This Month in Your Garden – September 2022

Coastal Region – Brad Fowler

Make sure to get a good plan together before planting your fall garden.

Make sure to get a good plan together before planting your fall garden.
Brad Fowler, ©2022, Clemson Extension

Cabbage is a great addition to the fall garden.

Cabbage is a great addition to the fall garden.
Brad Fowler, ©2022, Clemson Extension

Midlands Region – Carmen Ketron

  • It is time to apply pre-emergent herbicides as a preventative measure against annual winter weeds in warm-season lawns. In the Midlands, apply pre-emergent between September 15 and October 1 or when nighttime temperatures reach 55 to 60 °F for four consecutive days.
  • Increasingly wet weather in the Midlands has reduced the need to water lawns and gardens as frequently. Prevent overwatering by monitoring rainfall and adjusting automatic sprinklers. Check grass for signs of stress and irrigate based on those results instead of on a strict schedule. This irrigation approach will help prevent overwatering and reduce the chance of fungal diseases as the weather gets cooler.
  • Keep an eye out for late summer insect pressure, such as fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda) in bermudagrass turf and on young fall vegetables.
  • Stay on top of weed management by choosing a weed reduction strategy that will work to prevent weeds from overwintering in the garden. For example, seeding cover crops in seasonal garden beds this fall is a great approach to reduce weed pressure and improve soil health.
  • September is prime time to plant fall vegetables. Follow the planting calendar for the best results. For a beginner garden, plant broccoli, cabbage, and collard transplants in the vegetable garden. Plant easy options such as lettuce, mustard, carrots, and radish seeds directly into the ground every two weeks for a continuous fall harvest.
Fall armyworm (Spodotera frugiperda) on tomato plant.

Fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda) on tomato plant.
Carmen Ketron, ©2022, Clemson Extension

Late summer garden mulched with straw to keep weeds down in the walkways.

Late summer garden mulched with straw to keep weeds down in the walkways.
Carmen Ketron, ©2022, Clemson Extension

A garden field planted in buckwheat and Sudangrass to reduce weed pressure and promote pollinator biodiversity.

A garden field planted in buckwheat and Sudangrass to reduce weed pressure and promote pollinator biodiversity.
Carmen Ketron, ©2022, Clemson Extension

Upstate Region – Stephanie Turner

  • If you noticed many weeds in your lawn in late April/early May, then now is the time to prevent their return. Control many types of winter annual weeds by applying a preemergence herbicide in September with a second application 8 to 10 weeks later. Follow all label directions on the product, including application rate and instructions for adequately watering the product into the soil.
  • Plant vegetables like broccoli, collards, cabbage, kale, spinach, radish, turnips, and others for the fall and winter vegetable garden.
  • Plant winter-hardy annuals like pansies, violas, ornamental cabbages, and others for added color in the winter landscape. Installing these plants now allows them to establish and fill in before their growth slows with lower temperatures.
  • Use fire ant bait to control fire ants. A granular application of bait in September and again in May is generally sufficient to reduce ant populations enough for most homeowners’ preferences. Always follow the label when applying any pesticide.
  • Inventory any leftover pesticides in your garage or shed. This fall, the South Carolina Department of Agriculture (SCDA) is offering South Carolina residents the opportunity to dispose of outdated, unusable, or unwanted pesticides safely. For additional information, contact SCDA’s John Stokes at 803-737-9696 or jstokes@scda.sc.gov.
  • Allow some flowers to set seed. Collect seeds from various species like coneflower, milkweed, black-eyed Susan, daylily, coreopsis, and others. Alternately, leave some seeds for the birds to enjoy.
  • Take cuttings of tender annuals to save plants from the first frost. Coleus, basil, begonia, alternanthera, sweet potato vine, verbena, and others are easy to root and keep as houseplants until spring.
  • Make a plan to move tender houseplants indoors before temperatures drop. Many houseplants experience injury or stress at temperatures below 50 °F. For the upstate, our first frost can arrive anytime from mid-October to early November. However, nighttime temperatures can drop well before then.
Fire ant mound in mulched area of vegetable garden.

Fire ant mound in mulched area of vegetable garden.
Joey Williamson ©2010 HGIC, Clemson Extension

Collards growing in a home garden.

Collards growing in a home garden.
Barbara H. Smith, ©2015 HGIC, Clemson Extension

The dark center on some pansies is called a “face.”

The dark center on some pansies is called a “face.”
Barbara H. Smith, ©2015 HGIC, Clemson Extension

If this document didn’t answer your questions, please contact HGIC at hgic@clemson.edu or 1-888-656-9988.

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