AS we enter the start of September we hope for a good month of weather to enjoy the remaining days with longer light hours before winter time.

It is a time too to enjoy the hard work of spring and summer, although our flower beds could be starting to lose some vigour it may be time to enjoy the harvest from the veg plot. You might consider a walk through Pollok Gardens where the gardeners have worked hard to keep the summer bedding in top condition despite the wet weather we have experienced recently.

The possibility of a return to drier conditions would be welcomed in our gardens. It is important to note plants that enjoy nice dry soils often don’t like our long wet mild spells that can be characteristic of our autumn and winter therefore anything that appears to be struggling in wet weather might be an idea to pot over winter months.

As we begin to experience shorter light hours we should begin to think about preparing our garden for the autumn and winter that is ahead. September bids a goodbye to summer and the onset of autumn with the 1st September as the official start of autumn. I have already noticed some colour changes in leaf and it won’t be too long before leaf starts to fall so make sure any leaves that do fall are cleared away from borders and lawns so that areas of lawn are not smothered and cause grass die back and small shrubs are not buried under leaf fall.

Aerating the lawn in September will help drainage and allow the soil to prepare itself for next year with winter frosts hopefully assisting; you can also look to apply an autumn turf fertiliser to keep things healthy over winter.

Spring flowering Bulbs – September is a good month to plan your garden for next year, if planting new bulbs then look towards September as a time to plan, purchase and plant your new bulbs.

It is a good time to check on your main crop potatoes and they should be ready for lifting now or anytime soon to over winter. These potatoes should be stored in a dark, frost free area. We had a relatively good mild spring which was most beneficial to fruit and veg plots and with the good spring weather however the wet weather continuing for long periods may have brought about some challenges with pests and disease especially in fruit and vegetables. This is a good time if you grow sunflowers to cut off the seed head and keep them stored dry to feed the birds over winter. It is also a time to have a look around the garden for seeds of plants you like and store them in a cool place to be sown in the springtime

Paul Brannan