September is a good month to:

·        Replenish mulch. We had somewhat of a rainy spring and some of it may have washed away.

·        Start a new crop of tomatoes and peppers

Later in the month:

·         Plant perennial mums for fall color. If given some protection from afternoon sun, they are pretty drought-tolerant.

·         Start planting wildflower seeds, including the maroon bluebonnet developed by Texas A&M University!

·         Plant spring and fall perennials.

·         Plant winter vegetable seeds and transplants.

·         If we get a blast of hot weather (as we will), you may want to protect with shade cloth.

·         In a few weeks, get your row cover ready in case we get a surprise dip to the 40s.

·         Plant herbs, including lemon balm, cilantro, rosemary, dill, chervil, fennel, parsley and sage.

Trick Poinsettias into holiday bloom.
Beginning on the fall equinox (September 21/22) make sure potted plants get 14 hours of darkness every 24 hour period. Use a water-soluble fertilizer mixed about 1/4 strength with every watering. Plants should show color around Thanksgiving. At that point, restore them to bright, indirect sunlight and cut back on fertilizer.