Posts Tagged: August
What to plant in August
We're revisiting a post from a few years ago by PaulMcCollum. Thanks, Paul! Don't forget to subscribe to our blog so that you receive an email notification when a new post goes up. If you have questions, contact us online, by phone or in person to get answers to your gardening quandaries!
To all the lovely people,
Here are the recommendations from Mother Earth News of what to plant in our region for the month of August. I am preparing my cabbage bed now for transplanting cabbage starts in about three weeks. Write me if you have any garden questions.
Paul
Top Crops for the Southwest Region:
Here are the Top Ten crops for the Southwest region, followed by other recommended crops, as rated in our National Survey of Most Productive Garden Crops. (The criteria for selection include ease of culture, efficient use of garden space and time, ease of storage and desirability at the table.) The recommended crops are sorted by plant family to help you plan rotations so that the same plant families are not grown consecutively in the same area, as much as possible. |
Top 10 Crops: Southwest Region1. Potato
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Other Highly Recommended Crops:Cabbage family: Kale, kohlrabi Cucumber family: Cucumber, pumpkin, winter squash Leafy greens: Arugula, chard, Chinese cabbage, mache, lettuce, pac choi, spinach Legumes: Dry soup beans, edamame, fava bean, snap beans, snow/snap and shell peas, Southern peas Root crops: Beet, radish, rutabaga, shallot, sunchoke, sweet potato Tomato family: Eggplant, peppers (all types), tomatillo |
August in the Garden
To all the lovely people,
Here are the gardening suggestions for August in our area -
I know that this season has been a challenge with the water shortage but watering can be kept to a minimum by having lots of organic material incorporated into the soil and by mulching. I water by hand once a week and because of the winter cover crop, compost and mulch this years garden has done well.
In planning for the future please consider planting cover crop after our first rain or in early November. Even small areas can benefit from a winter cover crop. Also, compost everything green from your garden (property) by tilling it in or collecting, shedding and hot composting. If this is done in the fall the compost will be ready to use easily by next spring. Please write if you have any questions.
Paul
Northern California Coastal & Inland Valleys
August, 2014 Regional Report
Reduce Watering of Tomatoes
Cut back on watering tomatoes now to promote good flavor development. Tomatoes have very deep roots and can thrive on their own for a week or more. The less you water (within reason), the better your tomatoes will taste.
Care for Rhododendrons
This is your last chance to prune and shape rhododendrons, camellias, and azaleas before they begin to set their buds for next spring. Fertilize the plants with a high-acid fertilizer specifically formulated for these plants, and place a layer of mulch around the drip line to prevent brown edges on the leaves.
Pinch Fuchsias
Keep fuchsias pinched back to prolong bloom. Fuchsias bloom on new wood only. The formation of seed will signal the plant to stop blooming. Keeping the branches tipped will promote bushy growth and multiple blooms. Use a 0-10-10 fertilizer, and keep the soil moist.
Create a Birdbath
Provide a source of water for birds in your garden. You will be amazed at how many insects a hungry sparrow can devour. Think of it as your reward for setting out a birdbath. Keep the water clean and fresh, and place a rock in the center so smaller birds can enjoy a bath too.
Trim Overgrown Vines
Vines such as wisteria, ivy, trumpet vine, and clematis will escape into trees or buildings if not kept under control. Cut off long stringers that are headed for trouble. Check vining plants every few weeks throughout the growing season. They are a sneaky lot.
/h4>/h4>/h4>/h4>/h4>/h2>/h1>Watering the Garden During a Drought: It's Arid Extra Dry!
As we move into August, with its typical dog days of summer, we always need to make sure that the plants in our gardens, edible or ornamental, get the water they need. After back-to-back years of winter droughts in much of the west, it is more problematic this summer. Most California water districts, including EBMUD, have asked everyone to cut back on residential water use by at least 10%.
There are several things that a gardener can do that are fairly painless, and most are not too expensive, to help keep your plants, and your local water district, happy till the hoped-for rains begin later this Fall.
Saving Shower Water
Most home improvement/hardware stores carry five-gallon paint buckets. These work well when placed at the bottom of the shower, for collecting water as it is heating up for your shower.
Water Storage
- Bucket: You will likely go through the captured water in day or two, so you may not need more than a couple of buckets for storage.
- Trash Cans: For storing larger quantities of water, a clean 32-gallon trash with lid, is a good vessel for this. The lid is important because you don't want mosquitos to use your saved "still" water for laying larvae, and without that lid, they will. A new 32-gallon can with lid is available at home improvement stores for under $20.
- Wine Barrels: For more attractive water storage, though more expensive, buy a used wine barrel, which holds 55 gallons. You can by one on the internet or contact local wineries to purchase a barrel that they are "retiring". The wineries will usually sell a used barrel for around $40. You will need to get a plug for the bung hole, the big hole at the belly of the barrel which they use to fill and taste the wine (in the picture to the right you can see the bung hole on the right-side of the barrel). Alternatively you could make a lid out of one end if you cut the top of the barrel off. To make it even fancier, you could add a spigot near the bottom. Or put the barrel on its side, and use the bung hole to fill and syphon water, just keep the plug in to prevent mosquitos.
Drip Irrigation
Drip Irrigation, particularly a with "Smart" Controller is ideal for conserving water for vegetable gardens, perennials, shrubs and young trees. But if the smart controller proves too costly, you can create a drip system that you use manually.
Fertilizers and Mulch
- Use organic fertilizers rather then synthetic fertilizer. It improves the quality of the soil, enabling the water to better move through it to the plants where it is needed.
- Adding mulch around shrubs and trees will help prevent evaporation of water from the soil, requiring less frequent watering.
Happy Watering!
Your Garden in August
August is my favorite month of the year. Who could not love tomatoes, peppers, corn and basil?...
Amaryllis in August?
Last week, my husband came in from the sideyard where I store my unused plant pots and asked, “Did you know your amaryllis is blooming?” I responded, “What amaryllis?”
Sure enough—I have a beautiful amaryllis blooming in August! What a treat!
Each year I buy an amaryllis bulb for the holidays. Even though I know that amaryllis bulbs can bloom again, my approach to post-bloom care is haphazard at best. When the plant is done blooming, I put it outside and water it for a few weeks or months until it dies back completely. Sometimes I don’t water it at all. Either way, eventually I set the bulb aside and forget about it completely. Occasionally, a bulb will bloom again in late fall or around the holidays. But in August?! Apparently I started the dormant period a bit early this year. Anyway, it was a delightful surprise!
If you are interested in the correct way to make an amaryllis bloom again (including deciding when you want the plant to bloom) you can find a fact sheet on the United States National Arboretum’s website at http://www.usna.usda.gov/Gardens/faqs/AmaryllisBloom.html.
Now, I’m off to check on my other amaryllis bulbs!
The August Amaryllis. (photo by Erin Mahaney)