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Garden Clubs

Week 1: September gardening


Spring is in the air - and everywhere in the
garden! As the soil warms up and the days
grow longer, it's wonderful to watch plants
come back to life.

Flowers to sow in September – Coleus


Coleus is not normally grown for its
flowers but for the colourful leaves that are so
useful for brightening up shady parts of the
garden in summer and autumn. Start coleus
seeds off in a warm spot in pots filled with
Yates Black Magic Seed Raising Mix.
Transplant seedlings outdoors when the plants
are a manageable size and there's no danger of
frost. It's said that one of the great advantages
of growing coleus from seed is that no two
plants will have identical leaf markings. Try it
yourself and see.

Vegies to sow in September
Everyone loves the idea of having their own
home-grown tomatoes and, fortunately, they're
some of the easiest vegies to start from seed.
Sow tomatoes into pots of seed raising mix and
transplant when the soil is warm and the
seedlings are large enough to move (usually
about 5 – 7 cm). Yates Big Beef is a favourite
because of its good flavour and its disease
resistance.

Prune in September
For many plants – such as blossom trees,
camellias and daphne - spring's arrival signals
the end of their major display for the year. Take
the opportunity immediately after flowering to
give them an all-over trim that will get them into
shape and encourage healthy new growth.
Fertilise in September
September's a good month to check pot plants
to see if they need re-potting. Next, feed all
potted plants with a long-lasting plant food such
as Yates Once A Year Feeder or Nutricote.
September's also the month to fertilise the lawn
and spread Thrive Granular Rose Food around
newly planted and established rose bushes
(water well after application).

Pest watch in SeptemberCarrot Rust Fly
Sprinkle a band of Soil Insect Killer alongside
rows of carrots to protect them from carrot rust
fly (a small grub that tunnels its way into the
carrot roots). Repeat in two months time.
Mulching well around carrots will also help deter
this pest. Some growers suggest planting
chives or spring onions between carrot rows to
discourage this pest. Grow an unrelated crop
after you've harvested your carrots.

September garden jobs – Start a no-dig
vegetable bed.
New gardeners often don't know where to start
with vegie gardening, which is why no-dig
gardening is such a good method for beginners.

The no-dig gardening method is outlined in
Yates Garden Guide. It basically involves
constructing an above-ground edging around
the proposed bed, which is then filled with
layers of straw, lucerne hay and organic
fertiliser (e.g. Yates Blood & Bone). Plant
seeds or seedlings into a small amount of
compost on the top layer and, by the time the
plants are growing well, the contents of the bed
will have blended together into a rich, organic
mix.




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