September is a month of changes. Now is the time for fall fertilizing. This is the most important feeding of the year.

Use a winterizer on all lawn grasses. Chemical fertilizer will need to be watered in very soon after applying. Organic fertilizer is naturally slow release and you can wait to water if necessary.

If the liquid spray fertilizer is used, it doesn’t last as long as granular. It’s recommended to use granular for the fall feeding. Do not use a weed and feed product on your lawn. The weed killer will damage the shrubs and trees. It may not kill them right away, but eventually it will stunt or kill them.

The products should be applied separately. If you plan to overseed with rye or other grass seed, don’t use a pre-emergent herbicide; the seed will not germinate.

When planting bulbs; daffodils, narcissus, paperwhites, tulips, etc. plant three or more bulbs to a clump for maximum effect. Don’t hurry to plant; keep them in the refrigerator vegetable tray until after Thanksgiving. Daffodils and ranunculus may be planted now, but the other bulbs should be refrigerated. When you plant, use a spoon of Bonemeal in the planting hole.

September thru October 15 – plant bush beans, beets, brussel sprouts, cabbage, leaf lettuce, carrots, radishes, summer squash and cauliflower. Check the number of days for production. Our first frost date is usually in early November, but you know Texas weather.

Plant petunias, snapdragons, and dianthus transplants. Wait until cooler weather before planting the pansy family; viola, Johnny-jump-ups, and pansies. For fall color, plant asters, mums, snapdragons, alyssum, flowering cabbage and kale plus many perennials that are in bloom.

I purchased two Mexican Sages to plant in an empty flower bed near City Hall. Mexican Sage is a very good, drought tolerant plant. It has long violet blooms and the plant grows to a size of 4’x4’ …it will be planted with purple lantana, Mexican petunia and salvia greggi.

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Oxblood Lilies (rhodophiala bifida) are beginning to bloom. That means that fall is just around the corner.

I’ve always been excited when I walk outside and there they are. Some people call them September Surprise, Schoolhouse Lilies, or Naked Ladies. They pop up in unexpected places without warning. They are in the Amaryllis family and are similar to Red Spider Lilies (lycoris radiata).

The Oxblood Lily was brought from Argentina to the Comfort area by a German plant enthusiast. More Oxblood Lilies are found in the central Texas area than any other.

If you want to move the bulbs, wait until the bloom and leaves have died down; don’t disturb them while the leaves are still green. Dig the bulbs and move them to another location (sun or shade). Check out the lilies in front of City Hall. There are many more than last year.

Brown Patch is beginning to appear in some St. Augustine lawns. If circular spots begin to appear, use whole ground corn meal and spread around the outside of the circles and inside the area; this is an organic control. You can use an approved fungicide to control the fungus.

Lightly prune roses and feed granular rose food; one cup per bush. Follow two weeks later with a liquid fertilizer. Don’t feed after early October. This will prepare the roses for a burst of bloom in October.

Fall is for planting. You will hear this often in the following weeks. Trees, shrubs, and flowers are still in bloom and you have a choice of colors. Sales are very good now. This is one of the best times to purchase perennials. Most of the plants are still in color and you can give them a head start for next spring and summer. Take advantage of a friend’s offer of divided plants. These are tried and true for our area.

It’s time to plant Bluebonnets and Wildflowers; fall flowers, except pansies. The weather needs to cool more before planting pansies. Protect seedlings from pill bugs with bait and insecticide dust barriers. Keep soil moist until the seed germinates.

Image by madame.furie via Flickr