What's On The Agenda?

Things you could or should be doing in your garden in…

… August

Sharpen lawn mower blades to ensure that grass blades are cut and not torn, removing only 1/3 of the blade length at any one time.

Apply a lawn insecticide (like imidacloprid) to control grubs, which turn into Japanese beetles the following year.

Address bugs, disease and/or drought problems in the yard and garden before they get out of hand.

Be diligent in watching your lawn and shrub beds for signs of drought stress; most rainfall comes in hit or miss thunderstorms this time of year.

Ensure mulch layers are adequate to conserve moisture and keep root zones cool.

Extend the beauty of leggy summer annuals by cutting back by half, then fertilizing to boost new growth.

Prune and fertilize hybrid tea roses to prepare them for fall blooming.

Watch for Magic, Surprise, and/or Spider Lily flower spikes to emerge from the ground; the lawnmower and weed-eater can significantly hamper flowering performance.

Divide daylilies at this time for great results next year: Dig up, split apart the clumps, and re-plant or share with others.

Container plantings must be monitored for moisture levels, and may need watering on a daily basis; a boost of fertilizer will keep plants healthy.

Keep harvesting herbs like basil so they will continue producing until frost; remove any flowering spikes as soon as they appear to prevent bolting.

Plant late season crops of annuals like marigolds, impatiens, cosmos, pentas and salvia for a fresh splash of color.

Clip seed pods off crepe myrtles to keep branches from breaking in a storm and to encourage another round of flowering before frost.

Begin planting fall veggies – collards, kale, broccoli, spinach, seed beets, carrots and radishes.