A common question asked of the Hall County
Extension office, brought to you by Wanda Cannon
July has been a hot, humid, dry month — I haven’t ventured outside much unless it is early morning to do some watering. But there are a few things to be done in the garden in August. What is on my checklist?
Ornamentals
Prune back your summer blooming hydrangeas now and you might get a new flush of blooms this fall. Also, remove faded crape myrtle blooms and dry seeds into August; you may get new blooms.
Pick off and destroy bagworms on junipers and other narrow-leaf evergreen shrubs.
Make sure your shrubs and tree roots are thoroughly watered, according to restrictions. Try 15 gallons per inch of trunk thickness; shrubs need 2 gallons of water per foot of height.
Fertilize shrubs including holly, azaleas and camellias. You can also prune most of your shrubs through the end of July, with the exception of camellias and evergreen azaleas.
Turf grasses
Now is the time to fertilize Bermuda, zoysia and centipede grass and water regularly during extreme dry conditions once a week. You can replace dead patches in August.
Keep your mower blade sharp. Ragged cuts in grass use more water. Also, mow grass higher; the leaf surface can take advantage of more light.
Flowering plants
For roses, use a systemic all–in-one product for disease control, insect control and fertilization; Bayer Rose Care is a good one. Prune your shrub roses through August, and knockout roses can be pruned any time.
Irises can be planted in August. Fertilize annuals and perennials and renew mulches.
Vegetables
Start seeds for broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, kale and onions indoors for setting out in September.
Plant snap beans and Irish potatoes by Aug. 15, cucumbers and squash by Aug. 30 to avoid frost damage. Plant cabbage, beets, lettuce, carrots, mustard and collards in late August.
Clean out harvested rows of vegetables and make sure your garden is well mulched. Water deeply and less often to prevent drought stress.
Fruit and nut trees
Prune figs lightly now, removing tall shoots in the middle of the bush. Fruit develops better on horizontal limbs.
Keep up with insecticides and fungicides on apple, plum, pear and peach trees.
Prune out fruiting canes on blackberries.
Fertilize and prune peach trees in late August.
House plants
Fertilize your house plants every two weeks in August.
Relying on a garden calendar each month can help the gardener to keep on top of the necessary planning and practices to maintain a healthy and beautiful landscape.
Wanda Cannon is a Master Gardener trained through the Hall County program and also serves as Master Gardener coordinator and horticulture assistant for the Hall County Extension office. Phone: 770-535-8293.