With September almost here, gardeners still have time to get their gardens in shape. Five jobs, from watering and pruning to protecting crops from pests and disease, should be on every gardener's list this week.
Watering and Feeding
Hot, dry conditions can quickly put plants under stress, particularly those in containers, against walls, or newly planted this year. Give plants a thorough soaking during dry spells, using stored rainwater or recycled grey water where possible. Consistent watering is important, as irregular watering can contribute to problems such as blossom end rot in tomatoes, splitting root vegetables, and flowers failing to develop on runner beans.
Fruit such as cranberries, lingonberries, and blueberries should also be watered regularly with rainwater. If the water butt runs dry, tap water can be used. Watch for signs of drought stress, including yellowing older leaves or browning around leaf edges. Container-grown plants are particularly vulnerable and may need deep watering, and can benefit from an organic liquid feed, such as seaweed feed.
Late-Season Sowing and Planting
There is still time to sow and plant certain crops before September. Gardeners in southern England can sow quick-growing salad crops including summer lettuce, radish, rocket, sorrel, chicory, and fennel. Spring cabbage, turnips, mizuna, mibuna, Chinese cabbage, pak choi, and overwintering onions can also still be sown in the south.
If rain is on the way, consider sowing green manures such as crimson clover or Italian ryegrass over bare patches of soil. These crops help cover the ground, improve soil texture, and conserve nutrients when dug into the soil. For fruit growers, now is a good time to plant out rooted strawberry runners.
Pruning and Training Fruit
Late summer is an important time for pruning several types of fruit. Trained apples and pears, including espaliers and cordons, can be summer pruned by cutting side shoots back to three or four leaves, encouraging fruiting spurs. Nectarines, apricots, and peaches with strong new growth can be pruned once they have finished fruiting. Plums, gages, and damsons should be pruned immediately after harvesting, while cherries can also be pruned if not already done.
Summer-fruiting raspberries need attention too. Cut out canes that have already produced fruit and tie in new canes for next year's crop. New blackberry and hybrid berry canes should be loosely tied to one side for now. Check tree ties and loosen them where necessary as trunks increase in size, and remove any suckers developing around the base of fruit trees.
Pest and Disease Checks
A quick inspection of vegetables and fruit can help catch problems before they spread. Keep an eye out for both tomato blight and potato blight, and remove any infected leaves as soon as they are spotted, adding them to council green waste or burying them deeply. Sweetcorn affected by smut disease should also be removed and placed in the council green waste collection.
Carrot fly remains a threat, so keep carrots protected beneath reused fine mesh, taking particular care when thinning late-sown seedlings. Stored onions should be checked for softening or signs of grey or black mould caused by neck rot, and affected bulbs removed. Brown rot can affect ripening fruit, so pick affected apples, pears, and plums and dispose of them through council green waste where available. Good ventilation is important for indoor grapes and melons to reduce the risk of powdery mildew.
Final Summer Care
Several smaller jobs can make a difference as summer draws to a close. After strawberries have finished fruiting, remove the old straw and leaves and tidy the plants. Heavily laden branches on fruit trees and bushes may need support to prevent snapping, using a stake or prop.
Indoor melon plants need attention too: pollinate the female flowers and pinch out the stem around 2cm beyond the flower. Outdoor melons should have their growing point pinched out twice, with four weeks between each time, and watered regularly with stored rainwater or greywater, plus a liquid seaweed feed. In the vegetable garden, keep weeds under control around crops, hoeing regularly, though some native weeds can be left around the edges for biodiversity.
Marrows should be lifted slightly off the soil to prevent discolouration where the fruit touches the ground. For celery varieties that require blanching, continue earthing up the plants, placing a layer of paper between the stems and the soil. With September almost here, these simple jobs can help gardeners protect their crops, support fruit production, and prepare the garden for the changing season.
