September
In The Fruit Garden In September
Tidy up your strawberry plants. Clear away any unused straw, as it can keep pests and diseases over winter.
Pick ripe apples. If you aren’t sure when they are ripe, gently lift them in the palm of your hand or give them a gentle pull, they should come away easily.
Pick blackberries as they ripen and use them straight away or freeze them for use later on.
Mow long grass under your fruit trees to make it easier to see windfall fruits.
Cut back your fruited canes of summer raspberries. Leave the new green canes for next year’s crop. Tie in next year’s raspberry canes to support wires or fencing.
Top Tip:
Harvest plums! If you have more than you need, freeze them! Wash them first, halve and stone them, then lay them out on a tray in the freezer. Pack them into freezer bags once they are frozen.
- Apply mulch to protect your plants! Mulch helps keep soil from drying out, improves the texture and helps protect the roots of tender plants.
- Help pumpkins ripen in time for Halloween by removing any leaves shadowing the fruits.
- Harvest plums! If you have more than you need, freeze them!
- Install water butts to collect rain over the autumn and winter months. Rain water is ideal for watering ericaceous plants such as rhododendrons and camellias.
- Bumblebees need food to get them through the autumn. Plan for late flowering plants in your garden to help them.
