09/23/2026
September is sneaky. The pool's still warm, the sun's still out, and it looks like summer's running the show — but your garden already knows better. This is the month everything quietly shifts: what needs water, what needs to come out of the ground, what needs to go in. Here's the full rundown:
Water like you mean it — shorter days don't cancel out heat waves. Don't let the soil dry out, especially on anything you planted this year.
Your shrubs are thirsty too — established doesn't mean invincible. Give them a deep drink to get through what's left of summer.
Feed your fruit trees — harvest took everything out of them. A late-summer fertilizer application helps them bounce back and set up next year's bloom.
Get fall crops in the ground — broccoli, kale, and beets planted now, many gardeners find, taste even better than their summer counterparts.
Build a raised bed — better soil control, more growing space, one solid weekend project.
Save seeds from your favorites — that tomato you couldn't stop eating? Grab its seeds before the plant's gone for the year.
Start planning ahead — winter rain is coming, which makes this a smart month to map out new trees, shrubs, and perennials.
Grab spring bulbs now — tulips and daffodils hit shelves this month, and the good varieties don't last.
Sow sweet peas — starting late September, one new round of seeds each week through October, so blooms keep showing up instead of disappearing all at once.
Which one are you doing first — or are we all just doing the sweet peas?
Photo credit: Adobe Stock
