Do it now
• Continue dividing and transplanting early blooming perennials.
• Cut more flowers for drying.
• Continue to pull weeds before they go to seed.
• Begin planting early blooming bulbs. Wait until late October to plant tulips.
• Take in tender aquatic plants and tropical fish from ponds.
• Collect seed from favorite annuals.
• Make note of the best location for annuals to fill in bare spots in the perennial garden.
• Remove spent annuals and add to compost.
• Sow hardy annuals in prepared beds or in cold frame.
Vegetables and fruits
• Propagate herbs from new growth and transplant into pots for winter use.
• Harvest basil before the first frost.
• Do not cut back asparagus until after the first frost.
• Plant cover crops in bare areas. Annual rye will germinate in cool weather. Cover cropping chokes out weeds and adds valuable organic matter when it is tilled under in the spring.
• When harvesting winter squash allow it to cure for a day or so before storing in a cool place.
Trees and shrubs
• Continue applying deer repellents. Make plans for winter protection — with spray products on the market, net barriers or sturdy fencing.
• Continue planting evergreens through Oct. 15. Keep them well watered.
• Needled evergreens naturally lose their inner or oldest foliage about this time of year. Collect some for a fine mulch under acid loving plants such as azalea, rhododendron and blueberries.
• Continue lawn renovation and/or seeding of bare spots. Choose high quality seed.
• Mow lawns regularly to keep grass at a 3-inch height.
• Bring in houseplants if not already done. Repot if necessary and check for insect pests. Discard weak or unsightly specimens.
Susan Henry, master gardener with Cornell Cooperative Extension of Westchester