Horticulturalist Melinda Myers offers tips and suggestions for each month of the year.
August is usually the hottest, driest month of the summer. Check all plantings for moisture stress. New plantings are your highest priority and soil moisture should be checked twice a week.
Monitor gardens for brown leaf edges, a symptom of scorch. Pay special attention to Hostas and other shade lovers grown in the sun. Water is not always the solution. Often the plants are unable take the water up fast enough to replace what they lose during extreme heat. Mulch the soil, water properly and consider moving plants to a more suitable location in the future.
Watch for heat stall in the garden. Alyssum, lobelia, snapdragons, pinks and French marigolds are a few annuals that stop flowering during extremely hot weather. Wait for the weather to cool for these plants to resume flowering.
Keep pulling weeds and removing insects and diseased leaves as soon as they are discovered. Do not compost perennials or annual weeds gone to seed or pest infected plant material.
Deer and rabbits continue to feed on roses and other garden plants. Repellents, fences and scare tactics may provide some relief.
Stop fertilizing trees and shrubs. Late season fertilization leads to late season growth that is susceptible to winter damage. Wait until the plants are dormant or early spring before growth begins to fertilize trees and shrubs, as needed.
Mid-August to mid-September is the best time to repair, replace or start a new lawn.
Lawn insects are more of a problem when the weather has been hot and dry. Continue monitoring for grubs, billbugs and chinch bugs. Make sure the insects are present and the damage is severe enough to warrant treatment.
Plan on replacing weatherworn annuals with fall bedding plants. Purchase pansies, kale and other cool season annuals to spruce up the garden for fall.
Plant Autumn Crocus and Surprise Lilies now through early September or as soon as the bulbs are available. These new additions will bloom sans leaves this fall, send up just leaves next spring and bloom again without leaves next fall.
Black Spot many be causing significant damage to your roses by now. Most fungicides are preventatives and won’t cure what is already infected. DO a thorough cleanup this fall and make a note to start treatment earlier next season, if this is a yearly problem in your garden.
Do not fertilize your perennials. Late season fertilization encourages late season growth susceptible to winter damage. Use this time to evaluate the health and vigor of your plantings. Make a note of those areas for adding new plants or planting areas. Fall is a great time to add new plants or for preparing the soil for new gardens.
Capture and destroy slugs eating holes in the leaves of Hostas and other shade lovers.
Check zinnias, begonias and other annuals for powdery mildew. Proper spacing for improved air circulation and sufficient sunlight will help reduce the risk of this disease. Clean up mildew plant debris this fall and consider replacing susceptible plants with mildew-resistant varieties.
Remove aster yellows infected plants to reduce the spread and future infections. Infested plants have green petals, distorted leaves and misshapen flowers. Further manage the spread by controlling aphids and leafhoppers that carry the disease from infected plants to healthy plants.
Keep planting seeds and transplants of short-season crops that can be harvested before the first killing frost.
Check the lower leaves of tomatoes for yellowing and brown spots cause by septoria leaf spot and early blight. Remove and destroy infected leaves as soon as they are found. Fall cleanup, proper spacing, staking and full sun will reduce the risk of this disease. Regular applications of a fungicide labeled for use on vegetables, can be used to prevent the spread of this disease. Read and follow label directions carefully.
Harvest potatoes as the tops die and tubers reach full size. Dig carefully to avoid damage. Gently remove excess soil and store surplus potatoes in a cool, dark location.
Find an area to quarantine houseplants as they move indoors. It should be in an area with good, bright light, but separate from your indoor houseplants. Keep plants in this area for several weeks as you monitor for and control any pests. Once the plants are pest-free, move them in with the rest of the your houseplant collection.
Reduce brown tips on spider plants, dracaenas and prayer plants by keeping the soil slightly moist. This dilutes the fluoride and chlorine in the water, preventing tip burn. Or use rainwater, chemical-free dehumidifier water or distilled water for these plants.
