AUGUST IN THE GARDEN
The Almanac
Average temperatures: High 92, low 73 Rainfall: 6.25 inches
The moon
1. Moon phases Full moon: Aug. 1 Last quarter: Aug. 8 New moon: Aug. 16 First quarter: Aug. 24 Full moon: Aug.0
2. Moon sign dates Above-ground crops: 17, 18, 22, 23, 26, 27 Below-ground crops: 3, 4, 7, 8, 12, 13, 30, 31 Control weeds: 1, 2, 9, 10, 11, 28, 29
Prune trees & shrubs: 5, 6, 14, 15, 16, 24, 25
August plantings
3. Vegetables: Cantaloupe, collard, corn, cucumber, eggplant, lima bean, okra, pepper, pumpkin, snap bean, southern pea, squash, tomato and watermelon
4. Flowers: Angelonia, begonia, black-eyed Susan vine, blue daze, butterfly weed, bush daisy, cat’s whiskers, chrysanthemums, coleus, coreopsis, crossandra, fire spike, gaura, heliconia, jacobinia, impatiens, lantana, marigold, melampodium, moon flower, pentas, periwinkle, porter weed, portulaca, purslane, salvia, Stokes aster, sunflower, torenia and zinnia
5. Herbs: Anise, basil, bay laurel, chive, dill, ginger, lemon balm, Mexican tarragon, mint, oregano, rosemary, sage, sweet marjoram and thyme
6. Bulbs type plants: African iris, agapanthus, amaryllis, bulbine, canna, crinum, day lily, gladiolus, gloriosa lily, kaffir lily, Louisiana iris, society garlic, rain lily and walking iris
Vegetable & fruit care 7.
Restart vegetable gardens with crops that yield early fall harvests.
Test soil acidity and adjust the pH if needed before planting.
9. Keep tomato, pepper and eggplants on schedule with transplants starting Aug. 15.
10. Construct raised beds to ensure good drainage and easy-to-reach crops.
11. Install water-saving soaker hoses and micro-sprinklers before planting the garden.
12. Grow vegetables in large containers if you have limited in-ground space.
13. Use quality potting soil for containers and landscape problem areas.
14. Improve sandy soils with organic matter to prepare them for in-ground planting.
8.
15. Plant flowers that attract pollinators among the vegetables to obtain a better fruit set.
16. Remove plastic from solarization treatments after 6 to 8 weeks and plant immediately.
17. Mulch new plantings to conserve water and promote better plant growth.
18. Shelter container-grown herbs from the daily rains.
19. Start seeds for early transplants of broccoli, celery and onions by month’s end.
20. Harvest ripening bananas, figs, grapes and pears.
21. Check pineapples; fruits are ready when they are fragrant and turn yellow to orange.
22. Feed bananas and figs monthly but lightly; keep moist and mulched.
23. Finish pruning blackberry and blueberry plantings during early August.
24. Give grape, apple and peach plantings a summer feeding.
25. Feed citrus with one-quarter pound of citrus fertilizer per inch of trunk circumference.
Lawn care
26. Chinch bugs are causing yellow to brown spots in St. Augustine lawns; treat as needed.
27. Sod webworms are feeding on most grasses; only treat when the caterpillar stage is noted.
28. Mushrooms are popping up in many lawns; remove them as needed, as many are poisonous.
29. Turn off automatic irrigation systems during the rainy season and water only as needed.
30. Allowing your lawn to wilt slightly between waterings helps deepen the root system.
31. Control weeds that are filling bare spots and overgrowing the good grass.
32. Seasonal rains encourage leaf spots and turf decline; control with a fungicide as needed.
33. Declining yellow grass may be take-all root rot; try regreening with a liquid fertilizer.
34. Fill bare spots in sunny lawns with plugs, sod or seed; delay sodding shady areas til fall.
35. Many lawns are ready for a mid-summer iron or slow-release nitrogen fertilizer application.
36. Check for local regulations that may prohibit feeding lawns during the summer.
37. Trim grass blades and shrub limbs that might obstruct sprinklers.
38. Raise or replace pop-up sprinkler heads that don’t rise far enough above the sod.
39. Sharpen dull mower blades and service engines as needed.
40. Consider another ground cover for hard-to-maintain and problem turf areas
Landscape care
41. Many plants are growing out of control; now is the time for trimming.
42. Weeds love the hot, humid weather; keep them under control by hand pulling or trimming.
43. Give palms a break; only remove the dead fronds and old flower heads.
44. Complete pruning of poinsettias, bougainvillea, and wisteria by month’s end.
45. Edge walkways and drives to keep the landscape attractive.
46. Summer rains normally provide adequate moisture for most plants; water only as needed.
47. Retrofit irrigation systems to water trees and shrubs separately from lawns.
48. Install water-conserving micro-sprinklers with all ornamentals.
49. Consider adding a rain garden to low water retaining sites.
50. Container gardens make attractive accents to grow in the problem landscape spots.
51. Add foliage plants to the shady gardens during the warmer months.
52. Avoid trimming sheared plants back to the same height; allow a little new growth to remain.
53. Secure garden furniture, hanging plants and ornaments before storms.
54. Stake newly planted small trees and shrubs that might be affected by wind.
55. Continue to water newly planted trees and shrubs during dry summer days.
56. Consider ground covers for shady areas.
57. Learn the good bugs to help reduce pesticide use.
58. Keep mulches a foot or more from the home to help control termites.
59. Feed crape myrtles and remove seed heads to continue summer blooms where permitted.
60. Trim vines from trees and shrubs.
61. Readjust ties on the trunks of trees to allow a little movement.
62. Continue tree and shrub plantings with container-grown plants.
63. Feed palms with a slow-release palm fertilizer following label instructions.
64. Trim both declining flowers and foliage from perennial beds.
65. Pruning time for azaleas, camellias and gardenias is over; plants are forming flower buds.
66. Divide bromeliads, Shasta daises, daylilies and other landscape perennials.
67. Dig gladiolus bulbs to store in dry peat moss or allow them to remain in the ground.
68. Transplant palms and sagos.
69. Start poinsettia cuttings in early August.
70. Pinch the tips of chrysanthemums in early August to grow well-branched compact plants.
71. Prune hydrangeas after flowering.
72. Caladiums may start to decline this month; prune off the declining leaves as needed,
73. Think of the flowers you want for fall beds and containers; obtain the seeds now.
74. Keep seeds in sealed containers in the refrigerator until ready to sow
75. Start seeds of bedding plants in containers to get the best germination and growth.
Foliage & house plant care
76. Mealybugs and scale insects are causing plants to decline; control with insecticidal soaps.
77. Trim foliage plants to encourage dense new growth.
78. Transplant root-bound foliage plants.
79. Make cuttings of your favorite plants.
80. Feed house plants monthly.
81. Feed foliage plants on the patio or porch every other week or use a slow-release fertilizer.
82. Wash off dust and pests with soapy water.
83. Move light-starved plants outdoors to a shady location.
84. Add new plants to the indoor collection.
85. Move orchids and bromeliads outdoors to a shady site when they finish flowering.