Newspaper Articles

Gardening Tips for August 2004
by Thea Fiskin, UC Master Gardener

WATERING remains the critical chore of the garden. If possible try not to water in the evening, since warm nights, moisture and darkness create the perfect recipe for lawn diseases and powdery mildew of annual color. It also creates a tropical paradise for slugs, snails and mosquitoes. We recommend watering after midnight.

PLANT: The intense heat of summer makes most transplanting risky, however there is one exception. Now is the perfect time to divide and replant irises. To minimize stress on both you and the plants, do your planting in the twilight of the evening. Bulbs that can be put in now are autumn crocus, cyclamen, iris, watsonia, and lycoris (spider lily). Check in catalogs or online for unusual varieties,

Believe it or not August is the time to start that winter veggie garden. From seed you can start beets, boy choi, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, cilantro, garlic, lettuce, peas, radishes and spinach. Sow seeds of annual flowers (calendulas, Iceland poppies, pansies, snapdragons, stock) and biennials (clary sage, hollyhocks, rose campion) in flats or pots for transplanting later in the fall. Biennial seeds planted now will usually bloom next spring where in colder climates they don't bloom until their second year.

WATERING: Deep water citrus, cherries, nectarines, peaches, pears, plums, and pomegranates. You can prevent fruit split on citrus, pomegranates and tomatoes by sticking to a regular irrigation schedule. Keep water away from tree trunks and plant crowns to prevent root and crown rot. Give container plants some extra water as they can dry out quickly.

Perk up your summer annuals and perennials by removing the wilting flowers or seed heads.

Harvest fruits and vegetables regularly. Pick up any fallen or decaying fruit. Throw away diseased or insect infested fruits.

Give support to fruit tree branches to prevent them from breaking.

Divide amaryllis, bearded iris and oriental poppies.

Prune apricots and olives now rather than in winter to prevent susceptibility to disease in winter months.

Snip off rosehips, spent flowers and fertilize roses. Doing this now will give you beautiful roses in October.

Give azaleas, camellias, citrus and rhododendrons a final fertilizing for the year.

Feed chrysanthemums until buds begin to open.

Harvest herbs in the morning. If you don't use them right away, then dry the cut herbs on a screen in the shade.

Fertilize Bermuda, St. Augustine, and zoysia lawns, but don't fertilize fescue and other cool season lawns until the weather cools off in another month.

CRITTER CONTROL: When trying to get rid of unwanted pests, choose the method with the least toxicity to people and pets. Always follow pesticide label instructions exactly and never use more than recommended. Store chemicals in there original containers, in a cool, dry area where children and pets can't reach.

WEED CONTROL: Did you have annual bluegrass in your flowerbeds and lawns areas last winter? To prevent all that winter weeding apply a preemergent herbicide toward the end of August, believe me it really works.

Gardeners always enjoy looking and planning for the future. So now when the afternoons are way too hot to be active outside is a good time to plan your fall chores and your spring garden. Decide what outside remodeling needs to be done to your landscape and patio to make them more enjoyable. There are so many choices to make and ideas to get from TV shows and garden centers. Don't be timid in trying something new. Bulb catalogs have started to arrive in the mail, so now is the time to order something special. One main advantage of these catalogs is you can order bulbs not normally available locally. If you are not on a catalog mailing list, then pick up a copy of any garden magazine. They are sure to have those postcards to send away for any catalog that strikes your fancy.