As the summer sun continues to shine, August brings a new set of gardening tasks to ensure your garden thrives through the remaining warm days and prepares for the upcoming fall. Whether you are in the cooler northern regions or the hot southern zones, there are specific activities you can undertake to keep your garden healthy and productive. Here’s a detailed guide by USDA zone, along with some eco-friendly suggestions to enhance your gardening experience.
Zone 4
- Continue sowing seeds for late crops (beets, bush beans, carrots, Chinese cabbage, cucumbers, kohlrabi, onion sets) until mid-August.
- Seed peas and collards again.
- Conduct regular pest inspections; use Ecoworm Potassium Soap for eco-friendly pest control.
- After the last raspberry harvest, prune old canes, leaving 3-4 young canes per foot of row.
- Avoid pruning trees and shrubs.
- Harvest onions and garlic as tops dry and fall over; store properly.
- Order and plant spring flowering bulbs.
- Sow seeds for late crops of leaf lettuce, mustard greens, Swiss chard, and spinach.
- Continue deadheading flowers.
- Mark locations of dormant perennials.
- Check moisture of hanging baskets daily.
- Pick summer squash and zucchini every day or two.
- Remove old, non-producing plants.
- Control weeds before they seed.
Zone 5
- Sow peas for a fall crop.
- Continue pest inspections; use Ecoworm Potassium Soap as needed.
- Prune old raspberry canes post-harvest, leaving young canes.
- Avoid pruning trees and shrubs.
- Harvest onions and garlic; store properly.
- Order and plant spring flowering bulbs.
- Sow seeds for late crops of leafy greens.
- Continue deadheading flowers.
- Mark locations of dormant perennials.
- Check moisture of hanging baskets daily.
- Pick summer squash and zucchini regularly.
- Remove old plants.
- Control weeds before they seed.
Zone 6
- Sow peas for a fall crop.
- Start seeds indoors for long-maturing fall crops (Brussels sprouts, heading brassicas).
- Continue pest inspections; use Ecoworm Potassium Soap.
- Prune old raspberry canes post-harvest, leaving young canes.
- Avoid pruning trees and shrubs.
- Harvest onions and garlic; store properly.
- Order and plant spring flowering bulbs.
- Sow seeds for late crops of leafy greens.
- Continue deadheading flowers.
- Mark locations of dormant perennials.
- Check moisture of hanging baskets daily.
- Fertilize roses for the last time. Use Ecoworm Soil Extract for Flowers to best results.
- Pick summer squash and zucchini regularly.
- Remove old plants.
- Control weeds before they seed.
- Sow biennials (hollyhock, Canterbury bells, foxglove).
- Dig, divide, and move daylilies after blooming.
- Dig potatoes after vines die.
- Harvest cantaloupe when stems separate from fruit.
- Sow fall cover crops if using.
Zone 7
- Sow peas for a fall crop.
- Finish starting seeds for fall crops (Brussels sprouts, heading brassicas).
- Continue pest inspections; use Ecoworm Potassium Soap.
- Prune old raspberry canes post-harvest, leaving young canes.
- Avoid pruning trees and shrubs.
- Order and plant spring flowering bulbs.
- Sow seeds for late crops of leafy greens in partial shade.
- Direct seed kohlrabi, kale, and collards near Labor Day.
- Continue deadheading flowers.
- Check moisture of hanging baskets daily.
- Pick summer squash and zucchini regularly.
- Remove old plants.
- Control weeds before they seed.
- Sow biennials (hollyhock, Canterbury bells, foxglove).
- Dig potatoes after vines die.
- Harvest cantaloupe when stems separate from fruit.
- Sow fall cover crops if using.
Zone 8
- Sow peas for a fall crop.
- Start seeds for fall crops (Brussels sprouts, heading brassicas).
- Plant fall crop of potatoes by early September in warmer areas.
- Continue pest inspections; use Ecoworm Potassium Soap.
- Prune old raspberry canes post-harvest, leaving young canes.
- Avoid pruning trees and shrubs.
- Order and plant spring flowering bulbs.
- Sow seeds for late crops of leafy greens in partial shade.
- Continue deadheading flowers.
- Check moisture of hanging baskets daily.
- Harvest vegetables regularly to prolong production.
- Remove old plants.
- Control weeds before they seed.
- Sow biennials (hollyhock, Canterbury bells, foxglove).
- Harvest cantaloupe when stems separate from fruit.
- Sow fall cover crops if using.
Zone 9
- Plant heat-tolerant annuals (coleus, kalanchoe, vinca).
- Plant bulbs (Aztec lily, butterfly lily, walking iris, spider lily).
- Plant herbs from plants (bay laurel, ginger, Mexican tarragon, rosemary).
- Plant fall garden vegetables (tomatoes, beans, carrots).
- Check older palm fronds for deficiencies; apply appropriate fertilizers.
- Solarize vegetable garden for fall planting.
- Pinch back poinsettias and mums.
- Fertilize plants showing deficiencies. Use Ecoworm Soil Extract for optimum results.
- Remove spent blooms, cut back, and fertilize annuals and perennials.
Zone 10
- Plant heat-tolerant vinca, coleus, salvia, celosia.
- Plant bulbs (Aztec lily, butterfly lily, walking iris, spider lily).
- Plant herbs from plants (bay laurel, ginger, Mexican tarragon, rosemary).
- Start fall garden vegetables (eggplant, okra, peppers, pumpkin, squashes, tomatoes).
- Check older palm fronds for deficiencies; apply appropriate fertilizers.
- Solarize vegetable garden for fall planting.
- Pinch back poinsettias and mums.
- Fertilize plants showing deficiencies. Use Ecoworm Soil Extract for optimum results.
- Remove spent blooms, cut back, and fertilize annuals and perennials.
Following these August gardening tasks will help keep your garden healthy and productive. For fertilizing needs, consider using Ecoworm fertilizers, and for pest control, Ecoworm Potassium Soap offers an eco-friendly solution to keep your garden thriving.
Happy gardening!
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