Late Summer Gardening Tips & To-Do List

It’s officially fall, and during this time of year it’s not uncommon for summer gardens to look a little worse for wear. September is the perfect opportunity to clean up your garden, stock up on gardening essentials for next year, and take care of any last-minute preparation for springtime. Below, we’ve put together some early fall/late summer gardening tips for you to get your garden tidied up!

Weed

While they can be a pain all summer long, long-time gardeners all agree that weeds truly flourish in August. Be sure to stay on top of weeding to keep your leftover plants safe and deter any new weeds from settling in for winter. Plus, the more consistent you are with weeding, the easier it gets in the long run, so it’s a wise investment of your time!

Mulch

In addition to thorough weeding, putting down a healthy layer of mulch around your plants will help to deter any stragglers that may try to creep through. Mulch also gives your plants’ roots insulation through the cold to ensure they survive until spring.

Clear Space

Dedicate an afternoon or weekend to clearing space in your garden – you’ll be glad you did! There is no better instant gratification than harvesting what is left of your summer crops, pulling out old stalks, raking up accumulated dead leaves, and making space for new growers. A fun extra to clearing garden space? Thinning out your garden can actually help vegetables that are still producing go into overdrive, giving you a bonus crop at the end of the season!

Prune

Pruning is extremely important this time of year, not only for the health of your garden but the visual appeal of your landscaping! Discarding old flower heads (such as hydrangeas), stems, and dead limbs, as well as cutting back grasses or other vegetation, will encourage healthy spring growth while also ensuring your property looks clean-cut.

Note: Pruning tends to lead to new growth, which will inevitably perish as the colder nights ramp up. If you’re on the fence about whether you should prune, wait until after the first frost – your plant will be dormant for winter and should be safe to trim back without repercussions!

Water

Just because we are no longer in the dog-day heat of summertime, don’t neglect to water your garden just as much in the fall. Warm days will continue with less humidity, causing the soil to dry up quicker. If you normally water once a week, try bumping up your schedule to once every 4-5 days depending on how your soil looks.

Clean Gardening Equipment

Before putting your equipment away for the winter, be sure to wipe down or wash any gardening tools like trowels, shovels, shears or gloves. You’ll thank yourself come springtime! Plus, maintaining your gardening equipment increases longevity so you can use them for years to come.

Plant Your Fall Garden!

Whether you’re planting flowers for next year or putting seeds in for a fall crop, it’s not yet too late in the season to reap some beautiful benefits of autumn gardening! There are several plants and vegetables that do well in September in Maine, including but not limited to:

Arugula
Bok choy
Cabbage
Lettuce
Radishes
Spinach

Feel like you missed the window for planting fall veggies? You can always check out your local farmers’ market to take advantage of all Maine’s delicious September produce!

Cumberland Crossing by OceanView

When you retire, you want to use your hard-earned free time to enjoy all the activities that bring happiness to your life – such as gardening!

At Cumberland Crossing by OceanView, our customizable cottages are laid out so you can have beautiful landscaping and garden beds. Each new resident works closely with our landscape architect to help get started. If you’d like any help down the road, our landscaping crew will be on standby to perform maintenance services! Leave the burden of homeownership and maintenance in the past so you can simply enjoy each day. With a 100% refundable entrance fee and manageable monthly maintenance fee, you can retire without stress or worry!

To learn more about our community, please contact us at Cumberland Crossing today.