! Also, remove any dead or diseased foliage from perennials to promote good growth next spring.

5. Mulching:

September is a big mulching month for gardens in the South. Using mulch provides soil with an even temperature, helps to retain moisture, and prevent weeds. Organic mulches, such as straw, wood chips, or shredded leaves decay over time too, in the process releasing important nutrients into the soil. For mulch applications, you should apply it at a depth of 2 to 3 inches and ensure that the stems or trunks are not piled up against plants as this can cause rotting and pests.

6. Water:

Lower temperatures mean your garden will need less water. Although September usually brings more rain, be sure to check soil moisture needs and water accordingly. To prevent fungal diseases, water early before the foliage gets wet and be sure to water deeply less frequently so roots grow deep. Watering in the early morning allows for better drying of foliage throughout the day, reducing disease development.

7. Pest and Disease Management:

As the weather cools down, pests and diseases are still something you need to stay on top of controlling in your garden. Watch for insect pests of fall including aphids, caterpillars, and slugs. Remember to keep a lookout for signs of destruction on your plants and address them immediately. When it comes to battling pests, an organic strategy is your best weapon and you should consider planting all kinds of bugs that benefit the food such as ladybugs or lacewings. Insecticidal soaps or neem oil are also great tools for controlling pests on the plants without injuring any beneficial organisms.

8. September Bountiful:

Many of the summer crops will still be producing fruit, so continue gathering in those tomatoes, peppers, and beans. It ensures plants continue to provide, and lessens the chance of obstacles like weeds or pests plaguing them. Preserving your harvest in plants form like canned or frozen vegetables, dried herbs, etc. This provides a way to appreciate these flavors of the garden during winter.

9. Plant Cover Crops:

Cover crops, aka green manures, are a great way to improve the soil’s vitality during this fall/winter. Planting a cover crop such as clover, vetch, or rye will help prevent soil erosion, suppress weeds, and add organic matter to your till next spring. Plant cover crop seeds in September, and it will establish all fall & winter. When spring arrives they can be dug back into the ground to add plenty of fertility and also help bulk out soils too.

10. Prepare for Spring:

It may be a little early, but September is a good time to start planning your spring garden. This year was your first trial at cultivating the crops and flowers you would like to ensure flourish in 2020; therefore, note down what went well as these are things you should probably repeat next season. Purchase seeds and bulbs now for better variety in spring planting. You may also want to keep a journal of your time gardening so you can take notes on what went well and not-so-well as it pertains to planning in the future.

Last Thoughts:

September is a very productive time for gardening down South. Soil Preparation, Plant Fall Vegetables and Flowers, Perennials Care, Mulch + Pest Management for a Successful Cool Season Garden. Welcome to each stage of the season and take advantage of what your Southern garden has to offer.