September Gardening Tasks

"Roots Make Shoots & Shoots Make Roots!"

Trees, Shrubs, Perennials and Annuals:
Although potted plants can be planted anytime of the year, fall is still the best time to plant hardy trees, shrubs and perennials. Cooler temperatures and lessening light intensity mean less stress for the plants. Root growth will continue while soil temperatures remain around 50 degrees Fahrenheit and above. Now is a great time, transplant as well. As always, be sure to take into consideration the mature size of trees and shrubs as you decide what to plant.

It’s also time to be thinking about changing out your warm season annuals for cool season ones. Think about different color schemes using reliable bloomers such as violas, pansies, snapdragons, sweet alyssum, and dianthus. For foliage accents try ornamental brassicas, dusty miller, and herbs that prefer cooler temperatures such as parsley, dill, fennel and cilantro.

Soil Testing:
If you haven’t already done it, now is the time to prepare your vegetable gardens for next spring. Be sure to have your soil tested if you haven’t done it in the past few years. Commercial growers test every year because lime application to correct pH is critical for plant growth. Every part of your yard can benefit from a soil test.

For more information on soil testing please visit:
https://hgic.clemson.edu/factsheet/soil-testing/
https://www.clemson.edu/public/regulatory/ag-srvc-lab/soil-testing/index.html

---

Lawns:
The time for pre-emergent herbicide applications for lawns begins this month. Time your application after there have been at least four consecutive nights where temperatures were between 55- and 60-degrees Fahrenheit. Look for temperatures to start dropping around the middle of the month

For more information on weed management in lawns please visit:
https://hgic.clemson.edu/factsheet/managingweeds-in-warm-season-lawns/

Disease Management:
In the best-case scenario, plants in your landscape that are susceptible to diseases (common ones are Cercospora, anthracnose, powdery mildew) would have been sprayed with a fungicide before Hurricane Dorian and the heavy rainfall it brought. Even if that was done, another fungicide application should be applied 7-14 days after that first application. Read the product label to be certain how soon you can make another application.

---