September 27, 2025 Weekly Gardening Guide
Episode Transcript
Welcome back to the Keep Growing Podcast! I'm your host, John Morgan, and we’re here to help you keep your garden thriving as we transition into the heart of fall. This is our Week 40 episode, covering September 17th to October 3rd. We’ve got some timely gardening tasks, a look at the lunar calendar, and a weather forecast to help you plan your week. Plus, I’ve got an important update about the podcast schedule as we move into the cooler months. So, grab your trowel, and let’s dig in!
Segment 1: Lunar Gardening - First Quarter Moon
Alright, let’s start with the lunar calendar, which is always a great guide for timing your garden tasks. On Monday, September 29th, we’ll hit the First Quarter Moon phase. This is the perfect time to focus on aboveground crops. If you’re in a region where the growing season is still going strong, now’s the time to plant things like lettuce, spinach, or other leafy greens that thrive in cooler weather. If you’re in harvest mode, this is also a great window to pick those aboveground crops like tomatoes, peppers, or cucumbers to maximize their flavor and vitality. The waxing moon is pulling energy upward, so let’s work with that natural rhythm!
Segment 2: Key Gardening Tasks for Week 40
Let’s talk about what’s on your garden to-do list for the next week:
Turn your compost pile. With fall in full swing, your compost is likely getting a workout from all those garden clippings and fallen leaves. Give it a good turn to aerate it and speed up decomposition. A healthy compost pile now means rich soil for next spring.
Dig up canna, dahlia, gladiolas, and tuberous begonias. If you’re in an area expecting frost soon, it’s time to lift these tender bulbs and tubers. Clean them off, let them dry, and store them in a cool, dry place for the winter.
Harvest green tomatoes and gourds before frost. If you’ve got tomatoes still on the vine, pick them green and ripen them indoors to avoid frost damage. Same goes for gourds—get them in before the cold snaps hit.
These tasks will keep your garden in great shape as we move deeper into fall.
Segment 3: Weather Forecast
Now, let’s check the weather to help you plan. Here’s the forecast for the week ahead:
We’re looking at mainly dry conditions returning for the end of the weekend and the start of the workweek as an upper-level disturbance moves northeast and mid-level ridging builds in. That said, isolated showers are possible Saturday night into Sunday, especially in higher terrain areas. By late Monday into Monday night, there’s a chance for more showers in those same higher elevations due to some tropical moisture moving up from the south.
The big story to watch is a strengthening tropical system expected to approach the southeast U.S. by Monday evening into Tuesday night. There are two possible scenarios here:
If the system stays offshore or far enough south and east, we’ll likely stay dry under high pressure.
But, if it moves inland—as some models like the GFS suggest—we could see scattered showers Tuesday and Wednesday, with the potential for heavy rain depending on the storm’s track.
Keep an eye on local updates, especially if you’re in the southeast, and protect any sensitive plants if heavy rain is in the forecast.
Segment 4: Podcast Schedule Update
Before we wrap up, I’ve got an important announcement about the Keep Growing Podcast. As we move into fall and outdoor gardening slows down, we’re shifting gears. Starting this month, we’ll move to two episodes per month:
At the start of each month, we’ll drop an episode covering key garden tasks for the month ahead.
Mid-month, we’ll dive into a deeper topic—think garden design, soil health, or maybe even some interviews.
We’ll return to our weekly episodes in the spring when the growing season kicks back into high gear. So, stay tuned for our next episode at the start of October, where we’ll outline your must-do tasks for the month.
Outro
That’s it for Week 40 of the Keep Growing Podcast. Whether you’re harvesting those last tomatoes, turning compost, or keeping an eye on that tropical system, keep nurturing your garden and stay connected to the rhythms of nature. Thanks for tuning in, and until next time, keep growing!
