September ... Sunny Days + Great Temps =
Prime Garden Time!

In the Northwest, September usually offers lots of sunny days plus optimum temperatures for enjoying the outdoors. And it's an important time for some specific yard care. What a great combination for people like you and me who love to garden! From planting bulbs to fertilizing your yard, there are plenty of ways to get into gardening this month. Here are a few ideas.

• September through October is bulb planting time. Fall gardening isn't complete until you've planted your Spring-flowering bulbs. Sunny daffodils, cheery tulips and stately iris are just the beginning of your choices. At your Fred Meyer Garden Center, you'll find over 100 varieties of these standbys plus hyacinth, crocus, and many "specialty" bulbs. Come pick up some of your favorites plus several new varieties to try. You'll want to visit the garden center pretty early this season to take advantage of the best selection of bulb varieties. (If you're unable to plant right away, store your new bulbs in a dark, cool, dry place, and give them optimum circulation.) Click here for the first of our 4-part series on spring-flowering bulbs.
• Fall's an important time for Lawn TLC. It's probably the largest "plant" in your yard, and a little lawn maintenance now will pay off in a beautiful start next year. Here are the 4 basics.
  • Remove weeds. Left unchecked, weeds will go to seed now and hundreds more can pop up next spring.
  • Remove thatch. You can do this by renting a power rake, raking vigorously by hand, or applying a liquid de-thatcher.
  • Overseed your entire lawn. This introduces healthy blends of grass seed at the best time of year for new growth. Ensure the seed has contact to bare soil and water regularly until the grass has been mowed 2-3 times.
  • Fertilize. Experts consider a fall feeding the most important one for the year, ensuring nourishment before that "long winter's nap." Apply a fall/winter lawn food about a week after overseeding. If moss is a problem, choose a fertilizer with iron.
• Tend your compost pile. Fall brings an abundance of stuff to toss on your compost pile: spent flowers, vegetable parts, prunings, grass clippings. If the weather stays dry, water and turn the pile regularly.
• Mulch To minimize erosion and frost damage, add a thick layer of organic mulch around shrubs and throughout your garden beds.
• Water As the weather turns cooler, sometimes we forget that water is still in high demand by plants that continue vigorous growth and blooming. Keep an especially close eye on your planters.

While much of the information in these tips is applicable in several gardening zones/climates, some of the plants and timing suggested are best suited to the Northwest, generally in the mild/wet growing regions found along the I-5 corridor. You should make appropriate adjustments or consult local gardening experts in regions whose climates differ from this area of the Northwest.