15 Essential September Homesteading Tasks – Autumn Harvests, Firewood, And First Frosts!
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September is one of our favorite months for homesteading! We love the cozy autumn fires, tasty pumpkin seeds, and last-minute fall harvests. But there’s also much work around the homestead before winter sets in! Join us while we explore the essential homesteading tasks as the last days of summer mature into a brisk autumn breeze.
Sound good?
Then let’s get to work!
15 Essential September Homesteading Tasks For Gardeners And Homeowners
Completing these crucial homesteading tasks in September helps you stay ahead of your game while preparing for a chilly winter season.
1. Focus On Fall Harvests And Storage
September is when we focus on gathering the last of our fall crops. Harvesting toward the end of summer and early fall can feel overwhelming. But the reward is a root cellar stuffed with yummy preserves and baskets overflowing with garden goodies.
- Crop Monitoring: Pick the last tomatoes and squash before the frost gets them.
- Storage Check: Ensure storage areas are cool, dark, and dry for optimal preservation.
- Preservation Methods: Use canning, drying, or freezing to store your harvest and help keep summer’s flavors alive.
As we store away our fall harvest, we’re not just saving food. We also preserve an entire season’s worth of effort, labor, and love.
2. Plant Fall Vegetables
September is a great time to plant fall veggies. I choose leafy greens, especially kale and spinach. Many homesteaders are admittedly exhausted from gardening come September. But planting fall crops now can ensure some yummy green yields among autumn’s golden scenery.
- Crop Selection: Sow seeds for kale, spinach, and radishes now for a late-season bounty.
- Frost Protection: Use row covers to guard young plants against unexpected cold snaps.
- Consistent Watering: Keep soil moist! Fall winds can dry it out quicker than you expect.
Planting fall vegetables now is like tucking hope into the soil. Our hard work pays off. And we’ll reap the rewards in a few weeks.
Read More – 24 Perfect Crops For Growing In September – Grow An Epic Autumn Garden!
3. Shop For Discounted Appliances And Farm Instruments
Most retail salespeople will tell you that September is the best time to hunt for deals on new appliances and garden gear! Many retailers have back-to-school promotions, end-of-summer sales, and a high sense of urgency to sell products in preparation for the holidays.
- Seasonal Sales: Look for end-of-season sales to find essential homestead appliances at a discount.
- Measurement: Measure your spaces before purchasing to avoid fitting issues.
- Efficiency: Choose energy-efficient models to save money and resources long-term.
A good tool makes every outdoor task more manageable. Investing wisely in our homesteads pays off in time and effort saved.
4. Prepare For Fall’s First Frosts
When the overnight frosts emerge, I cover the garden beds and bring tender potted plants indoors. It’s a scramble. But there’s a delightful satisfaction in knowing our efforts will keep the frost at bay (and help our plants fight another day).
- Weather Watch: Watch the forecast and be ready to cover tender plants.
- Indoor Plants: Bring potted herbs inside to extend their growing season.
- Green Tomato Harvest: Pick green tomatoes, peppers, and squash to ripen indoors. Never let frost take them first.
The first frost is nature’s gentle reminder that change is coming. It’s also a final warning to bring our potted plants indoors.
5. Celebrate Apple Season
September is apple season! We celebrate by picking these golden and red delicious gems by the bushel. Few pleasures in this world can eclipse that of a fresh autumn apple. And we love spending entire afternoons making fresh pies, applesauce, cakes, and cider.
- Orchard Visits: Visit local orchards to pick apples fresh from the tree. It’s an autumn must.
- Cider Making: Experiment with homemade cider or apple butter to capture yummy fall flavors.
- Utilization: Collect fallen apples for composting or livestock feed. Nothing goes to waste.
There’s something magical about biting into a crisp, fresh apple. It reminds me of a fun article we wrote entitled How Much Is A Peck Of Apples? And Is One Peck Enough? (Spoiler alert. The answer is no! One peck is never enough.)
6. Prepare Garden Beds For Garlic
We always prepare a particular spot for garlic in September. We know it can comfortably rest under the soil all winter before springing to life next year. The effort we put in now will pay us back tenfold when the winter fades.
- Soil Prep: Loosen the soil. Mix in compost for nutrient-rich garlic beds.
- Planting Technique: Plant the cloves pointy side up about two inches deep.
- Mulching: Cover with mulch to protect against winter’s chill and spring weeds.
Planting garlic in September is like planning for the future. A future in which our meals are way more delicious and satisfying.
Read More – 21 Best Late-Summer And Fall Flowers For Epic Autumn Blooms!
7. Start Fall Lawn Care
September is an excellent time to give our lawns some caring TLC. It’s time to remove thatch, reseed, and refeed. Doing so is like grooming the lawn and then tucking it in for a long winter’s nap! Your grass will awaken in the spring refreshed, invigorated, and anew.
- Aeration: Aerate the lawn by dethatching and raking to improve soil health and nutrient uptake.
- Reseeding: Reseed bare patches to keep your lawn thick and lush.
- Fertilization: Apply fall fertilizer to strengthen the grassroots for a vibrant spring.
These impactful lawn care tasks performed in September will give next spring’s lawn a significant advantage.
8. Harvest Late-Season Fruits
September means it’s time to harvest some of our favorite fruits for succulent summertime pies! Grapes and berries can produce magnificently this time of year. Turning them into jams and jellies can help us enjoy summertime flavor all winter.
- Ripeness Check: Pick fruits like berries, grapes, pears, and late plums before they fall.
- Processing: Use ripe and bruised fruits for jams and jellies first.
- Cooled Storage: Store apples and pears in chilled conditions to extend freshness.
