Florida Gardening in September

Just because summer’s almost over, doesn’t mean it’s time to turn in your gardening gloves.  September is here and if you haven’t started your vegetable garden, now’s a great time! Let’s explore what to plant and how to maintain your garden and lawn this September.  

What to Plant

September is an important month for planting and the perfect time to expand your garden by re-potting.  Below are some suggestions for transplanting from your local garden center and/or growing those flowers, herbs, and veggies from seed.      

Flowers:

  • Ageratum

  • Begonia (wax)

  • Blue daze

  • Butterfly weed, a.k.a. Milkweed

  • Celosia

  • Coleus

  • Cosmos

  • Goldenrod

  • Impatiens

  • Lantana

  • Marigold

  • Periwinkle

  • Ruellia

  • Salvia

  • Sunflower (one of my favorites)

  • Verbena

  • Zinnia

Bulbs:

  • African iris

  • Agapanthus

  • Amaryllis

  • Blackberry lily

  • Bulbine

  • Calla lily

  • Day lily

  • Elephant ear

  • Gladiolus

  • Society garlic

  • Spider lily

  • Rain lilies

  • Walking iris

Herbs:

  • Mexican tarragon

  • Mint

  • Rosemary

  • Basil

  • Anise

  • Catnip

  • Chamomile

  • Caraway

  • Chives

  • Cilantro

  • Comfrey

  • Dill

  • Echinacea

  • Lavender

  • Lemon Bee Balm

  • Lemonbalm

  • Lemongrass

  • Oregano

  • Parsley

  • Sage

  • Tarragon

  • Toothache Plant

  • Thyme 

  • Yarrow 

Vegetables: 

I LOVE growing edibles from seed for various reasons. Of course Florida Gardenistas and Gardeners can buy and transplant vegetables from your local garden center, but for the best variety select veggie seeds to start this month.  Growing your own food is a lot of fun and very gratifying, but there are less concerns about random food virus outbreaks, like the recent eColi scare.  It's reassuring to know you can control what the family is really eating by growing your own. AND last but not least, growing your own veggies saves you money.  

  • Beans

  • Beets

  • Broccoli

  • Brussel Sprouts

  • Cabbage

  • Carrots

  • Celery

  • Cucumbers

  • Eggplant

  • Kale

  • Lettuce

  • Mustard Greens

  • Onions

  • Peas

  • Radish

  • Spinach

  • Squash

  • Swiss Chard

  • Tomatoes

  • Turnips

Time to Expand: 

Another awesome way to expand your garden while saving money is by splitting or dividing thriving perennials and bulbs!  Take time this month to identify what is doing really well in the garden, divide the healthy plants, and spread.  Not sure how to split certain plants? I’m confident YouTube has great visual tutorials for every plant variety;) It’s also good practice to add organic matter, such as compost to your newly planted transplants.    

Maintenance:

By this time of year, lawns tend to be stressed from the intense sun and rain.  Look for damage caused by insects such as chinch bugs, mole crickets, sod webworms and fall armyworms.     

Continue to monitor your irrigation systems.  Make sure they are providing coverage to your lawn, not your driveway or streets.  It’s always a great idea to frequently check if your rain gauge is functioning. Don’t have a rain gauge?  Rain gauges are inexpensive tools to save money and your plants from root rot.    

For most counties in Central Florida, the fertilizer ban is active till the last day of September.  Not sure if this includes your area? You can find out by clicking this LINK.   Neem oil, Azomite and Liquid Seaweed, are my best friends in the garden. Use these amazing organic alternatives boost the health of your plants that aren’t doing so well.  Azomite rebuilds the soil, while Neem oil and liquid seaweed are great to spray for stressed branches, leaves, and blooms.

 Yes, September is still hot and humid, but keep in mind it’s never too late to start!  Try something new and don’t forget to mark your plants. By using popsicle sticks or other inexpensive markers you can track your plant’s progress and tend to be very helpful reminders for the seeds you planted.  Happy gardening!



Kristy Buchler