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
- Watering: Ensure plants receive sufficient water, especially during dry spells. Water deeply and early in the morning to reduce evaporation.
- Weeding: Keep on top of weeds to prevent them from competing with your plants for nutrients and water.
- Mulching: Refresh mulch to retain soil moisture and control weeds. Mulch can also help moderate soil temperature.
- Pest and Disease Control: Regularly check for pests and diseases and treat as necessary. Remove any diseased plant material.
Vegetable Garden
- Harvesting: Continue harvesting vegetables like tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, beans, and squash. Regular harvesting encourages more production.
- Preparing for Fall Planting: Prepare garden beds by adding compost or organic matter to enrich the soil for fall planting.
- 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.
- Caring for Late-Season Crops: Ensure adequate watering and fertilization of late-season crops like pumpkins and winter squash.
- Seed Saving: Collect seeds from heirloom varieties for next year's garden.
Flower Garden
- Deadheading: Remove spent flowers to encourage more blooms and maintain the plant's appearance.
- Dividing Perennials: Divide and transplant perennials like irises and daylilies if they have become overcrowded.
- Planting Bulbs: Start planning and ordering spring bulbs for planting in the fall.
- 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
- Mowing: Continue to mow the lawn regularly, but adjust the mower height to keep grass a bit longer during hotter periods.
- Aeration: Consider aerating your lawn to reduce soil compaction and improve root growth.
- Fertilization: Apply a late-summer fertilizer to support strong root development.
Trees and Shrubs
- 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.
- Watering: Deep water trees and shrubs if there are dry periods to ensure they go into winter well-hydrated.
Indoor Preparations
- Houseplants: Begin to prepare houseplants for the move back indoors by checking for pests and gradually acclimating them to lower light conditions.
- Seed Starting: Plan and prepare for starting seeds indoors for fall or winter crops.
Tools and Equipment
- Maintenance: Clean, sharpen, and repair garden tools to keep them in good working condition.
- Inventory: Take stock of gardening supplies and replenish as needed for the fall season.
Special Considerations for Zones 9-11
- Tropical Plants: August is a good time to plant or transplant tropical plants such as hibiscus, bougainvillea, and palm trees.
- Orchids and Bromeliads: These plants thrive in warm, humid conditions, making late summer an ideal time for their care and propagation.
- Citrus Trees: Continue caring for citrus trees, ensuring they are well-watered and fertilized as they set fruit for the fall and winter harvest.
- 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.
