Gardening Jobs for September

For those of us that grow our own fruit and vegetables, September is a time for the bumper harvest - squashes and pumpkins, beans and tomatoes will all be at their best in September. Fruit trees also begin to produce in September and what is nicer than plucking an apple straight from the tree? Some varieties of apples and pears can be stored surprisingly well for a long time providing that they are in perfect condition when they go into storage and are checked for health occasionally during storage. Plums and other stone fruits do not store well but do enjoy finding other ways to preserve them – bottled fruit, frozen fruit, fruit leathers or, even, plum jam on toast – delicious!

September is also a great time to take cuttings from some of your favourite perennials. These are a good way to make more of your most beloved plant as they are essentially a clone of the parent plant. As an example, taking a cutting of a rose is the only way to ensure you get an exact replica. At this time of year semi-ripe cuttings are the ones to take, they also have a higher success rate than softwood cuttings in most cases. A semi ripe cutting will have new growth at the top (green and supple) whereas the bottom will be woody. Very importantly, before you cut anything, make sure you have a plastic bag or tub of water and a clean, sharp pair of secateurs to hand. The main aim here is minimise the amount of moisture loss and the sharper the tools the more likely roots will form. Choose a healthy stem which has had no flowers and cut cleanly. Strip off most of the foliage and side shoots so only the top few leaves are left. Ensure the cutting is about 4 inches long, dip it in rooting powder or gel and bury it in gritty compost at the edge of the pot. Water well then place somewhere warm with plenty of natural light. You will know if the cutting has taken when new top growth begins to emerge, or roots can be seen through the bottom of the pot. Once a good network of roots has been established in the smaller pot, it will be time to pot on ready to plant out into the garden the following spring or summer.

Now is also the time to cut garden hedges. Most garden birds will have left their nests by now so it should be safe to cut but it is worth just checking first as in some summers birds can find an opportunity for a late or second clutch of eggs. Cutting hedges, like a getting a haircut, is a question of personal taste in terms of height and width but it is you should always slightly taper it, so the bottom of the hedge is wider than the top. This will ensure that light reaches the bottom of the hedge to prevent it from looking sparse and prevent collapse from a top-heavy hedge.