Seeding and Transplanting:  Seeding vegetables and herbs in unheated greenhouses with ground-level or raised beds is still possible in September. This gives you microgreens all winter for soups, salads, and shakes, and those left to grow as large as possible can be transplanted out in March to the garden bed and provide great greens until the first spring seeded crops are up. It is great to have some greens started in August and July to provide for earlier greens in October, but the September crop will often prove just as fruitful. Also, spinach and green onions for example can be transplanted from the greenhouse into standard 11” by 21.5” nursery trays and grow well until February in sunrooms and glassed-in porches.

Propagation: September is a perfect time of year to take cuttings from your favourite plants as the plant growth hormones are still pumping through the stems, the Sun’s positioning is lower and holds a greater red spectrum to it that supports the propagation process. Rooting hormones are great, but many plant species work well by just keeping them moist in a blend of sand, potting soil, and peat. Use clean pruning shears, prune when temperatures are less than 18 degrees centigrade, and keep the cutting tip to 4 inches or less. Your propagation trays can be kept in an unheated greenhouse, in an open carport structure, and or covered sundeck. To overwinter your propagation trays in a glassed-in porch or sunroom an intermittent air exchange will be needed. By far my strongest annual variety this season for propagating is the “Coleus.”  It roots very well in water loves an overhead cover and just seems unstoppable. I am looking forward to seeing how it overwinters in the sunroom which will be kept at 10 degrees centigrade.

PRUNING: Tree pruning, and shrub pruning are done best below 18’ centigrade, and no more than ¼ of the variety at a time. Espaliering fits this profile with seasonal pruning and keeping the branches that will be bearing fruit or flowers at 8 inches or less. Fruit trees respond to no more than 1/4 of the tree being pruned at a time and pruned with each season. It is a great quality control and preventive maintenance practice.

Kathryn