On the Lawn
If possible, install a proper path or stepping stones to avoid any excessive wear and tear. Be sure to keep off the lawn in winter when it is wet and frosty.
Traditionally September is the time you should be assessing your lawn and formulating a plan carrying out any major renovations or improvements in the autumn. Depending on how uneven your lawn is a number of solutions can be used ranging from top-dressing over a number of seasons to adjust the level to lifting the turf and re laying it once you have adjusted the levels by adding or removing soil.
Lawn Disease - In the autumn and the summer you should keep a close eye on your lawn checking it every few days for areas that turn yellow red as this is often the first signs of a fungal disease such as Red Thread. Damaged Areas or Patches These areas can be re-turfed or re seeded September and October Rough or Weed Grasses in your Lawn Often in a lawn with fine grasses you will find a patch of rougher grass such as Yorkshire fog or rye grass. The best solution is to remove these areas and reseed or re turf.
Summer Colour - If your lawn did not have a very good colour during the summer months this might be due to compaction. spiking and hollow coring your lawn in the autumn and winter will allow the grass plant roots to grow deeper into the soil to maintain a better colour in the warmer summer months. Drainage Autumn is a great time to plan for a winter lawn drainage project Compaction, poor drainage, over-acidity, shade, too close mowing, underfeeding and drought can all encourage moss to take over. Identifying and treating the problem will allow the grass to take the place of moss. Chemical moss killers won't cure the problem long-term.
Thatch Build Up - this is the build between the base of the grass plant and the soil in your turf. It forms a mat of dead grass that makes the lawn feel spongy, particularly in wet weather. One of the main problems with thatch it is the ideal environment for diseases such as red thread and dollar spot.
To remove thatch from a lawn, use a spring-tined rake or a powered scarifier, which you can hire. The process of scarifying will stimulate the grass to produce runners and side shoots, thickening up the lawn.
Aerate the soil at least once every three years. Do this by making holes in the soil, either with a fork or a hollow-tined fork, which removes a plug of soil.
In the Vegetable and Fruit Garden
Finish tying in wall-trained sweet cherries. Pruning should have been completed during the summer. Water any new strawberry beds planted this season. New plants need to establish before the cold sets in.
Valuable time is best saved for more urgent jobs that cannot wait beyond this month. New trees can be planted once the autumn sets in and the dry weather is over. The soil will still be quite warm in September even if the weather is cool, and the roots of new plants will benefit from this.
Celery can be earthed-up for the final time this month, leaving just a tuft of foliage sticking out of the trench or collar in order to blanch the stems.
Trench cultivars can be left in the ground, although do have some horticultural fleece or straw handy to throw over the tops if severe frosts are forecast in your area. Recycled grey water is not recommended for edible crops, but stored rainwater is ideal.
The Shrub Border
Keep up with watering of new plants, using rain or grey water if possible. Take semi-ripe cuttings of evergreen shrubs such as Cistus, Ceanothus and Viburnum. Take hardwood cuttings of roses, choosing well-ripened, healthy shoots. Give evergreen hedges a final trim to make sure they are in shape for winter.
Flower border/Patio area
Try to plant daffodils (Narcissus) by mid-September for the best results. Tulips are best left until November. Remember that there are many other bulbs to choose from: Muscari (grape hyacinths), Chionodoxa (glory of the snow), Scilla, Ipheion and crocuses are all possibilities among many others.
If you have very heavy clay soil, you may get better results by sowing under cover in containers or plug trays, as the seedlings are less likely to rot. This is a good time of year to plant new perennials, especially towards the end of September, as the soil is still warm, but moisture levels are increasing.
Bring inside any tender perennials, such as Fuchsia, Gazania, Lantana and Abutilon, before frosts cause damage. Wait for the first frosts to hit dahlias and cannas before lifting the tubers or rhizomes. Buy spring-flowering bedding plants, such as Bellis, Primula, wallflowers, and violas .
Continue to deadhead plants such as Dahlia, Delphinium, Rosa and Penstemon to prolong the display and give colour well into the month. If the weather is already autumnal, you can now plant and move shrubs and trees without having to worry excessively about their survival and establishment. Shrubs planted now will get off to a flying start next spring, as they will have had all winter to settle in.
In the Glasshouse and Conservatory
Plant up containers with Hippeastrum (amaryllis) bulbs and prepared hyacinths for a Christmas display. Ventilate conservatories during the remaining warmer days to prevent soaring temperatures. Damping down usually becomes unnecessary as the month progresses. It is best to do any watering or damping down earlier in the day, so that the greenhouse is dry by evening.
Roses
Deadhead roses. Use composted green waste as a mulch.
Ponds
Net ponds before leaf fall gets underway.
The Compost Heap
Turn/moisten compost heap/bin.
Recycle
Paper, Cardboard, Glass Bottles and Jars, Plastic. Compost all Green Waste including Vegetable peelings and left-overs.
Use recycled products/materials where possible. Collect rainwater and investigate ways to recycle water for irrigation. Be water wise, especially in during long dry spells.