Betsy's Garden |
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August 15, 2001 We can continue to enjoy our gardens in late August, early September It’s August. The days are shorter. Hopefully we will continue to have moderate temperatures and rainfall for the remainder of the month. During our recent spell of hot weather, many of us chose not to stay long outside. Now we can continue to enjoy our gardens outdoors. Here are some tips for gardening in August and early September. With regret, it is time to stop fertilizing roses and perennials. Fertilizer encourages continued growth, and if we continue to fertilize the plants will not harden off before frost. Our Zone 4 growing season is about 115 days, give or take, roughly from May 15 to Sept. 10. Continue to remove buckthorn. TAKE OUT THE ROOTS. It is invasive. It takes over. It smothers desirable plants. It is spread easily by birds. The only way to prevent birds from spreading seeds is to remove the host plant. Many neighborhoods are investing in buckthorn stump removers. You may want to organize a buckthorn removal program. Allow tomatoes to vine ripen for best flavor. If you must pick them partially ripe, ripen them out of direct sunlight. Refrigerating tomatoes interrupts and limits their flavor development. Harvest fruits and vegetables regularly to prevent rotting and attracting beetles or wasps. Remove tomato hornworms by hand if you discover them in the garden. Avoid blossom end rot in tomatoes by keeping an even supply of moisture in the soil. Blossom end rot is a dark patch of tissue on the end of tomatoes, peppers or squash where the flower blossom was attached. It is caused by fluctuating moisture levels in the soil. It can be prevented by watering thoroughly to maintain an even moisture supply. Mulching helps reduce moisture fluctuation. Excessive nitrogen fertilizing as well as cultivating too close to plants so their roots are disturbed can also contribute to this disorder. Extend the productivity of your vegetable garden by planting kohlrabi, leaf lettuce, radishes and spinach now. Remember to water young seedlings frequently in hot weather. Dig up and divide crowded iris beds that aren’t blooming as well as they once did. Discard the woody older center portions of rhizomes, cutting away parts that are soft or rotted. Replant healthy plump outer portions just below the soil surface. Deadhead spent flower blooms. I deadhead or pinch down petunias once a week to keep them from becoming leggy. Deadheading also encourages continued blooms on annuals and perennials. Mid to late August to mid September, depending on how far north you live, is the best time to seed lawns. Seed must fall on loose soil. If you re overseeding an existing thin lawn, rake hard or rent a dethatcher to slice the soil surface. Young grass plants must develop strong enough roots to take them through winter. Sow or plant grass as soon as hot weather breaks and we have cooler daytime temperatures. Spray broad-leaf perennial lawn weeds such as dandelions and creeping Charlie the latter part of August. It’s OK to spray as soon as temperatures settle into the 70s and the low 80s. Plants store food now for next year’s growth. They’ll readily take in herbicide so it will be more effective. Do not spray newly seeded grass. Do not use weed killers in newly seeded areas of the lawn. though broadleaf herbicides won’t harm established grass, young grass is more fragile. Avoid pruning shrubbery this late in the season. Pruning encourages new growth at a time when the plants should begin to slow down for winter dormancy. Don’t worry about tree and shrub foliage that’s full of insect holes or protruding bumps and galls. As long as there’s lots of green tissue left, it’s neither necessary nor advisable to spray now. Continue to weed your garden. Thriving weeds not only compete with desired plants, they can harbor hungry insects that my spread disease. They’ll also drop lots of seeds that will cause you problems for years to come. Dig plants that are stunted or have deformed flowers or mosaic or ring patterns on their foliage. They may be diseased and don’t belong in or near your garden. Divide and transplant iris, peonies, and oriental poppies the latter part of August. Perennials that bloom mid to late summer are usually divided in spring. Grass leaves, fruit and vegetable scraps, and garden debris will compost best in warm weather. Keep the compost pile moist and turn it frequently to take advantage of the heat.
Tip about a favorite show stopper: Betsy Halden is a Master Gardener with the University of Minnesota Extension Service. University of Minnesota Extension Service materials were consulted in the preparation of this column. You can reach Betsy Halden at eahalden@comcast.net |
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