Gardening Chores & Tips for August
Camellias and Azaleas
Camellias and azaleas need care to set a cood crop of flower buds for next year. Mulch to conserve moisture and provide moisture during stress periods. If plants lack vigor, apply an acid type fertilizer according to directions. Control pests.
Lawns
Remember to keep your lawn mower blades sharp. This should be the last time to fertilize your lawn for maximum quality and growth. The most appropriate fertilizer for this job is one that has a 3-1-2 ration, example, 12-4-8. Water immediately after application.
Vegetables
Spent and finished crops should be pulled up and composted. If you are not replanting the area, mulch heavily. Plant bush varieties of green beans such as Provider, Bluelake 274, Roma II and Derby in late August. Fall green beans produce better than spring crops.
Herbs
Harvest herbs regularly and dry the extras for later use or gifts. To dry: make small bundles of rinsed and dried stems. Hang the bundles inverted in a cool, dry place indoors with good air circulation. When the leaves are crispy dry, crumble and store in sealed labeled containers.
Crape Myrtles
Prune off vigorous, fast growing shoots, called suckers, flush with the trunk or at their point of origin. If you can reach the tips of the branches where the seedpods have formed, snip off these clusters. Your tree will rebloom.
Rose
For a show of fall flower, prune and fertilize ever-blooming roses now. Remove dead stems and shorten healthy canes by about one-third. Feed with a rose fertilizer, and mulch to conserve moisture. Water well once each week if it doesn't rain.
Bulbs
If you want your bulbs to bloom for the holidays, it is time to force them to rest. Place your potted bulb in a cool, dark place, and let it dry out completely. Remove withered leaves when they turn brown. After two or three months, check the bulb every week or so for signs of growth. When you see the green bud peeking out, bring the pot back into the light and resume watering.
Camellias and azaleas need care to set a cood crop of flower buds for next year. Mulch to conserve moisture and provide moisture during stress periods. If plants lack vigor, apply an acid type fertilizer according to directions. Control pests.
Lawns
Remember to keep your lawn mower blades sharp. This should be the last time to fertilize your lawn for maximum quality and growth. The most appropriate fertilizer for this job is one that has a 3-1-2 ration, example, 12-4-8. Water immediately after application.
Vegetables
Spent and finished crops should be pulled up and composted. If you are not replanting the area, mulch heavily. Plant bush varieties of green beans such as Provider, Bluelake 274, Roma II and Derby in late August. Fall green beans produce better than spring crops.
Herbs
Harvest herbs regularly and dry the extras for later use or gifts. To dry: make small bundles of rinsed and dried stems. Hang the bundles inverted in a cool, dry place indoors with good air circulation. When the leaves are crispy dry, crumble and store in sealed labeled containers.
Crape Myrtles
Prune off vigorous, fast growing shoots, called suckers, flush with the trunk or at their point of origin. If you can reach the tips of the branches where the seedpods have formed, snip off these clusters. Your tree will rebloom.
Rose
For a show of fall flower, prune and fertilize ever-blooming roses now. Remove dead stems and shorten healthy canes by about one-third. Feed with a rose fertilizer, and mulch to conserve moisture. Water well once each week if it doesn't rain.
Bulbs
If you want your bulbs to bloom for the holidays, it is time to force them to rest. Place your potted bulb in a cool, dark place, and let it dry out completely. Remove withered leaves when they turn brown. After two or three months, check the bulb every week or so for signs of growth. When you see the green bud peeking out, bring the pot back into the light and resume watering.
