As we round the corner of summer and head into fall, it’s a great time to get out into the yard! Cooler temperatures, dry days, and dewy mornings are great conditions for strengthening the lawn and plantings and getting some important yard work done.

Here are some tips for improving your landscape during the month of September:

1. We have had plenty of rain this year and if you need any drainage installed to help facilitate a better drained yard, September may be the month to do it. This month is normally a dry weather pattern and a great time to plant grass seed for repair of any disturbance.

2. Lawn seeding is prime in September. If you have a lawn restoration, patching or new lawn, this is generally the best month to do seeding. The cool nights and dewy mornings help get the grass up and growing properly, and a fall lawn is generally more weed free than a spring lawn.

3. Aeration for our cool season grasses is best done approximately four weeks before frost. This puts the best time in late September. Aeration strengthens turf by pruning the roots and promoting root growth. If you have a clay soil it is recommended to aerate every year or at least every other year to keep your turf strong.

4. Fertilization, along with aerating, allows for better penetration of nutrients to the area opened up by the aerating spoons.

5. Test your soils for turf and garden at this time of the year so the PH can be adjusted appropriately with a fall application of lime or sulphur.

6. You can begin to crop the lawn a little tighter by lowering the mower deck. With prime grass growing season your turf can be a springy carpet with tighter mowing. When mowing, do not cut more than 1/3 of the length of the blade, which may mean you’ll have to mow more frequently.

7. Continue to dead head the flowering plants. To promote more blooms on your perennials and annuals, you can remove the old flowers as they begin to fade and extend the bloom period. This can be the best season of the year for garden color  with annuals and perennials.

8. September is the month to divide any of your perennials. We still have plenty of growth season to have the divisions grow roots and get established before the winter freeze. Divide peonies, lily of the valley, phlox, day lily, and any early blooming perennials.

9. Plan for your fall bulb planting by designing for your spring bulb display and order your bulbs this month for October installation.

10. This should be the last month to prune evergreens to keep them in check and even through the season. Let the plant growth ‘harden off’ to begin to protect itself for the winter season. In the same vein, do not fertilize shrub beds at this time of the year, because you do not want to promote new growth that may be tender and susceptible to frost damage. Let nature take its course and let the plant wind down naturally as we head towards the completion of the yearly cycle.