Green Thumb: Dig, water, or cut something

On Thursday, Sept. 10, the Green Valley Gardeners begin their Fall 2009 Seminar Series at East Center with their friend Debbie Mounce of Harlow Gardens in Tucson.

Doors open at 9 a.m. for socializing, talk starts at 10 a.m

By Debby Mounce

September in our Sonoran Desert brings with it the promise of cooler weather in the not-so-distant future.

With this promise there comes a longing in us gardeners to get outside and dig something, water something, fertilize something, or cut something. September is a good time to do all of that, given some guidelines.

Because there is still only the promise of cooler weather to come, we need to look at very specific things that are safe to do in our gardens right now.

Pruning and fertilizing are both things that can be done now under the right circumstances.

Only prune and fertilize bushes that are not cold tender. Pruning and fertilizing both promote tender new growth that can be killed off at first frost.

September is the perfect month to give your roses some T.L.C.

Taking some time to give them good care this month will reward you with bouquets of flowers for your Thanksgiving table. Is this a good time to plant new plants? The answer for many things is yes.

The soil in September is still very warm which will encourage good root development. Good root development in fall is the most important thing that leads to good top growth in spring.

There are many seeds that can be and need to be planted in fall. Remember your grandma’s garden with her sweet peas, hollyhocks, Queen Anne’s lace, nasturtiums, and all those other great garden flowers? September is the perfect time to plant them. So, gardening in September is rewarding because we gardeners are a patient lot.

We will wait to reap the fall and spring rewards of our September labors, just as we wait for that first hint of cool air across our faces.

So, join us at Green Valley’s East Center. Doors open at 9 a.m. for coffee and socializing.

Several Pima County Master Gardeners are always on hand to answer questions, identify plants, and offer solutions to your gardening problems.

Seminars begin at 9:30 a.m. and last approximately 1 hour.

All seminars are open to the public and are free.