September Ozarks Gardening Calendar

While the average first frost for Fayetteville, Arkansas, is October 17, the earliest first frost on record was on September 27, 1942.

Throughout month
Cold Frame:
Various lettuces.

September 1
Kitchen Garden:
Plant lettuce, mustard, leeks, carrots, turnips, summer squash, spinach, & radish.
Cottage Garden:
Fertilize roses for last time this year.
Orchard:
Begin gradually harvesting Fuji apples to prevent limb breakage. Keep windfalls picked up.

After raspberry harvest
Berry Patch:
Prune Heritage (red) & Anne (golden) raspberries to the ground.

September 15
Kitchen Garden:
Plant lettuce, mustard, radish, & spinach.
Cottage Garden:
Plant hollyhocks, larkspur, & poppies.
Plant perennials for next year.
Fertilize mums just before buds open.
Cut back earlier bloomers when tops begin to die back.
Dig & divide crowded spring and summer bloomers.
All Gardens:
Apply milky spore to areas affected by Japanese beetles.

September 20
Kitchen Garden:
Plant beets, carrots, mustard, cauliflower, & celery.
Woodlot & orchard:
Prepare planting holes for evergreens, trees, and shrubs.

September 24
Cottage Garden:
Plant spring blooming bulbs & lily-of-the-valley.
Cut lilies back to the ground when the stalks die back.