August 2021 Gardening Tips

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Dear Gardening Friends,   Don’t know about you but I’m ready to wish July a fond farewell. Many of you had way too much rain but the bright side is we didn’t have to drag hoses around for much of the time. On top of the rain there was more than enough heat and humidity for me. Let’s hope August is a little more even weather wise. Below are some tips for August in the garden. Japanese beetles are almost done (at least in my garden). I’m only getting 4 or 5/day instead of lots. I count them as I flick them into a container of soapy water. It gives me great pleasure. You may notice some things are blooming either early or late. This is probably due to the erratic weather we’ve had since early spring. It’s not a long-term concern but I do hope there are some fall blooms left in late fall for the hungry pollinators.  Depending on the weather, mid to late August is a good time to start dividing and transplanting perennials. A few tips: If it’s hot and dry hold off till the temps cool down and we get rain. It’s very stressful for a perennial to be dug up and replanted when it’s hot and dry especially if they are in the sun. They go into shock. Giving them some shade with a basket or box for a few days really helps. Transplanting in the shade is much more forgiving. Cutting a tall perennial back a little to reduce the amount of greenery the newly moved plant has to support is less stressful for the plant. Wait to divide until a plant has stopped blooming. The old standard recommendation is if it blooms in the spring move it in the fall and if it blooms in summer/fall move it in spring. This being said, there are many perennials you can divide and move anytime, daylilies. hosta, many groundcovers, and ferns among them. Make sure the plants you move are well hydrated until the ground freezes. By mid-August you can stop fertilizing if that is part of your routine. The plants are slowing down and preparing for winter dormancy. Leave seed heads on plants as they provide winter food for birds. Check your plants regularly for signs of insect or disease. I have noticed some fungal disease showing up. Determine the cause, and if any action is necessary, BEFORE you arbitrarily spray a pesticide or herbicide. Remember pesticides kill ALL insects, and herbicides kill ALL plants, the good with the bad. Always look for a nontoxic product.  A few holes in your leaves are not necessarily a disaster. Beneficial insects have to eat too. Remember butterflies and moths come from caterpillars so they are not necessarily the bad guys. Spiders are more common in fall. Some people don’t like spiders but keep in mind they are your friend! Spiders are one of the best predators of harmful insects in your garden. Mid-August to mid-September is ideal for starting grass seed. However, if it’s hot, wait a while. Grass seed germinates better in cooler weather. If you have some bare spots or thinning turf, you can over seed during the cooler weather. Simply scatter some seed right over the existing grass and bare spots. If the bare spot is larger than a few inches, it’s best to loosen the soil a little with a hand cultivator so the seed makes good contact with the ground. When buying grass seed make sure to match your sight requirements (amount of sun, moisture and soil pH) to the type of seed. If you do reseed make sure to keep the area well watered. Pruning trees and shrubs, including roses is best done in early spring. Pruning in the fall can cause new growth to sprout which will be too weak to survive the winter. The exception is if there are damaged branches or branches that are in the way. They should be removed. If you have oak trees, be aware there is a pathogen, Oak Wilt, that can be deadly to oaks. To help prevent the disease don’t prune any oaks until they are dormant. The insect that spreads the disease lays its eggs in newly cut wood when the sap is still active. Perennials for sale:   My gardens have become quite overgrown from a combination of the spring weather turning hot so quickly I didn’t get a chance to do all the dividing I planned and the rain we’ve had this past month. It’s starting to look like a jungle out there! As a result, I will have some plants to sell this fall. This will be by preorder only. I will let you know what’s available in the September Garden Tips.   Garden Consultations:   If you’ve been experiencing difficulties with your garden or would like to make improvements for next year, give me a call. Now is the perfect time to plan changes and improvements for next year.   Happy Gardening! Lyn Chimera Lessons from Nature 170 Pine St. E. Aurora, NY 14052 lyn@lessonsfromnature.biz 652-2432         Copyright © 2014 Lessons From Nature, All rights reserved. *|IFNOT:ARCHIVE_PAGE|* *|LIST:DESCRIPTION|* Our mailing address is: *|HTML:LIST_ADDRESS_HTML|* *|END:IF|* unsubscribe from this list    update subscription preferences  *|IF:REWARDS|* *|HTML:REWARDS|* *|END:IF|*