HINTS & TIPS SEPTEMBER
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courtesy of Gardeners World magazine https://www.gardenersworld.com/what-to-do-now-september/
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Sow hardy annuals, such as cerinthes, ammi, scabiosa and cornflowers, for flowers early next summer
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Lift gladioli corms, dry them off, then store in a frost-free shed or garage over winter
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Plant wallflowers, pansies, forget-me-nots and other spring bedding in pots and borders
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Collect ripe seeds from your favourite flowers and store in labelled envelopes, ready to sow in spring
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Plant up containers for autumn interest, using cyclamen, heathers, heucheras and other colourful bedding plants
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Lift, divide and replant congested clumps of perennials, such as achilleas, once they finish flowering
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Apply vine weevil control to pots if plants show the tell-tale sign of notched leaf margins
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Fill any gaps with late-flowering perennials, such as sedums, to provide nectar for pollinating insects into autumn
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Plant spring bulbs in autumn, including crocuses, daffodils, hyacinths, bluebells and snake's-head fritillaries in pots and borders
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Take cuttings from fuchsias, salvias and pelargoniums
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Keep summer bedding flowering in hanging baskets and pots until the first frosts by deadheading and feeding regularly
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Trim conifer hedges to neaten them up and control height
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Leave sunflower seed heads in place for birds to feed on
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Sow hardy greens, such as kale, land cress, pak choi, mizuna, lamb's lettuce and mustard, for winter pickings
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Prune out all the fruited canes of summer raspberries, cutting down to the base, and tie in new canes to supports
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Pot up herbs, such as chives and parsley, and place on a sunny windowsill to use during winter
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Start sowing hardy varieties of broad beans and peas for early crops next year
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Plant shallot and onion sets in a sunny spot, 10cm apart, with the tip just showing above the soil
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Cut away any leaves covering the fruits of pumpkins, squash and marrows to help the skins ripen in the sun
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Plant saffron crocus bulbs (Crocus sativus), so you can harvest your own saffron this autumn
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Pick apples and pears before the wind blows them down, and store undamaged fruits if you can't eat them fresh
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Store chillies by threading the stalks onto strong cotton or wire and hanging up to dry somewhere warm and dry
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Cut off trusses of unripe outdoor tomatoes before the weather turns cold, then ripen them indoors
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Lift maincrop potatoes, dry off and store in hessian or paper sacks, in a cool, dark, well-ventilated place
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Complete summer pruning of both free-standing and trained apple trees, to encourage good fruiting in future years
