Gardening Notes for August - Things to do:




Cease all pruning and fertilization so the plants can begin their hardening off process. Trees are vulnerable to drought, particularly the oldest and the youngest (those planted in the last few years). Water deeply and always remove dead, damaged, diseased wood in trees and shrubs as discovered. Ditto with suckers and water sprouts. Make certain plantings from spring and trees planted last year continue to receive weekly irrigation during periods without rainfall.

Continue to deadhead most perennials, roses and annuals to promote new flowers. For some, such as Echinacea, you may wish to leave the seed heads since they are a food source for Goldfinches.

Many annuals in containers begin to look tired in August. For some, a light pruning along with weekly fertilizing will breathe in new life. For others, it is simply time for replacement.

Cut back Irises and inspect for borer damage in the rhizome. If the clump is large and root bound, lift, divide and replant this month. The same is true of Peonies, but be careful to leave the growth buds at or near the surface to ensure blossom production.

Dig and divide daylilies as they complete their bloom cycle, right into fall if needed.

For the vegetable garden, direct=sow one more row of bush beans if you don't have later-producing pole beans to rely on for harvest now through fall, but do it fast. Bush beans, Peas or other crops that have finished producing should be removed, the soli amended with compost, and the area replanted with a crop that mature within 70 days or by October 15th, the first average date for frost in NY. Otherwise remove crops, amend the soil with compost, and replant fall crops. These should be planted as the evening temperatures consistently drop into the 60's and upper 50's.
Suggestions for 2nd crops include: beets, carrots, fennel, scallions, lettuce, mache, mesclun mixes, pak choi, broccoli raab, broccoli, peas, kale, spinach leeks, radishes, kohlrabi, salad greens, root crops.

Harvest garlic and save the best heads for replanting this fall, the ones with the biggest cloves.

Always note where certain crops are planted to ensure that the locations are rotated, recuing the chance of insect or disease populations increasing in the soil. With salad greens, sow small amounts now an again in 10 days. As areas empty from harvest, build vegetable-garden soil by sowing cover crops. These "green manures" will be turned under to improve soil tilth and fertility. remember not to sow in areas reserved for fall-planted crops like garlic.

Start perennials and biennials from see, and then set out in the fall into nursery beds. Gather and save seeds of various non-hybrid annuals for seeding next spring.

Order spring flowering bulbs to get varieties you want. Select bulbs that bloom early, middle and late so you have a long blooming period throughout the spring before annuals can be put out.

Prepare beds for fall planting by smothering grass or weeds with layers of recycled corrugated cardboard or thick layers of newspaper, then put mulch on top.

Handpick Japanese Beetles (as with other obvious pests like tomato hornworms) in early morning and drown in a can of water to reduce infestation. Plan to try to reduce grub population with nematodes.

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Apps for plant identification: Plant Net, Picture This, Plant Snap