A Gardeners Checklist for September in the Piedmont, NC
🌱 1. Plant Now
Fall is one of the best times to establish a variety of plants in the Piedmont. Warmer soil encourages root growth, while cooler air reduces stress on newly planted plants.
Plant native perennials so that they have time to establish their roots before freezing temps arrive.
Plant trees and shrubs in appropriate locations. Focus on native varieties when possible.
Plant groundcovers in areas where you may want to reduce lawn and maintenance.
Divide and transplant established perennials as temperatures begin to moderate.
Replace plants that struggled with summer heat or drought with better-adapted choices.
Water newly planted trees, shrubs, and perennials on a regular basis while they establish their root systems. Aim for about an inch of water in the form of rain or supplemental watering per week.
Add plants that provide late-season nectar and pollen for pollinators.
Look for gaps in your seasonal garden's bloom times and choose plants that may extend flowering into fall.
Begin planning larger fall planting projects while the weather is still comfortable enough to work outdoors.
🍂 2. Tend the Garden
September is a great time to tidy and refresh your gardens and landscape, just remember not to go crazy with making it too manicured.
Weed garden beds before weeds go to seed and spread.
Remove invasive plants and unwanted seedlings.
Divide and re-plant or give away overcrowded perennials.
Transplant any plants that are in the wrong location.
Deadhead selectively to encourage additional blooms.
Remove diseased foliage and stems.
Leave some healthy seed heads standing for birds and other wildlife.
Inspect plants for signs of pests or disease.
Make notes about which plants thrived—and which struggled—during the summer.
Instead of cutting everything back in the fall, consider leaving some plants, seed heads and stems standing. Remember, A little garden "mess" as opposed to a perfectly manicured or “clean” look is more beneficial to the local ecosystem. If you really feel the need to cut things back in fall, try leaving one to two feet of stems standing until spring. Many native pollinators winter over in the base of native plants.
🌾 3. Prepare the Lawn
September is an important month for cool-season fescue lawns in the Piedmont. It's also a good opportunity to reconsider whether every part of your property actually needs to be lawn areas, and consider some groundcovers or Xeriscaping instead.
Aerate compacted fescue lawns.
Overseed thin or bare areas with tall fescue.
Complete major fescue seeding early enough for seedlings to establish before winter.
Keep newly seeded areas consistently moist while they germinate.
Repair bare areas.
Address soil compaction and drainage problems.
Sharpen mower blades.
Avoid cutting grass excessively short while day temps are still warm.
Adjust mowing height as temperatures change.
Consider converting difficult-to-maintain lawn areas to native plantings or groundcovers.
Evaluate areas that consistently struggle because of shade, drought, tree roots or poor soil.
🥕 4. Grow Your Own Food
The fall vegetable garden season is underway! If sowing by seed, some crops should have been started in August, but September is still a productive planting month for many cool-season vegetables.
Remove weeds and exhausted summer vegetable plants in vegetable gardens.
Remove diseased plants and dispose of them appropriately.
Add compost or organic matter where appropriate.
Stagger plantings to extend your harvest.
Keep newly planted seeds consistently moist.
Watch for caterpillars, aphids, slugs and other garden pests.
Leafy Greens
Kale and Collards: Transplant young starts early in the month or direct-seed.
Spinach and Lettuce: Sow seeds directly for autumn harvest
Arugula and Swiss Chard: Thrive and sweeten as temperatures drop.
Asian Greens: Bok choy and tatsoi handle light chills well.
Root Vegetables
Radishes and Turnips: Fast growers that mature quickly in cooling soil.
Beets and Carrots: Direct-seed early in September for late fall harvests.
Brassicas & Cole Crops
Broccoli, Cabbage, and Cauliflower: Best put in as established transplants rather than seeds this late.
🌱 Don't forget the soil
Fall is also an excellent time to think beyond this year's harvest. A soil test can help determine whether your garden actually needs lime or fertilizer rather than relying on guesswork. Contact your local extension agent in order to get directions on how to do soil testing yourself for free or at a very low cost.
Soil analysis by the NC Department of Agriculture is free from April 1 to the last week of November. From the last week of November to April 1, the Department of Agriculture charges a $5 per sample fee for each sample.
No time to go out and pick up the boxes and forms, learn a new skill and return the boxes to the local extension agency? You can hire Birch Meadow Garden Care to gather the soil samples for you and explain the analysis when we get the return results.
🐝 5. Garden for Wildlife
September is still an important month for pollinators and other wildlife, and what you don't DO in the garden can be just as important as what you actually DO.
Leave late-season flowers blooming for pollinators.
Avoid unnecessary pesticide and herbicide applications especially to flowers.
Leave some seed heads for birds as well as for re-seeding if you want your plants to spread.
Cut perennial stems to no less than one to two feet tall and leave them standing through winter to provide overwintering habitat for insects.
Leave some fallen leaves in garden beds to allow beneficial insects like fireflies to complete their life cycles.
Be careful and research before removing caterpillars or insects as many are important food sources for birds. Consider purchasing the PictureInsect app to learn more about the bugs you see on your plants and learn which ones are actually helpful to your garden’s health.
Continue providing a clean, reliable water source for birds, butterflies and bees.
Keep birdbaths and birdfeeders clean.
Check any birdseed to make sure there is no mold or mildew that can be harmful to birds
Add native plants that provide berries, seeds or winter shelter.
Consider creating a small brush pile or other wildlife habitat.
Think about adding plants that fill gaps in your garden's spring, summer and fall bloom periods.
Remember: A healthy wildlife garden doesn't need to look perfectly manicured.
💧 6. Prepare for Fall
As summer winds down, use September to get the landscape ready for cooler weather, falling leaves and the somewhat usual unpredictable Piedmont weather.
Watering:
Check soil moisture before watering to prevent overwatering and root rot.
Pay particular attention to newly planted trees and shrubs.
Water deeply rather than giving plants frequent shallow watering.
Continue monitoring container plants for water needs.
Adjust irrigation as temperatures and rainfall change.
Inspect irrigation systems for leaks or clogged emitters.
Water in the morning when possible.
Use mulch to help conserve soil moisture.
Soil & Mulch
Get a soil test if needed.
Add compost based on soil and plant needs.
Avoid over-fertilizing and use organic fertilizers because they break down more slowly and stick around longer in your soil.
Keep soil covered with leaves, mulch or ground covers rather than leaving it bare.
Refresh mulch where necessary.
Avoid piling any mulch against tree trunks, shrub bases, and around perennials
Storm & Drainage Preparation
Inspect trees for dead, broken or hazardous branches and summer storm damage.
Clean gutters and downspouts for proper drainage
Make sure downspouts direct water away from foundations.
Check for areas of standing water to recognize possible drainage issues
Look for erosion on slopes.
Check newly planted trees and shrubs after heavy rain to make sure they haven't shifted or experienced soil runoff
🍁 Prepare for Leaf Season
Leave the Leaves!
Whenever possible, leave your leaves where they fall. If you can’t, then…
Decide which garden areas can receive fallen leaves.
Plan to shred leaves for use as mulch if needed.
Set aside a location for composting leaves.
Keep leaves out of storm drains and gutters.
Remove thick layers from lawns where they could smother the grass.
Use excess leaves to build soil elsewhere in the landscape.
