Gardening Tasks for August

Gardening tasks in August involve both maintaining your current garden and preparing for the upcoming fall season. Here are some key tasks to consider:

General Garden Maintenance

1. Watering: Ensure plants receive sufficient water, especially during dry spells. Water deeply and early in the morning to reduce evaporation.
2. Weeding: Keep on top of weeds to prevent them from competing with your plants for nutrients and water.
3. Mulching: Refresh mulch to retain soil moisture and control weeds. Mulch can also help moderate soil temperature.
4. Pest and Disease Control: Regularly check for pests and diseases and treat as necessary. Remove any diseased plant material.

Vegetable Garden

1. Harvesting: Continue harvesting vegetables like tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, beans, and squash. Regular harvesting encourages more production.
2. Preparing for Fall Planting: Prepare garden beds by adding compost or organic matter to enrich the soil for fall planting.
3. Planting Fall Crops: Sow seeds for cool season crops such as lettuce, spinach, kale, radishes, carrots, and turnips. These can be harvested before the first frost.
4. Caring for Late-Season Crops: Ensure adequate watering and fertilization of late-season crops like pumpkins and winter squash.
5. Seed Saving: Collect seeds from heirloom varieties for next year's garden.

Flower Garden

1. Deadheading: Remove spent flowers to encourage more blooms and maintain the plant's appearance.
2. Dividing Perennials: Divide and transplant perennials like irises and daylilies if they have become overcrowded.
3. Planting Bulbs: Start planning and ordering spring bulbs for planting in the fall.
4. Refreshing Containers: Add late-season flowering annuals such as marigolds, petunias, zinnias, celosia, begonias, lantana, impatiens, calibrachoa, portulaca, alyssum, sunflowers, coleus, asters, and verbena to keep containers vibrant.

Lawn Care

1. Mowing: Continue to mow the lawn regularly, but adjust the mower height to keep grass a bit longer during hotter periods.
2. Aeration: Consider aerating your lawn to reduce soil compaction and improve root growth.
3. Fertilization: Apply a late-summer fertilizer to support strong root development.

Trees and Shrubs

1. Pruning: Lightly prune dead or broken branches on trees and shrubs but avoid heavy pruning as it can stimulate new growth that won't harden off before winter.
2. Watering: Deep water trees and shrubs if there are dry periods to ensure they go into winter well-hydrated.

Indoor Preparations

1. Houseplants: Begin to prepare houseplants for the move back indoors by checking for pests and gradually acclimating them to lower light conditions.
2. Seed Starting: Plan and prepare for starting seeds indoors for fall or winter crops.

Tools and Equipment

1. Maintenance: Clean, sharpen, and repair garden tools to keep them in good working condition.
2. Inventory: Take stock of gardening supplies and replenish as needed for the fall season.

Special Considerations for Zones 9-11

1. Tropical Plants: August is a good time to plant or transplant tropical plants such as hibiscus, bougainvillea, and palm trees.
2. Orchids and Bromeliads: These plants thrive in warm, humid conditions, making late summer an ideal time for their care and propagation.
3. Citrus Trees: Continue caring for citrus trees, ensuring they are well-watered and fertilized as they set fruit for the fall and winter harvest.
4. Caring for Heat-Tolerant Crops: Ensure adequate watering and fertilization of heat-tolerant crops like okra, eggplant, and sweet potatoes.

By following these tasks, you can keep your garden healthy and productive as you transition from summer to fall.

• Previous
• Next