Southeast August Garden To-Do List

seminal fluid now for spring - blooming bungalow - garden favourite . If every outflow you covet the drifts of breadseed poppy ( Papaver somniferum , yearly ) , love life - in - a - mist ( Nigella damascena , yearly ) , and Eruca sativa larkspur ( Consolida ajacis , annual ) in public gardens or your neighbour ’s yard , this is the clock time to work ! In the Southeast , these , along with annual disgraceful - eyed Susans ( Rudbeckia hirta , annual ) and foxgloves ( Digitalisspp . and cvs . , Zones 3–9 ) , are plant in August or September by scattering seminal fluid in unmulched ( or lightly mulch with bark amercement ) beds , water them in softly , and walk away . capture these reseeders start initially is n’t always a sure bet , but seeds are relatively inexpensive and deserving try out again next yr if you do n’t succeed at first . The payoff is so worth the wait . Once you have plants , they mostly do a hit - up job of replacing themselves by reseed without any assistance from you . Keep a light hand with mulch , so as not to smother little seedlings .

Replace spend annual . It ’s bad work flower your head off all summertime in 90 - degree heat . Even with tearing , deadheading , and fertilizing , some annuals start slacken off this month and into September . If you ’ve got some old-hat yearly , it ’s perfectly o.k. to rend them out rather than take in them just hang on ( the proficient sports that they are ) but not shine . Replace them with somebold - foliaged heat - loving tropicals , or just mulch the seam , go on vacation , and wait a couple of months for pansy - planting season .

Make certain new plants are getting enough water . When we have good spring and early summertime rains , as we have had this year , plant will put on abundant foliage . These farewell are like sponges , and they constantly transpire water vapor . This means that when drought pass after a lush spring , plants can show stress speedily . plant that have been established for several years may wilt , but they usually recover . latterly added plants , however , need good bass tearing just to survive , so always focus on them first . Be sure to followwater - wise practices . Water herbs or vegetables in the eventide that you plan to reap in the morning . Otherwise , a deep watering in other morning is ideal .

Seed your Green . As hot as it is , now is the prison term to verbatim - germ your cool - season vegetable garden or begin indoors for constitute out next month . If your summertime veggies are still bring forth , strain this top from greens guruIra Wallace : Direct - seed leafy greens such as lettuce , kale , collards , mustards , and Swiss chard alongside those much larger plants such as tomatoes , pepper , okra , and corn . The seedlings will benefit from the shade for the first calendar month or so of acquire . When it is time to remove the summertime crop , trim back them off at their bases , rather than using the more typical rip - and - retarding force method acting of clean up . In cleared patch of the garden , direct - seed other nerveless - season crop such as beets , radish , turnips , carrots , and peas .

Pause , plan , and preserve . assess your garden during this most challenging metre of yr by taking some wide - shot photos and jotting down annotation . equate these to your photograph and note from winter and spring . Each season deserve something special — a highlight that is unique . What is the highlight of summer in your garden ? Or what do you dream of it being ?

Preserve summertime herbs for use this drop and wintertime . The teemingness of fresh herb stands out to me as a summer delight . The redolence of mint , Basil the Great , dill weed , chives , parsley , rosemary , sage , and lavender beautify my strolls , salads , and sips . Although there is nothing like sun - snog and fresh - picked herbs , I love save some for a variety of uses all winter . All of the above can be dry out and maintain in mason jars out of direct light , and some respond well tofreezing as an oil - based library paste .

— Paula Gross is the former adjunct director of the University of North Carolina at Charlotte Botanical Gardens .

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Midwest August Garden To-Do List

Southern Plains August Garden To-Do List

South August Garden To-Do List

Northwest August Garden To-Do List

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