One of the nicest things about September is Labor Day, the tribute to workers. The other nice thing is the cool weather of September, the change we so welcome. Gone are the sultry days of August, sapping energy from gardens and gardeners alike. In their place are more comfortable gardening conditions, lengthening shadows and a quickening pace in the garden. Yet, even as many plants are nearing the end of their active growing cycles, there’s still plenty to do in the September garden.

For one, vegetable and fruit harvests abound. Beans, okra, peppers and melons are coming on strong. So are tomatoes. For late development of more mature fruit, pluck tiny tomatoes from the vines. Apples and pears are ready and waiting. September is also a great time to plant snap beans, eggplant, peppers, spinach, lettuce, radishes and winter squash.

Flower beds need tending. Continue to deadhead annuals to keep them blooming as long as possible. Snip the seed heads from perennials unless you want them to reseed in next year’s garden. Clean up dying foliage from perennials to discourage disease and eliminate a cozy winter home for unwelcome insects. Now is the time to mix rich organic matter into the garden beds. Peonies, which typically don’t like being moved, are best moved this month. If you haven’t already done so, divide other perennials such as irises and daylilies. Trim back the foliage of both to give roots a healthy start in their new garden spots.

Add a touch of fall color to the garden with plantings of mums and pansies. Start thinking about fall bulbs. Tulips, daffodils, hyacinths and crocuses are distant memories at this time of year. Reflect on what bulbs are needed in the garden and begin your purchases of new ones. You can begin planting spring flowering bulbs any time now.

Add large elements to the garden, too, like trees and shrubs. Water them well and get them off to a healthy start before winter arrives. Remove broken or dead limbs from existing trees.

Attend to the lawn during September. Lower the blades of the lawn mower to a height of two to two-and-a-half inches. Thatch, the accumulation of dead roots and stem tissue at the surface level, is normally not problematic. However, if the thatch, is thick (more than a half an inch) remove it with a power rake lawn. Beware, that thatching too late in the fall leaves the turf vulnerable to winter injury.

Lawns that have been subjected to a lot of foot or machine traffic may have become compacted. Compacted soil hampers healthy turf. Core aerate the soil to reduce soil compaction. Equipment for this can be rented (or a lawn service can be employed.) Be sure to rent an aerator that pulls plugs of soil from the ground, not one that merely spikes the ground. Leave the soil plugs on the surface of the lawn. They will help break down thatch. To refurbish the lawn, overseed it with fescue or Kentucky bluegrass after aeration.

Apply fertilizer to turfgrass in September. Feeding lawns now improves the root system and thickens the lawn. Fertilizer applied at this time also gives turf time to accumulate nutrients critical to winter survival. If rainfall is insufficient, irrigate the lawn every other week.

September is an ideal time to start a new lawn from seed. The cooler fall season produces less weather-related stress for grass than when started in spring. Typically, seeds germinate in one week. With a September start, young grass gets off to a healthier start without the struggle to survive in the face of summer heat. In addition, newly emerging grasses face less competition from weeds in the fall than they do in the spring.

Bring houseplants indoors when nighttime temperatures get to 50 degrees. However, be sure plants are free of bugs before bringing them into the house. To acclimate houseplants that have lived outside all summer to the lower light levels place them in a space with plenty of light, gradually moving them to their permanent location.

What do you think? Let’s celebrate Labor Day and poke around in the garden.

 Carol Boncella is education coordinator at Lawrence Memorial Hospital and home and garden writer for the Journal-World.