What to do in your garden in September - Checklist: Northern California

Sunset, Sept, 2002

PLANTING

* ANNUALS. Sunset climate zones 7-9, 14-17: To get cool-season annuals off to a good start, plant after midmonth in cooler areas, at the end of the month in warm inland areas. If the weather is hot, shade new seedlings temporarily. Keep the soil moist. Set out calendula, forget-me-nots, larkspur, Iceland and Shirley poppies, ornamental cabbage and kale, pansies, primrose, snapdragon, stock, sweet peas, toadflax, and violas. In coastal areas, plant cineraria, nemesia, and schizanthus.

* BULBS. Shop soon for the best selection of healthy bulbs; choose firm ones without soft or moldy spots. Plant anemones, crocus, daffodils, Dutch iris, freesias, homeria, hyacinths, ixia, leucojum, lycoris, oxalis, ranunculus, scilla, sparaxis, tritonia, tulips, and watsonia (zones 1-2: some bulbs aren't hardy; choose from what's available in nurseries). In zones 8-9, 14-15, it's not critical to chill bulbs in the refrigerator for six to eight weeks before planting, but performance will be superior (tulip stems will grow one-sixth to one-third taller).

* COOL-SEASON GREENS. Zones 7-9, 14-17: Mesclun mixes, colorful selections of salad greens, are easy to grow at home. Try one of the 11 collections from Renee's Garden that are suitable for fall planting, including Baby Cutting Mix, Italian Misticanza, and Crispy Winter Salad. All are available on nursery seed racks, or order online at www.reneesgarden.com.

* NATIVE PLANTS. Zones 7-9, 14-17: You don't need a big garden to accommodate native plants. Any small bed away from heavily irrigated plants can make an attractive native border. Try bush anemone, Arctostaphylos, blue-eyed grass, fremontodendron, coral bells (Heuchera maxima or H. micrantha), lyme grass, mahonia, monkey flowers, Pacific Coast iris, Penstemon heterophyllus purdyi, Salvia clevelandii, and Western columbine. A few good sources for native plants are Intermountain Nursery in Prather (559/855-3113), Larner Seeds in Bolinas (415/868-9407), Mostly Natives in Tomales (707/878-2009), and Yerba Buena Nursery in Wood-side (650/851-1668).

* SNAP PEAS. Zones 1-9, 14-17: If you can't get your kids to eat their green vegetables, just plant some snap peas. Soon they'll be eating them right off the plant. The best? Try 2-foot-tall 'Sugar Sprint' (from Nichols Garden Nursery; 541/928-9280 or www.nicholsgardennursery.com) or 5-foot-tall 'Super Sugar Snap' (from Renee's Garden, above).

MAINTENANCE

* FEED ROSES. Zones 7-9, 14-17: If you haven't fed your roses recently, give plants a shot of a fertilizer now to encourage a flush of autumn blooms. Choose one that's formulated for roses. Then, before applying it, make sure the soil is moist. Water it well afterwards.

* RENOVATE LAWNS. Zones 7-9, 14-17: Late September is a good time to start. Dethatch, then aerate compacted areas (rent dethatchers and aerators from equipment rental companies). Afterwards fertilize with a complete lawn fertilizer--try the slow release organic pelleted fertilizer from Peaceful Valley Farm Supply (888/784-1722 or www.groworganic.com); water in well.

RELATED ARTICLE: BACK TO BASICS

Easy digging. Tool expert Bob Denman of Orange, California, offers this advice for preparing beds. When using a spade, don't take more than a 2 1/2-inch slab of soil each time you push the blade into the ground. Most people take a thicker slab of soil, which is heavier to lift and doesn't crumble as easily. After the bed is dug, shovel the soil (and amendment, if any) back in, soak it with water, let it settle overnight, and you're ready to plant.