September Gardening

Are you enjoying the colourful display from your geraniums? Don`t lose them. Use them!

Look for non-flowering shoots suitable to make cuttings.

  Use a sharp knife to make a cut straight across below a leaf, clear the stem of lower leaves & put  two or three into a 4” pot of gritty compost. Water in, then leave in a cool shady place to root.

They can be kept dry until Spring and give you free plants for next Summer.

More September Gardening Hints

September is a good time to take stock of your garden. Plants to move, divide or discard, new perennials to plant.

 While the soil is still warm it is  time to bring inside tender fuchsias, gazanias , lantanas & pelargoniums.

With regular dead-heading baskets & tubs can last a few more weeks.

Early frosts will blacken dahlias, after cutting down to ground level I cover mine with a good mulch- or they can be lifted & stored.

Keep your greenhouse well ventilated & gradually reduce watering to encourage ripening of tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers & courgettes.

Regularly pick French & runner beans.

Outdoor tomatoes can be left on the truss & brought inside to ripen. Surplus green fruits are ideal for chutney.

                Tomato Chutney