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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