Each piece of September fruit is a sweet reminder that nature often saves the best for last.
9. Clean Your Summer Garden Tools
We don’t know about you, but we use and beat the heck out of our garden tools! Come September, they need maintenance. We carefully wipe away dirt and rust and sharpen what we can. It’s a surprisingly meditative, relaxing task.
- Tool Cleaning: Wash off dirt and grime to prevent rust.
- Sharpening: Sharpen blades to keep tools effective and safe.
- Proper Storage: Store tools in a dry, sheltered space to protect them for next season.
Clean tools are happy tools. They almost always make a homesteader’s work less stressful. And more enjoyable!
Read More – 15 Things Nobody Tells You About Life On The Homestead!
10. Mulch And Compost Your Leaves
Each fallen autumn leaf builds our backyard compost bin or mulch pile. That compost lives on and helps us turn our yard litter into nutrient-rich soil for future gardens. It’s like nature’s way of helping us improve our self-sufficiency.
- Leaf Collection: Rake up leaves and use them as natural mulch for garden beds.
- Composting: Add leaves to the compost pile for rich and nutrient-dense soil.
- Shredding: Shred leaves to speed up decomposition and mulch breakdown.
Turning leaves into mulch or compost feels like recycling nature’s gifts! Or maybe it’s more like giving back to the earth what it freely gives us.
11. Plant Spring-Flowering Bulbs
There’s a majestic magic in planting bulbs during the fall. Each bulb tucks snugly and safely under the wintry soil and hides until bursting into full bloom as the warm weather emerges in spring. As you wait for the warm weather, imagine the bright tulips and daffodils that will grace your garden in the coming months.
- Planting Depth: Dig holes two to three times the bulb’s height.
- Grouping: Plant bulbs in clusters for a striking spring display.
- Watering: Water bulbs well after planting. Doing so helps them settle in.
There are plenty of dazzling September bulbs to grow that emerge in the spring. Our favorites include tulips, crocuses, hyacinths, alliums, snowdrops, and daffodils.
12. Harvest Medicinal Herbs And Flowers
September is the best month to harvest many aromatic and medical herbs. The cool September air is also superb for drying and curing them for teas, tinctures, or long-term storage. A stash of fresh backyard herbs also helps me feel prepared for winter!
- Morning Harvest: Pick herbs in the morning when their oils are most concentrated for an aromatic harvest.
- Drying: Hang herbs and flowers in a warm, dark spot to dry them evenly.
- Storage: Store dried herbs in airtight containers to retain potency.
Many herbs are perfect for September harvesting! Our top choices for this time of year include parsley, lemon balm, thyme, oregano, chives, and mint.
Read More – Here’s How To Raise Cows For Delicious A2 Milk On Your Homestead!
13. Plan For Fall Decorations
If the seasons competed in a fashion contest, fall would easily win! Autumn is undeniably beautiful. I love taking advantage of decorating our homestead with pumpkins, gourds, and colorful leaves. It’s a laid-back way to accentuate our space with the luster and majesty of the season.
- Natural Materials: Use pumpkins, gourds, leaves, and cornstalks for festive autumn decor.
- Crafting: Create wreaths and centerpieces from pinecones and dried autumn flowers.
- Sunflower Harvest: Gather the last sunflowers to bring a splash of fall color indoors.
Decorating with September’s bounty of garden gourds is a splendid way to celebrate the harvest and bring nature’s beauty into our lives.
14. Prepare Firewood
The evenings are getting colder, so it’s time to stack our firewood piles high. It’s a lot of work. But you’ll also enjoy the primal comfort of having plenty of firewood to keep your home fires burning through the long winter nights.
- Splitting: Split and stack firewood early to allow time for drying and seasoning.
- Storage: Keep wood off the ground and cover it to protect it from moisture.
- Monitoring: Regularly check the woodpile to ensure a steady supply for winter fires.
Consider investing in a log splitter if you use logs to heat your home and stack tons of firewood. Splitting firewood with an ax is an excellent workout if you do it occasionally. But it can also wear you down if you chop it by the cord. And it’s no fun as you get older!
15. Prepare The Greenhouse For Winter
September is a great time to double-check, organize, and clean your greenhouse. Over the summer, your greenhouse can accumulate pollen, gunk, and dirt. Some gardeners argue a bit of green fuzz on the greenhouse adds a rustic touch. However, the issue is that it also blocks sunlight.
- Inspect Structure: Check for damage to the greenhouse structure. Examine the frame, panels, and doors. Look for cracks, leaks, or loose fittings that need repair.
- Clean The Glass Or Plastic: Clean the panels! Doing so helps maximize sunlight exposure. Remove any dirt, algae, or debris that accumulated over the summer.
- Stocking Up: Prepare with fresh potting soil, fertilizers, and seeds.
Preparing the greenhouse for winter is the ultimate cheat code for gardeners. Your greenhouse is like your garden’s winter sanctuary. It helps plants survive even when the first overnight frost blankets the area immediately surrounding them.
Read More – 5 Epic Farm Fence Ideas For Your Homestead – Perfect For All Style Yards!
Conclusion
Thanks for reading our essential homesteading tasks for September. This list will help you live a fulfilling, self-sufficient life while minimizing stress as the autumn weeks pass.
What about you?
- What are your favorite fall crops to harvest in September? Do you have any unique recipes to match the crops?
- Can you share your best tips for keeping plants healthy through the colder season?
- Do you have any traditions or rituals for celebrating the transition from summer to fall?
- What’s one homesteading task you find most satisfying in September?
- How do you balance getting ready for winter with enjoying the beauty and bounty of the fall season?
We invite all September homesteaders to reply with their feedback!
Thanks again for reading.
Have a great day!