September is a month of transition – summer growth is slowing, but there’s still plenty to harvest and prepare for the cooler months ahead. Here are a few jobs to keep in mind on the plots this month:
- Harvest regularly
- Beans, courgettes, cucumbers, and tomatoes are often at their best now. Pick little and often to keep plants productive and avoid gluts going to waste.
- Cut pumpkins and winter squashes – cure them so they will keep over winter by leaving them in the sun to harden their skins.
- Lift and store – Maincrop potatoes, onions, and garlic should be lifted once the foliage has died back. Dry thoroughly before storing in a cool, airy place.
- Sow for autumn and winter
- Hardy greens like spinach, pak choi, rocket, and turnips can be sown now for cropping into the colder months.
- Sow broad beans seeds outside or start them in pots.
- Plant overwintering crops
- September is a good time to put in overwintering onions, garlic, shallots and spring cabbage for an early start next year, and check them regularly as birds love to pull them out.
- Cover autumn salads and Oriental leaves with cloches or fleece to protect from frost.
- Look after the soil – Clear away spent crops, weed thoroughly, and add compost or well-rotted manure to bare beds to enrich them for next season.
- Tidy and prune
- Cut back fruiting canes such as summer raspberries, tie in new growth, and prune stone fruit trees once harvesting is done.
- Clear away dead plant material and compost it – except diseased plants and perennial weeds which you should burn or take off the site.
- Take down and store supports for beans, peas and tomatoes.
- Save seed – Beans, peas, and tomatoes can be left to ripen fully and dried for seed saving, ready for next year’s sowing.
- Think ahead – Now’s the time to plan green manure sowings, order spring bulbs, and prepare cloches or fleece for protecting late crops.