Our Gardening Tips for August
Even though it’s still hot outside, the signs of cooler weather are in the air. Mornings have a hint that autumn is right around the corner. Now’s the time to prepare your garden for fall and tend to cool weather crops. This is also the nicest time of year to be outdoors working in your vegetable garden. Warm, sunny days without the intense heat of summer make gardening an enjoyable pastime. With that in mind, we put together a list of gardening tips for August to share with you.
In July, you planted cool weather crops like radishes, spinach, and lettuce varieties, and now you watch and wait to harvest them before the first winter frost in mid-September. In the meantime, you can start to prepare your garden for winter. It’s time to remove all the spent plants and get in the last crop before the first frost.
Prune Perennial Plants
For perennial vegetables and fruits such as asparagus, artichokes, and berries, cut them back for the winter and cover them with a thick layer of mulch or straw. Pruning these plants will help prevent rot and frost damage during the cold months. Herbs won’t make it through the winter, so now is the time to dig up a few of each and pot them for indoors. That way, you’ll have oregano and thyme throughout the cold months and can transplant your herbs to the garden in the spring.
Harvest
August’s end is prime time to prune, weed and fertilize. Harvest the last of the tomatoes, cucumbers, and squash, and then remove summer plantings from the vegetable garden. They’re nothing but a drain on the soil now, and you need all the nutrients for the remaining growing period of your root vegetables.
Cool Season Crops
A way to extend the growing season for cold weather crops is to use a cold frame, which can be as simple as a bottomless wooden box with a glass top. To maximize the light, vary the heights on each side to angle the glass toward the sun. Garlic can be planted here, and radishes are quick-growing and do well in a fall garden.
Water and Mulch
After you’ve pruned and cleared, the best way to give your fall vegetables a good start is to water them generously and add a thick layer of mulch. Well-turned compost is an excellent choice for mulch, especially at this time of year. It’s full of nutrients that will help your crop grow quickly and beat the frost. Some gardeners use plastic sheeting with holes cut for each plant for extra warmth.
Enjoy the Fall Vegetable Bounty
After you complete your August gardening chores, the payoff will be fresh veggies well into autumn. The amended soil will pay off year-round, and you’ll have herbs through the winter with your collection of indoor potted herbs. In the spring, your neatly pruned perennials will do well because of your care in August.
It’s worth the time and effort to complete your to-do list this month so you can reap the rewards all year long.
If you’re not ready to put your garden gloves down even when winter hits, check out this post on gardening all year round with the Tower Garden system!
