September marks the beginning of autumn, although it still may be warm and so there is still watering, weeding and pest control to be mindful of. There is plenty to sow and plant out for over-wintering or quick growing crops for autumn - Check varieties for autumn sowing.

The main task this month is harvesting and starting to prepare the soil for another round again.

There will be lots of fruit picking to be done including apples, pears and blackberries. You will likely still be getting raspberries too. Main crop potatoes will be lifted if you have not already, if they are left too long, they could become damaged by slugs or blight.

Leeks can be lifted; beetroot and many other crops will be ready. 

It's also a good time to work on your compost. You can begin to turn your pile so that you can use the rotted compost on your beds once they are cleared.

Green manure is great for sowing now. It has many uses; it provides a compost material and improves the soil structure, it fixes nitrogen from the air and soaks up nutrients from, which would otherwise be washed away with the rain and it crowds the weeds to help stop them from growing.

Green manure can be dug in once you do your soil prep during autumn, winter or early spring.

You can begin to plan for the autumn and winter months; checking supplies, ordering over wintering seeds and plants and pruning jobs.

You can begin to clear perennial plants that are spent for this season, adding a good green layer to the compost.

It may also be a good time to clean down the greenhouse if your tomatoes and other plants have cropped. During a mild September and if you are still producing, then still keep it well ventilated.

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