Article Provided by Extension Master Gardener Volunteer, Annette Thompson

September & October Gardening Tips

Fall is a great time of year to plant, giving plants a chance to settle into their new surroundings. It is also a great time to take stock of your spring/summer gardens and make plans for next year—What worked? What didn’t? What would you like to do differently? Jotting this down now (we all think we will remember 😊) will help with next year’s planning.

North Carolina's mild autumn climate is ideal for cool-loving annuals including pansies, violas, ornamental cabbage and kale, snapdragons, and dianthus, as well as frost-tolerant choices like celosia and sweet alyssum.

Now is the best time to plant peonies. Planting them in autumn gives the roots time to grow strong before a cold winter freeze.

Shop around for spring flowering bulbs that can be planted now for spring blooming. Remember with bulbs that “bigger is better”. Be on the lookout as you shop for firm, not squishy, bulbs.

Clean up your gardens by removing stalks and other debris that insects and diseases love to overwinter in. Hand pull weeds so they won’t seed out. Now is a good time to add mulch to your beds. Annuals and perennials can handle a 1-2 inch layer. Avoid “volcano mulching”, especially around trees. Keep the mulch around trees about a hand’s width away—the bark at the base needs to “breathe” and be kept dry. Avoiding volcano mulching also prevents voles from hanging around the base and doing damage to the tree.

If using leaves for mulch, or if adding them to a compost pile, shredding them is preferable and aids degradation.

Now is the time to fertilize cool season lawns like tall fescue. Always fertilize and lime based on soil sample results. Contact your local Extension Center for soil sampling supplies and assistance reading the report. Soil sampling is free of charge from now through the end of November (get your samples in before Oct/Nov to avoid peak season delays).

Now is a good time to dig, divide and replant (or share) perennials. Start digging up the entire plant, starting about 4 inches from the plant. Watering prior to digging will ease the digging. Once the plant is up, cut the clump in half with a sharp shovel or gardening tool. Replant or put the divided pieces in pots or plastic bags promptly. They should not be left out for over a day.

Be on the lookout for insects and diseases as they can proliferate in the fall. Use pesticides sparingly and always follow label instructions—“the label is the law” for safe pesticide use.

Prepare houseplants that have summered outside for re-entry – be especially vigilant for insects and treat accordingly before bringing unwanted guests into the house.

For more information, contact NC Cooperative Extension – Hertford County Center at 252-358-7822.