Sooke garden to-do list: September – A Second Spring

Throughout September, harvest tree fruits as they ripen

By Loretta Fitz

An August to-do list for gardeners in and around Sooke*

• Prune tomato and squash vines to focus their energy on ripening the existing fruit.

• Reduce watering.

• Collect vine-dried beans and peas to use as seeds for next year.

• Harvest tree fruits as they ripen.

• Refresh beds with compost.

• Divide and replant irises and other spring-blooming perennials.

• Begin cutting back and tidying mixed borders, leaving some floriferous plants and seedheads intact for winter interest and food for wildlife.

• Sow cover crops.

And, of course …

Continue to build compost with fruit and vegetable scraps, dried leaves and plant trimmings, seaweed, manure, and as wide a variety of other seed-free ingredients — both brown and green — as you can find. Remember, the compost feeds the soil, and the soil feeds the plants.

Remove weeds as soon as you see them. They deprive nearby plants of water and valuable nutrients.

Take steps to prevent pests and diseases from ruining your plants. Monitor plants vigilantly, keep tools and work areas clean, follow appropriate planting, growing and pruning techniques, and keep dead/diseased plant material out from under fruit trees and out of beds and containers. Companion planting, floating row covers, slug patrols, etc., can be helpful during the main growing season. 

Take time to relax and enjoy the beauty of your garden and the fruits of your labour!

* This list is for general reference only. The timing of many tasks will be affected by weather and related factors. Please be guided not only by local area conditions, but also by conditions within your own gardening microclimate.