September in the garden

September is when the dahlia season really starts to get exciting!

I’m beginning to wake up my stored tubers, checking for eyes and encouraging them into growth ready for planting later in spring. Start introducing a little moisture, but be careful not to overwater dormant tubers – cold, wet conditions can quickly lead to rot.

I’m also sowing my dahlia seeds. Growing from seed is one of my favourite parts of the season because every seedling is unique. You never quite know what colour, shape or form is going to appear.

The winter pruning is finished and the roses are beginning to put on their fresh spring growth.

My weekly seaweed watering has started again, and I've also added long-term fertiliser tablets to give the plants a steady supply of nutrients as they head into their main growing and flowering season.

I get my fertiliser tablets locally from Town & Country Nursery on Te Matai Road in Palmerston North.

Keep an eye on all that lovely soft new growth. Aphids can appear very quickly at this time of year, and increasing temperatures and moisture also mean it's worth watching for the first signs of black spot and other fungal problems.

The daffodils are now in full bloom and bringing plenty of spring colour to the garden.

September is also an exciting month for daffodil enthusiasts, with the New Zealand National Daffodil Show taking place this month.

As flowers begin to finish, remove the spent flower heads but leave the foliage in place. Those green leaves are still working hard, sending energy back into the bulb to help produce next year's flowers.

Allow the foliage to die back naturally before removing it.

My irises have been moved into a sunnier position ready for the growing season.

Bearded irises love the sun, and good light helps encourage strong growth and flowering. Their rhizomes also prefer not to be buried deeply or covered in heavy mulch.

Now is a good time to:

• Remove old or damaged foliage.
• Check around the rhizomes for weeds.
• Make sure surrounding plants aren't beginning to shade them.
• Keep the rhizomes exposed to plenty of light and air.

Hopefully the move pays off with plenty of flowers!

My ranunculus are flowering now and bringing some gorgeous colour to the spring garden.

Keep picking flowers regularly – the more you pick, the more you encourage the plants to keep producing. Remove spent blooms too, so the plant can put its energy into new flowers rather than seed production.

Keep them well watered as the weather warms, particularly if we have dry or windy spring days, but avoid leaving them sitting in wet soil.

This is the time to simply enjoy them – whether they're flowering in the garden or being picked for a vase inside.

Seed raising is really starting to ramp up now that spring has arrived.

Dahlia seeds are going in, along with more summer flowers as we begin preparing for the months ahead.

September can still bring some cold nights and late frosts here in the Manawatū, so don't be too eager to put frost-tender seedlings outside permanently. A little patience now can save a lot of disappointment later!