To-Do’s in Your Garden this August
Well we are no longer talking about what annuals to use and people are starting to finish their summer landscape and garden projects, so what now? August is a good time to accomplish some fun, and not so fun tasks in your gardens – just before school begins. Do not lose your desire to be outside in the dirt just yet! Here are some things you can do this month:
Check your mulch: Has the wind blown away some of your mulch? Does it look faded? It is always a nice refresher for your landscape to spruce up your mulch. We sell black and golden Cyprus mulch by the bag, and of course we have red, hardwood, and recycled mulch by the bulk loads.
Get rid of those weeds: Since you are already messing around in the mulch it would be a good idea to pull and prevent weeds in your garden space. Pull all the weeds (do not forget the roots!) and apply some Dimension to prevent weeds from germinating. We carry two different size bags, so we are for sure to have what you need for the size of job you are working on!
Deadhead perennials: Now that you have your mulch looking nice, how about we get those perennials looking nice as well! Grab your pruners and start deadheading. Cut back any spent flowers (if there are any nice flowers, stick them in a vase on your counter!) on perennials. Fix up your Daylilies by cutting off spent flower stems and pulling out yellow foliage. Trim your Spirea back to give it a nice and round shape. Trim off any new growth on your evergreen shrubs and trees (DO NOT trim your evergreens after September 1st in order to prevent winter burn!!). Deadhead your rose bushes for a fresh, new appeal. Trim, trim, trim it all!
Plant something new: If everything just looks plain and green, plant something new! Now is the perfect time to add some late summer-fall color to your garden. We have beautiful Mums, Asters, Rudbeckia and grasses that will give your garden (and containers) a little make over! If you are tired of your petunias, pull them out and throw in one of those plants. Be sure to plant them in the ground in time to water them well so they have established roots before winter.
Pick any herbs: Go through your herb garden and pick any herbs that you can use fresh. You can also dry them on a cookie sheet and store them in a ziplock bag in the freezer for future use! Search on the internet for fun new ways to use your fresh herbs. I LOVE using my Mint Chocolate leaves in my morning coffee – yuummmm!
Check Your Vegetables: Are your tomatoes showing blossom end rot? You must need some Calcium! We have a spray to give your fresh fruit that extra calcium in order to get more yields. Do not forget to use our organic Dr. Earth Fertilizer next year. Check for any other signs of bugs and pests and always feel free to bring in leaf samples if you just do not know what to do!
Plant MORE: NOW is the time to get a second harvest out of your cool season vegetable crops; kale, lettuce, ect… These vegetables have a faster growing rate and you should be able to enjoy these fresh produce products for as long as you can.
Water: It has been a bit dry with some spells of moisture, but not enough to keep your new plants healthy. Be sure you are watering at least once or twice a week on a slow trickle in order to get your roots established before the winter. Be sure you are watering anything NEW you planted well enough to help it survive the winter. We have a Root Stimulator that will encourage more root growth!
August is a month that does not usually get a lot of positive attention with all the back to school complaints – so this year make it something special! And always remember that if you have any questions to give us a call or stop in.
-Janelle Thomas