Your September Lawn & Garden To-Do List

1. Get your mower ready

As your lawn starts growing more actively, your mowing routine will probably change too. Before you get stuck into regular mowing, check your mower, clean the deck and make sure the blade is sharp. A sharp blade gives a cleaner cut and helps avoid tearing the grass. Then adjust your mowing frequency and height according to your grass type and how quickly it's growing.

2. Get on top of spring weeds

Spring growth doesn't just belong to your lawn and garden plants. Weeds can quickly take advantage of warmer conditions, available moisture and disturbed soil. Walk through your garden beds and lawn regularly and deal with weeds before they become well established. The earlier you identify a weed problem, the easier it is to manage.

3. Start planting

September can be a great planting month, but what you should plant depends heavily on where you live in Australia. Consider your local climate, sunlight, soil, drainage and the amount of space available before choosing what to plant. For vegetables and herbs, think about what you'll want to harvest over the coming months rather than simply planting everything at once.

4. Refresh your garden beds

Now is a good time to tidy up garden beds that have become overgrown or tired. Remove unwanted growth, clear away dead material where appropriate and check that plants have enough room to grow. If your soil needs improvement, address it before planting rather than trying to fix everything after new plants are established.

5. Refresh your mulch

Take a look at your existing mulch. Has it broken down? Has it been washed away? Is the soil underneath exposed? Refreshing mulch can help conserve soil moisture, moderate soil temperatures and reduce competition from weeds. Just remember to keep mulch away from direct contact with plant stems and trunks.

6. Check your irrigation

Before the warmer months arrive, make sure your watering system is actually doing what you think it is. Check sprinklers, hoses and irrigation lines for blockages, leaks and uneven coverage. Also look at how water is behaving in your garden. If water is pooling or running off rather than soaking into the soil, investigate the cause rather than simply increasing the amount of water you apply.

7. Keep an eye out for pests

Spring brings plenty of new growth, and that can mean more activity from pests too. Regularly check underneath leaves, around new shoots and along stems for signs of insects or damage. Catching a problem early is generally easier than dealing with an established infestation.

8. Feed actively growing plants

As plants move into active growth, their nutrient requirements may increase. Rather than applying fertiliser to everything automatically, look at what is actually growing and what each plant needs. Lawns, vegetables, herbs, fruit trees and ornamental plants can all have different nutrient requirements. Choose a suitable fertiliser and apply it according to the product directions and the needs of the plant.

9. Give your pots some attention

Spring is a good opportunity to check your potted plants. Look for roots growing through drainage holes, compacted potting mix, poor drainage or plants that have outgrown their containers. Some plants may benefit from repotting or refreshing their growing medium, while others may simply need a nutrient boost as active growth returns.

10. Decide whether your lawn needs a renovation

With your lawn starting to grow more actively, September is a good time to assess its condition. Does it have excessive thatch? Is the soil compacted? Are there bare patches? Does it need aeration or other renovation work? For some warm-season grasses, spring can be an appropriate time for renovation once active growth has resumed. But don't assume every lawn needs to be scalped or renovated.

Know your grass type and assess the condition of your lawn before deciding what it needs. 

And don't forget the basics

You don't need a complicated routine to have a healthy lawn and garden. Start with the fundamentals:

Good soil. Appropriate watering. The right nutrition. Regular observation.

Then respond to what your plants are actually telling you.

Your September checklist

• ☐ Check and prepare your mower
• ☐ Stay on top of spring weeds
• ☐ Plan your seasonal planting
• ☐ Tidy and refresh garden beds
• ☐ Check and refresh mulch
• ☐ Inspect irrigation
• ☐ Monitor for pests
• ☐ Assess fertiliser needs
• ☐ Check potted plants
• ☐ Assess whether your lawn needs renovation
•  

Spring is here. Now's the time to get your lawn and garden moving.

Explore the Plant Doctor range of fertilisers, soil conditioners, soil wetters and plant health products to help you make the most of the growing season ahead.