Spring into Action: What to Do in Your Garden This September
As the days grow longer and the temperatures begin to rise, spring is making its presence felt all around us. Bare trees are coming to life, winter’s dullness is giving way to fresh growth, vibrant colours, and the joyful energy of a garden in full renewal. Life in the garden has never been more exciting!
To help you make the most of this beautiful season, here’s your September garden checklist:
Flowering Plants & Annuals
- Plant summer-flowering bulbs such as Gladioli, Dahlia, and Begonia.
- Continue deadheading late winter/early spring annuals like Primula, Pansy, and Cineraria. Feed weekly with a quality liquid fertiliser to extend flowering and keep your garden full of colour.
- Sow seedlings of spring and summer annuals including Alyssum, Cosmos, Lobelia, Marigold, Nemesia, Petunia, Phlox, Poppy, Snapdragon, Sunflower, and Zinnia as the weather warms.
- Choose and plant Camellias while they’re in bloom – pick your favourite colours now!
- Begin feeding roses with a specialised Rose fertiliser. Water well after feeding, or wait until after a rain.
Planting Evergreen Shrubs and Trees
Once the soil has warmed, it’s the ideal time to plant evergreen shrubs and trees so they can establish strong roots before the heat of summer. Start by pre-watering your plant while it’s still in its pot. Dig a hole about twice the width of the pot and mix in some aged compost or well-rotted manure from the soil you’ve removed.
Pour some water into the hole to check drainage – if it drains slowly, add a layer of pebbles at the bottom. Create a small mound in the centre of the hole with some of the excavated soil, then place your shrub or tree on top, gently spreading the roots over the mound. Backfill with the remaining soil, water thoroughly, and apply a layer of mulch to retain moisture.
During the first few months, water regularly to keep the soil moist (but not soggy), and apply fertiliser in mid-spring to give your new plant a strong start.
Feeding & Fertilising
- Every plant in the ornamental garden appreciates a feed at this time of year. Apply slow-release organic pellets to general garden beds.
- For trees, make holes in the soil in concentric circles radiating from the trunk and place a small number of pellets in each hole.
- Heavy bloomers such as roses benefit from fertilisers formulated specifically for them such as Sudden Impact for Roses.
- Begin watering seedlings every fortnight with liquid food such as Blooming Lot or Powerfeed to support strong growth.
- Use a specialist fertiliser for native plants, especially those in the Proteaceae family such as Banksia, Grevillea, Hakea, and also wattles. We recommend Bush Tucker Native Plant fertiliser which has been developed to meet the needs of all Australian native plants.
Vegetable Garden
- Warm weather is the perfect time to prepare your vegie patch. Turn over soil, break up clods, remove debris, and mix in plenty of compost or well-rotted manure.
- Apply a general garden fertiliser at planting.
- Plant new-season herbs.
- Protect young seedlings with slug and snail bait or traps.
- Mulch vegie gardens, fruit trees, and beds to retain moisture and suppress weeds.
Garden Care & Maintenance
- Mulch garden beds to retain moisture and suppress weeds during warmer months.
- Refresh pots and hanging baskets – remove old potting mix and replace with premium quality mix with water storage crystals for easier summer care.
- Add ornamental grasses and strappy plants for low-maintenance movement and texture in the garden.
Lawns
- Sow new lawns with careful soil preparation – remove weeds and debris, then rake and level. Keep the soil moist after sowing.
- Spray broadleaf and lawn weeds such as bindii to control them before summer.
- Fertilise existing lawns to encourage strong spring growth. Lawns, like any other garden plants, require adequate nutrients and healthy soil to thrive. MacroBoost GreenTop Nitrogen Booster helps promote root growth, enabling grass to better withstand traffic and other stresses while looking lush all year round. For maximum results, use alongside BioCal+ Probiotic Calcium Booster.
- If your lawn has been sprayed for weeds, fertilise two weeks later to boost growth and reduce regrowth.
- Watch for lawn grubs, which are starting to feed now – signs include brown patches and unhealthy grass. We have several products online that we recommend for Lawn Grubs, or pop instore and talk to us about the best control methods.
Spring is the season of fresh beginnings, and a little care now will reward you with a garden bursting with colour and life in the months ahead. Take the time to nurture your plants, and don’t forget to nurture yourself - pause and enjoy the simple pleasure of smelling the flowers along the way.
