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July 12, 2010 By ksmith Leave a Comment

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MAY GARDEN CHORES

August 2012
M	T	W	T	F	S	S
← Jul				Sep →
		1 August 1, 2012 august: spot cleaning time THINK OF IT AS SPOT CLEANING—when you dab at the ketchup on your shirt rather than wash the whole thing. That’s August in the garden: spot cleaning. I can’t turn brown leaves green or sew up hail holes in the Astilboides. But I can trick the eye with some targeted trimming, mulching, edging. Tours or not, it makes for greater personal visual enjoyment through fall, reduces hiding places for pests and disease—and it’s really just a headstart on fall cleanup, one spot at a time. read all the august chores ⇒	2 August 2, 2012 order flower bulbs ORDER FLOWER BULBS for fall planting to get varieties you want, often at an early shopping discount. Here’s what I like to grow to (hopefully) defeat bulb-hungry animals in the garden. Remember our “early, middle, late” mantra when doing your orders. More tips about flower bulbs are here. read all the august chores ⇒	3 August 3, 2012 focus on weeds, and water AUGUST FOCAL POINTS: weeds and water. Every weed pulled now is a hundred (a million?) you don’t have to deal with later. Don’t let them go to seed. Make a pass through each bed each week, since weeds are not just unsightly but steal moisture, nutrients and light from desired plants. Too many to handle in a particular area? Smother them with cardboard and mulch, like this. read all the august chores ⇒	4	5 August 5, 2012 fall vegetable garden plans MY FALL VEGETABLE GARDEN is under way! How you can plan for an extended harvest in every region. ANOTHER SOWING of chard, radishes, carrots, arugula, kale, spinach, turnips, beets and lettuce means succulent fall crops. With salad greens, sow small amounts now and again in 10 days. SOW ANOTHER CROP OF PEAS right now. Shelled peas from the freezer really make risotto in January taste like summer. read all the august chores ⇒
6	7	8 August 8, 2012 tomato, cuke or pepper problems? HAVING TOMATO TROUBLES? There is a range of possible problems to be sure. It’s always something with tomatoes, but who could garden without them? If your issue is cucumbers or summer squash, start here. Peppers can be tricky in some seasons; pepper tips and recipes and storage tips. read all the august chores ⇒	9	10	11	12
13	14	15	16	17 August 17, 2012 dividing daylilies, peonies DAYLILIES can be dug and divided as they complete their bloom cycle, right into fall, if needed. PEONIES are best divided and transplanted in late August through September, if they need it. Remember with these fussy guys that “eyes” must not be buried more than an inch or two beneath the soil surface. Want more peonies? Now’s the time to order (see Resource Links list). read all the august chores ⇒	18	19 August 19, 2012 propagate special annuals MANY POPULAR ANNUALS can be overwintered as young plants if you take and root cuttings now rather than try to nurse along big leggy plants. Geraniums, coleus, wax begonias, even impatiens (to name just a few), if grown in good light indoors and kept pinched and bushy, will yield another generation of cuttings for next spring’s transplants. Expend this effort and space on things you really treasure—an unusual form of something, not the garden variety. read all the august chores ⇒
20	21	22 August 22, 2012 make a bed, with cardboard PREPARE NEW beds for fall planting by smothering grass or weeds with layers of recycled corrugated cardboard or thick layers of newspaper, then put mulch on top. Recycle, save work, voila! read all the august chores ⇒	23	24	25 August 25, 2012 plan to renovate the lawn? MID-AUGUST TO MID-SEPTEMBER is prime lawn-renovation, planting and re-seeding time in the North. SafeLawns is my favorite reference site for organic tips. DON’T BAG OR RAKE clippings; let them lie on the lawn to return Nitrogen to the soil. Mow higher if it’s hot and dry, or don’t mow at all if things have slowed way down. Freedom! read all the august chores ⇒	26
27	28	29 August 29, 2012 repot houseplants now IF HOUSEPLANTS NEED repotting, do it now, while they’re still outside (less messy than in the house). Another good time: just as they go out in spring. Don’t step up more than an inch in diameter (on small pots) or a couple (on large ones). Most plants don’t like to swim in their containers. read all the august chores ⇒	30	31