September garden advice and maintenance

General gardening

• Pick Autumn raspberries
• Dig up any remaining potatoes before the slugs spoil them
• Put a net over your pond to protect from falling leaves
• Keep up with watering of new plants, using rain or grey water if possible
• Start to reduce the frequency of houseplant watering
• Cover leafy vegetable crops with bird-proof netting
• Plant Spring flowering bulbs
• Once faded, take out summer bedding plants and replace with spring ones such as Pansies and Wallflowers
• Deadhead Roses regularly
• Clear up any fallen leaves
• Begin planting your Autumn, Winter and early Spring flowering plants
• Empty containers of plants which are now passed their best in preparation for replanting with Autumn and Winter flowering types and Spring flowering bulbs. Remember to empty hanging baskets at the same time
• Line the insides of your pots before planting with bubble plastic to protect your plants’ roots and clay pots from frosts
• Spring flowering bulbs should be ideally planted before mid-November
• Whenever possible, plant bulbs straight away, otherwise store in a cool dry place

In the greenhouse

• Clean out your greenhouse ready for the Autumn
• Narcissus can be planted to ensure a display for Christmas

Wildlife gardening

• Clean out birdbaths and keep them topped up
• Replenish birdfeeders. The breeding season is not yet over, so avoid large chunks and peanuts
• Leave some seed heads standing, rather than cutting them back, to provide food and shelter for wildlife