Heart of Missouri
Master Gardeners

September Calendar

September - Zone 5

Vegetables

  • Now is the time to reap the harvest of the fall garden.
  • Zone 5 has a fast approaching frost date, with this in mind, now is the time to think about winter storage for the those vegetables you managed to grow in the garden .  Different vegetables need different conditions to insure good results.  For more information about vegetable harvest and storage see MU G06226.
  •  Buckwheat is a good source of green manure, but should be turned under before it sets seeds.    Turnips and beets are also good sources of green manure.  Other sources of cover crops can be found in MU G06950.
  • Summer's tomatoes are finishing up.  Some gardeners pick the leaves off the tomato plants to expose the tomatoes to a bit more sun, or cut the tops out of the tomato vines to help ripen the existing tomatoes.  Cover if an early frost should happens, as we usually have several weeks of good weather after the first frost.
  • Let winter squash stay on the vines as long as possible for long keeping.   Wait until the vines die back or there is danger of frost.   Check by pressing with your thumbnail, if the skin is easily broken they are not fully matured and may not keep well.  When you harvest leave two to three inches of stem on the squash.  Allow them to cure in a warm, dry, well ventilated place for a couple of weeks before placing them in storage, this will allow them to dry and harden their shell.  Never wash them until just before using and never carry squash or pumpkins by the stem.
  • Sow hardy spinach and kale in a cold frame.

Trees, Shrubs, and Fruit

  • Seen any fall webworms?  Yuck, who hasn't!   Prune the web next from the trees if possible  or use chemical controls as outlined in MU G07270 or MU G07271.
  • Enjoy the fruits of your orchard and clean up very carefully under and around the trees when the harvest is over.  This is the best method to control disease.
  • Support the limbs of fruit trees that may break due to an extra heavy crop.

Lawns

  • Did you start the spring gardening season out by promising yourself you were going to have a better looking lawn then your neighbor or maybe just as good, then by August you had the lawn from HELL?   Well September is the month you must begin to reclaim your dream lawn of last spring .  You may have a good lawn maintenance book on the book shelf, if not drop by your county extension office and pick up MU G06700 Cool Season Grasses Lawn Establishment and Renovation  or MU G06750 Home Lawn Weed Control .  There are also other MU Guide Sheets available if you find you have specific problems and  you will need more information.
  • September is the most important time to fertilize your lawn.  Use a well balanced lawn fertilizer. Apply 1 and 1/2 pound N to 1,000 square feet of lawn.  Lawn Maintenance Calendar MU
    G06705

EXTENSION NOTES
BY Sue Brewer

Fall is The Time For Lawn TLC

Thanks to plentiful rain, our lawns haven't taken their usual break this year.  Although you may be tired of mowing, now is the time to take steps for an even healthier lawn next year.  Fall is the best time for fertilizing, dethatching,aerating, over seeding and controlling broadleaf weed in cool-season grasses like Kentucky bluegrass, perennial rye, tall fescue.

In fall, these grasses change from leafy top-growth to new shoots (tillers) and roots.  September fertilizing with a well balanced, slow-release fertilizer will speed this growth.  Do not routinely apply Lime.  Most established lawns don't need it and too much can be as detrimental as not enough.  The best way to check nutrient needs is with a soul test.  If you hesitate to conduct chemical warfare on your lawn, a mid-September top dressing with a one-inch layer of compost also is a good plant food and winter mulch.  Top dressing is best applied after aerating.

Thatch is build-up of decomposing lawn debris mixed with rhizomes and roots.  Thatch harbors insects and disease, and prevents penetration of water, fertilizer, and seed to the soil.  If thatch is over and inch deep, it needs to be chopped up and removed.  This is best done in September or October to leave time for the roots to recover.  If you are planning to reseed, dethatch first to improve seed-to-soil contact.

Core aeration creates channels for water, fertilizer and seed to penetrate compacted soils.  The coring machine lifts out plugs of soil about one half inch wide and two to three inches deep.  The cores remaining on top of the soil to help break down thatch.  Reseed and fertilize while holes remain open.

If you have thin spots or bald patches, prepare the soil for seeds.  Dethatch and aerate as needed, fertilize and plant with seed similar to established lawn (to prevent the spotted look).  Keep surface moist with frequent light watering until seed germinates, then water deeper and less frequent, but do not let the seedlings dry out.  If the bald patches are large, a light straw mulch will help hold seed in place, deflect water surges, and keep soil moist.  The ideal time for seeding is within a week of Labor Day, but you can expect results as late as Mid-October.  If broad leafed weeds such as henbit, chick-weed,  or speedweed are a problem, use a post-emergent herbicide such as, 2,4-D, mecoprop and dicamba.  For new or reseeded lawns, wait until you have mowed the new grass three times (about one and one-half months), let grass grow longer (tall fescue should be around three inches, up to and inch taller in summer), never remove more than one-third of the height at a cutting, water deeper but less often.

Flowers

  • September is the time to set out new perennial plants.   This gives the new plant time to take advantage of the cool weather and fall rains.
  • Mum are the last perennial to bloom.  Garden centers or stocked with plenty of hardy mums so now  is the time to buy and plant.  Be sure to keep watered until the weather cools off and the fall rains begin.  More information on perennials is found in  MUG06650.
  • Shop for Spring bulbs while the supplies are good.  Plant next month.
  • Seed biennials such as foxglove, sweet William and forget-me-nots.
  • Keep an eye on the weather and be prepared by the end of the month to dig dahlias, cannas, caladium, gladiolus, and other tender tubers for winter storage.  Shake off any remaining dirt, air-dry out of direct sunlight, and then pack them away in dry material for winter.

Miscellaneous

  • A light freeze is from 28-32 degrees F.
  • A moderate freeze is from 24-28 degrees F.
  • A severe freeze is below 24 degrees F.
  • In zone 5 the first frost date is between October the 20th and October 28th.

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