Jobs to do in the Garden in September

– Sow hardy annuals such as cornflower, pot marigold, flax, larkspur, forget-me-not, scabiosa, and poppies now to enjoy a colourful display of blooms next spring.

– Add a layer of Gro Green Compost or another quality soil improver to your beds to provide nutrients over winter. Apply it to damp soil or dig it into the beds.

– Divide established herbaceous perennials to refresh overcrowded plants and create more plants for your garden.

– Fill pots and containers with colourful autumn and winter bedding plants, including aster, chrysanthemum, colchicum, cyclamen, liriope muscari, rudbeckia, and winter violas.

– Help courgettes, pumpkins, squash, and marrows finish ripening by removing leaves that shade the fruits. Raise any fruits sitting directly on the soil with pieces of wood or slate to help prevent rotting.

– Main crop potatoes should be ready for harvesting now. Once lifted, store them somewhere cool, dark, and well ventilated, preferably in hessian or paper sacks.

– If you haven’t already summer-pruned your apple trees, now is a good time to do so, helping promote strong growth and fruit production for next year.

– It’s an ideal time to prune late-summer flowering shrubs, including buddleia, fuchsia, hydrangea, and roses. Climbing and rambling roses can also be cut back after flowering, unless they are repeat-flowering varieties.

– Keep weeds under control while they are still actively growing by applying an autumn treatment of weed killer for effective results.

– Watch carefully for pests in the garden and greenhouse, and deal with infestations as soon as you spot them using your preferred bug control solution.

– Reseed bare or thin patches of lawn, remove dead thatch with a rake, and aerate compacted areas with a garden fork as part of your autumn lawn care. Apply grass seed to help restore worn or bare areas.

– Sweep patios, paths, and driveways, and use a surface cleaner where needed to tackle moss, mildew, and algae.

– If you have compacted clay soil, improve its structure and drainage now with gypsum or horticultural grit, before the ground becomes too difficult to work.

– Sow winter crops such as kale, mizuna, pak choi, and lamb’s lettuce now for a fresh harvest during the colder months. You can also sow hardy peas and broad beans for an early crop next year.

– Close your greenhouse vents during the evening to help retain warmth as overnight temperatures start to fall.

– Protect brassicas from hungry birds and cabbage white butterflies by covering them securely with netting.

– Secure newly planted trees with suitable stakes and ties, or add tree guards for additional protection. This is also a good opportunity to tie in unruly climbers and vines.

– Get ready for the first frosts by keeping frost fleece or bubble insulation on hand to protect tender plants when temperatures fall.

– Clean and disinfect bird feeders and tables before refilling them with bird seed, helping garden birds find a reliable food source as the weather gets colder.

– Stop falling leaves from accumulating in your pond by covering it with netting to help keep the water clean and healthy.