August is often referred to as the “dog days of summer,” which is a subtle suggestion for us to relax during the hot and humid afternoons of these long summer days.
However, that doesn’t mean it is time to neglect your garden… you’ll just need to attack your August Action List in the early or the late parts of your already hectic days.
Time to start checking these action items off your list…
– harvest elderberries for wine, pies, and cobbler
– deadhead annuals and perennials
– plant late crops of turnips, carrots and beets
– trim 1/2 of new growth of pines if necessary to shape (if not done in late July)
– stir and water mulch again to prevent shotgun fungus
– collect seeds and take cuttings
– start dividing and transplanting daylilies and hostas after cutting back
– kill invasive grass and weeds in lawn now to re-seed in September
– start planting fall mums at the end of the month
– gradually move houseplants into a shadier spot to acclimate them to the indoors.
What’s on YOUR August Gardening “To-Do” List? Let us know in the comments section below!