August Garden Tips
- Cut back leggy growth on annuals at least one-third or more to encourage late summer re-blooming. Lightly fertilize with a low nitrogen fertilizer to encourage new growth
- Look for signs of pest insects and diseases and treat using “low impact” products if warranted. Apply treatments early mornings during the cool part of the day
- Check or install yellow jacket traps as activity of these pests increases this month
- Fertilize Citrus trees with a specialty fertilizer designed specifically for Citrus
- Pick up fallen fruit to discourage bees ,yellow jackets, wasps and over wintering of diseases
- Cut back Baby’s Tears, Blue Star Creeper, Coprosma, Creeping Thyme and other spreaders to encourage new compact growth and prevent them from overstepping their boundaries. Do so on cooler days to reduce or prevent over exposure of interior growth to hot sun
- Do not dry herbs in the sun. Wash and set them on a screen indoors where there is good air circulation
- For large Pumpkins and Melons, leave only one to three fruits per vine
- Wash foliage off early in the morning with a strong stream of water to blast off aphids, leafhoppers, and caterpillars
- If skunks, raccoons, possums, moles and other critters are digging up the lawn, they are probably looking for grubs
- Check your automated irrigation system to make sure everything is operating properly and water isn’t being wasted through runoff and over-spray. Set your watering budget at 80% of the July schedule or according to local watering restrictions
- Begin to consider ordering Spring flowering bulbs
- Trim overgrown plants now to allow time to push out new growth before winter. thin-out woody growth to increase air circulation and allow sunlight to enter the interior of plants. Do so on cooler days to reduce or prevent over exposure of interior growth to hot sun
- Prune summer flowering shrubs to control size and shape after they have bloomed out. Do so on cooler days to reduce or prevent over exposure of interior growth to hot sun
- Compost piles work faster in hot weather. Keep them turned and moist
- Deadhead spent flowers to encourage more blooms unless you are saving seeds
- Follow local drought measures and mandates as prescribed by municipalities but Please keep in mind the investment you have in your landscape and don’t overdo it