This month, check in with your roses, evaluate and plan for next summer and start planting your fall vegetables
by Helen Yoest | photo by Liz Condo
September arrives with cooler temperatures and lower humidity, bringing a sense of excitement, if for no reason other than that it is bearable to be outside again! As I continue to harvest an abundance of figs, tomatoes and eggplant, I am thankful for our long growing season. Fall is my favorite season — until spring comes around — and I want to enjoy every minute of it!
Plan for Next Summer
If you’re a seasoned gardener, take a stroll to observe what thrived or what struggled to adjust for next year. If you are new to gardening, now is an ideal time to start new garden beds, as this gives new plantings time enough to establish roots before winter. Choose a sunny spot in your yard, then plant some easy fall edibles like arugula, parsley and kale. If your soil is too hard to work with, consider a raised bed. These beds can be as simple as a mound of purchased garden soil, but it’s best edged with wood, rocks or prefabricated metal beds.
Plant Fall Veggies
Prepare for October through December harvests by direct-
sowing seeds for veggies like beans, carrots, cilantro, dill, peas and turnips by the middle of the month. (I prefer seeds to transplants this time of year, there’s more variety and they’re less expensive.) Follow packet instructions, which will tell you the planting depth and spacing requirements and best time to sow. Make sure your seeds get daily water, and if your seedlings start to look crowded, thin them out by removing a few so they have room to grow.
Tend to Your Roses
Hybrid tea roses continue to bloom (even brighter as heat stress subsides!) and now is the ideal time to prepare for a healthy transition into winter. Water weekly and deeply, and stop deadheading so the roses can develop hips, which will signal the plant to slow down. Mulch around each bush to insulate roots and keep the plants from heaving in freezing conditions. As long as your roses are thriving, add a systemic product (like BioAdvanced All-in-one Rose and Flower Care) to fertilize, prevent blackspot and powdery mildew, and aid in insect control.
This article originally appeared in the September 2025 issue of WALTER magazine.
