Care guides › Sydney › September
September in the Sydney garden
Early spring in Sydney. Warm temperate: mild winters, light frost inland, humid summers. Here is what needs doing this month, with the essentials first.
- What to plant 19
- What to harvest 20
- Feeding 7
- Pruning and deadheading 9
- Watering 1
- Seasol and tonics 1
- Mulching 1
- Pests and diseases to watch for 3
- Frost and weather 1
- Tidying up 6
What to plant in September
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Cucumber and Zucchini
Sow or plant once frost has passed
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Capsicum and Eggplant
Plant out once the soil is warm
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Sunflower and Cosmos
Sow seed direct after frost
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Parsley and Silverbeet
Sow or plant seedlings
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Tomato
Plant out once frost has passed
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Lettuce
Sow or plant every few weeks for a steady supply
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Carrot
Sow seed direct every few weeks
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Runner Bean
Sow at the base of a tall support
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Leek
Plant seedlings deep to blanch the stems
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Potato
Plant seed potatoes after the last frost
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Sweetcorn
Sow in blocks, not rows, so it pollinates
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Dahlia
Plant tubers once the soil warms
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Marigold
Plant seedlings after frost
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Bidens
Plant after frost
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Basil
Plant once nights are warm
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Dill
Sow seed direct; it dislikes being moved
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Paper Daisy
Sow seed or plant seedlings in autumn or early spring
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Sturt's Desert Pea
Sow scarified seed into warm soil in spring
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Warrigal Greens
Sow soaked seed or plant out in spring
What to harvest in September
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Broad Bean
Pick pods while the beans are bright green
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Pea
Pick pods as they fill
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Spinach
Pick outer leaves
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Kale
Pick lower leaves; frost sweetens them
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Broccoli
Cut the head while buds are tight; side shoots follow
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Cauliflower
Cut while the curd is firm and white
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Cabbage
Cut when the head feels firm
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Orange Tree
Pick when sweet; taste one to check
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Lemon Tree
Pick lemons as they colour; they hold on the tree
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Cumquat
Pick when fully orange
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Rhubarb
Pull (do not cut) the stalks; never eat the leaves
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Asparagus
Cut spears at ground level (from the third year)
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Artichoke
Cut buds while the scales are tight
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Silverbeet
Pick outer leaves as needed
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Lemon Myrtle
Pick leaves as you need them; they dry well
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Sweet Pea If you have time
Pick flowers often: the more you pick, the more you get
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Rosemary If you have time
Snip sprigs as needed; it keeps it bushy
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Thyme If you have time
Snip sprigs as needed
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Chives If you have time
Snip leaves to 5 cm; the flowers are edible too
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Coriander If you have time
Pick leaves young; let a few go to seed
Feeding
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Natives
Slow-release native fertiliser (low phosphorus), once a year; never ordinary fertiliser
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Shrubs and perennials
Slow-release fertiliser in spring and early autumn
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Summer vegetables
Dig in compost before planting
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Blueberry Bush
Azalea and camellia (acid) fertiliser
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Cool-season vegetables If you have time
Liquid feed every 2-3 weeks while growing
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Herbs If you have time
A little liquid feed in spring and midsummer
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Rock Orchid If you have time
Weak orchid feed every few weeks while growing
Pruning and deadheading
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Sage
Cut back by a third as new growth starts
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Orange Tree and Mandarin If you have time
Light prune after harvest to open the canopy
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Broad Bean If you have time
Pinch out the tips once pods set (deters aphids)
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Banksia If you have time
Light prune after flowering; never cut into bare wood
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Bougainvillea If you have time
Prune after each flush of flowers
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Passionfruit If you have time
Light prune to tidy and let light in
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Sasanqua Camellia If you have time
Shape or hedge after flowering
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Olive Tree If you have time
Thin the canopy to let light in
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Geranium If you have time
Snap off spent flower heads
Watering
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Cool-season vegetables If you have time
Keep evenly moist; water when the top few cm are dry
Seasol and tonics
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Natives, shrubs and perennials, azaleas, camellias and other acid-lovers, citrus and fruit If you have time
Seaweed tonic (e.g. Seasol) in spring and autumn, and after a heatwave
Mulching
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Strawberry If you have time
Straw under the plants keeps fruit clean
Pests and diseases to watch for
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Kale, Broccoli, Cauliflower and Cabbage If you have time
Cabbage white caterpillars: check under the leaves, squash eggs and grubs, or net the crop
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Kangaroo Paw If you have time
Snails: check new growth at dusk after rain; pick off, or scatter pet-safe iron pellets
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Azalea If you have time
Petal blight: pick off brown, mushy flowers; spray lace bug under leaves with horticultural oil
Frost and weather
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Peony If you have time
Ring-stake before the buds get heavy
Tidying up
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Chives and Liriope If you have time
Divide crowded clumps
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Potato If you have time
Mound soil over the stems as they grow
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Sunflower If you have time
Stake tall stems before they flop
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Clematis If you have time
Tie in new shoots as they grow
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Creeping Boobialla If you have time
Pull weeds out of the mat before they seed
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Fan Flower If you have time
Pinch the tips to keep it dense
Not listed: Cooktown Orchid, which don't suit Sydney's climate.