September What To Do Now Calendar

Care for houseplants – Clean foliage, water regularly and fertilize. Repot as necessary. For more information on caring for houseplants, go to the Bayer Advanced™ houseplant page. To feed and protect from insects, use Bayer Advanced™ 2-in-1 Insect Control plus Fertilizer Plant Spikes – no spraying, no mess. Just push the spikes into the soil for up to eight weeks of nutrition and protection. To control existing insect pests, use Bayer Advanced™ Dual Action Rose & Flower Insect Killer Ready-To-Use. Bring houseplants back indoors before temperatures drop into the 50s.

Care for roses – Remove faded flowers, cutting back to the first leaf with five leaflets. Roses, such as floribundas and shrubs, which bloom in clusters, can be lightly sheared after blooms fade. Feed and protect from insects and disease with Bayer Advanced™ All-In-One Rose & Flower Care Concentrate. If you have spider mites, use Bayer Advanced™ 2-in-1 Systemic Rose & Flower Care Granules. This systemic product controls numerous insect pests and mites while feeding your roses. To control mites and diseases, such as black spot and powdery mildew, use Bayer Advanced™ 3-in-1 Insect, Disease & Mite Control Ready-To-Spray. If rose diseases are your problem, use Bayer Advanced™ Disease Control for Roses, Flowers & Shrubs Concentrate.

Control fire ants – Treat mounds with Bayer Advanced™ Fire Ant Killer Dust (available in both dust and granular formulations).

Control garden weeds – Garden weeds are easiest to control when young. Hoe or pull by hand. Remember the old adage, "leaves of three, let it be," referring to avoiding poison oak? Instead substitute, "leaves of three, spray with Bayer Advanced™ Brush Killer Plus Concentrate." This product also controls other woody vines and briar plants (blackberries, etc.).

Control indoor pests – To control insects like spiders, fleas and ants, Bayer Advanced offers a complete line of home pest solutions, including Bayer Advanced™ Home Pest plus Germ* Killer Indoor and Outdoor Insect Killer Ready-To-Spray. It provides up to 12 months of indoor insect protection**, plus it reduces 99.9% of the germs insects may carry. For easier-than-ever control of roaches, use the Bayer Advanced™ Dual Action Roach Killer Power Pen® Ready-To-Use. It’s easy to use, providing up to 6 months of control with the touch of a button. For more information, visit the Bayer Advanced Indoor Pest Control Web page.

*Staphylococcus aureus and Enterobacter aerogenes on hard, nonporous, nonfood contact surfaces. No residual sanitizer action. Not for primary use as a sanitizer.
**For German cockroaches, black carpenter ants and house crickets on nonporous surfaces.

Control lawn pests – Apply Bayer Advanced™ 24-Hour Grub Killer Plus Granules to control white grubs. It starts working overnight to rid your lawn of this destructive pest. And if you think you have both grubs and other lawn pests use Bayer Advanced™ Complete Insect Killer For Soil & Turf Concentrate. Its two-way formula provides both excellent belowground grub control and thorough aboveground, grass-feeding insect pest control. Click here for more on white grubs and other lawn pests.

Control slugs and snails – Protect flowers, vegetables and other tender plants with Bayer Advanced™ Dual Action Snail & Slug Killer Bait Granules. Can be used around pets and wildlife.

Control whiteflies – Use Bayer Advanced™ 12-Month Tree & Shrub Protect & Feed Concentrate or Bayer Advanced™ Tree & Shrub Protect & Feed Granules on ornamentals such as hibiscus, oleander and camellia.

Fertilize lawns – This is one of the most important times of the year to feed cool-season lawns like Kentucky bluegrass and fescues.

Fertilize plants – Keep landscape plants healthy and vigorous, and flowers blooming on and on, with a quality fertilizer.

Mow – Lawns are growing vigorously. Mow weekly. Set your mower height at the upper end of the mowing range to help develop deeper roots and heat tolerance. Be sure to sharpen the blades and tune up the lawn mower for peak efficiency.

Plant flowers – Plant cool-season annuals like pansies, sweet peas, violas and primroses for fall bloom. Also plant hardy flowering perennials, such as yarrow and phlox, and hardy bulbs like tulips and daffodils. Protect from insect pests with Bayer Advanced™ Dual Action Rose & Flower Insect Killer Ready-To-Use. One thorough spray saves you time and money. Dig, divide or plant peonies. Divide perennials, especially spring bloomers. Remove seed heads from perennials to prevent reseeding in the garden. Dig gladioli as foliage begins to yellow and air-dry before storing for winter.

Plant lawns – Start cool-season lawns like tall fescues. Overseed Bermuda grass lawns with ryegrass or tall fescue to keep them green all winter.

Plant vegetables and herbs – Plant cool-season vegetables, such as lettuce, broccoli, chard and cabbage. Also plant hardy herbs such oregano, parsley, rosemary and thyme. Water regularly until plants are established. Protect vegetables listed on the label from insect pests with Bayer Advanced™ Complete Insect Killer for Gardens Ready-To-Use, Bayer Advanced™ PowerForce® Multi-Insect Killer Concentrate or Bayer Advanced™ . Clean up garden areas to reduce insects and disease as plants die back for winter.

Protect existing trees and shrubs – Protect valuable trees and shrubs from next year’s insect pests, including aphids, scale and borers. Plant new trees and shrubs, including roses from containers. Feed with Bayer Advanced™ 12-Month Tree & Shrub Protect & Feed Concentrate or Bayer Advanced™ Tree & Shrub Protect & Feed Granules. One application in fall feeds and protects for up to 12 months. Handpick bagworms to reduce next year’s problem.

Water gardens – Continue to monitor irrigation systems. Fix clogs and broken sprinklers. Adjust spray heads. Apply a fresh layer of organic mulch to conserve moisture. Water more frequently during extreme heat or periods of drought. Be sure to water deeply. What’s the best way to calculate how much water your irrigation system delivers at each sprinkling? Place straight-sided coffee mugs randomly around your beds. After the irrigation cycle is completed, measure how much water has collected in each cup. Anything less than 1/2 inch is too little to provide a deep watering. Apply a fresh layer of organic mulch to conserve moisture (but not more than 3 to 4 inches total).

Water lawns – Make sure sprinklers are operating properly. If you haven’t done so already, adjust timers as weather warms. Water more frequently during warm weather or dry spells, and especially on lawns, be certain to water deeply. What’s the best way to calculate how much water your irrigation system delivers at each sprinkling? Place five straight-sided coffee cups randomly around your lawn. After the irrigation cycle is completed, measure how much water has collected. Anything less than 1/2 inch is too little to provide a deep watering. For more tips on how to water your lawn efficiently, click here.