In September, plant and fertilize grass seed

WEEK 1

Considering saving the seed of tomatoes for next year’s garden? They must be fermented first. Details at http://xrl.us/TOMATOSEED.

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Andy Sharp/AJC Staff

Keep an eye on that Japanese maple leaf color. It could be trying to tell you something.

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• Get more Home & Garden news
  

• Listen to Walter Reeves Saturday mornings on NewsTalk 750 WSB-AM from 6 to 10. Call 404-872-0750 to ask questions.
• His Web site, walterreeves.com, contains thousands of answers to lawn and landscape questions. Watch "Gardening in Georgia" each week on GPB. Details at gardeningingeorgia.com.

It’s optional to apply winterizer fertilizer to Bermuda grass lawns, but if you do so, it must be put down in the next two weeks. Details at http://xrl.us/LAWNCALENDAR.

Now is a good time to repot houseplants if you’ve not done so in two years. Otherwise the soil becomes hard and drains poorly.

Don’t cover exposed tree roots with soil; use a layer of pine bark mini-nuggets out to the ends of the branches. The soil is kept cooler, weeds are discouraged and lawn mowers are kept at bay.

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WEEK 2

Japanese maple leaf color can be affected by too much heat, too much shade, too much sun and too little water. Red leaves that have turned green will turn back red as night temperatures cool.

This is prime time to plant fescue seed. Irrigate a few days beforehand, aerate thoroughly, then evenly apply six to eight pounds of seed per 1,000 square feet. Water lightly, as allowed.

To control wisteria, cut it at ground level and immediately paint the stump with glyphosate (Roundup, etc.). Spray root sprouts with broadleaf weed killer (Weed B Gon, etc.).

Gather and destroy small branches that fall from oak, pecan or hickory trees. The twig girdler beetle chews a V-shaped groove around a twig, lays an egg, and wind causes the twig to fall.

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WEEK 3

The best time to plant spring bulbs is in mid-October, not now. You can buy them now, but store them in a dry, cool place until nighttime temperatures are 60 degrees or less.

Look for parsley swallowtail caterpillars. Unless you desperately depend on the size of your parsley crop, let the caterpillars do their thing. You can always plant fresh parsley plants.

Harvest sweet potatoes just before the first frost is predicted. Let the tubers dry in a warm spot for a week. Store in a dark place until you are ready to cook them.

Large yellow and black argiope garden spiders make eye-catching webs with a distinctive zigzag formation in the middle. They are harmless, except to marauding insects!

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WEEK 4

Now is a great time to move shrubs and small trees. Air temperatures are cooling, but soil temperatures are still warm. Water deeply once, and then every two weeks in the absence of rain.

It’s too late to aerate zoysia and Bermuda grass lawns. When soil temperatures drop below 70 degrees, root growth ceases and aeration is no longer effective.

All cool-season vegetables can be planted now. Consider lettuce, parsley, collards, cabbage and turnips to replace your tomatoes and squash.

Ants in compost aren’t necessarily bad. If they bother you, keep the pile more moist and turn it more frequently.