- Garden tasks in August
- Pest and disease control
- Dividing bushes
- Sowing grass
- Vegetable garden tasks in August
- Renewing and arranging plantings
August is rightly considered the most difficult month of the season. It is necessary to continue to care for crops that are just beginning to bear fruit, to collect the ripened crop in time. And also to remember that winter is approaching and to take care of preparing the plants for winter.
The garden calendar for August will help you not to forget about the most important tasks in the garden and vegetable garden.
August gardening tasks
The main areas of work in the garden in August are harvesting and preparing for winter. If everything is clear with the first point, then the second is divided into several separate types of work.
This applies mainly to young trees with active growth and adult trees that have significantly increased their crown during this season and released many functional shoots.
So that these young branches do not suffer from frost and successfully survive the winter, they need to ripen well.
Therefore, apply potash fertilizers under each tree. In what form – decide for yourself. You can apply dry granular fertilizer directly to the soil. Water it well first. Dig the soil after you apply the fertilizer so that the potassium is distributed evenly.
As for liquid fertilizers, prepare a solution at the rate of 20-30 g per 10 l of water and water each tree. For young trees, one bucket of solution is enough, and for mature trees with a large crown and branched roots – 2 buckets.
The same applies to grapes that are in the last stage of ripening, or whose fruiting has already ended.
Pest and disease control
The “health” of fruit trees is a critical factor that will allow (or not allow) them to overwinter without problems.
Therefore, in August, you need to carefully inspect all trees, berry bushes and grapes to identify signs of pests or diseases.
Insecticidal, fungicidal or other treatment should be carried out taking into account the interval between treatment and harvesting.
It is also time to protect the trunks from rodents and install trapping belts: through several weeks, the pest larvae will begin to migrate in search of wintering and affect the wood of fruit trees.
Dividing the bushes
Raspberry root shoots, rooted by layering branches of gooseberry, currant, yoshta, etc. need to be transplanted to a permanent place if you want to get the first harvest next year. These works, carried out in August, allow the plants to take root well in a new place and overwinter without problems. But, if the earliest harvest is not important for you and there are a lot of other tasks in the garden and vegetable garden, then you can postpone the division of the bushes until spring.
Sowing grass
If you grow cereals for hay or lawn in the garden, it’s time to sow grass on the “bald spots” that inevitably form during the summer heat. By late fall, the sown lawn grasses will have time to germinate and create a turf mesh on the soil. Although mowing crops will not mature to full maturity, you can mow them for later incorporation into the soil when you turn over. Or you can dry them and apply them as a natural mulch the following season.
Vegetable garden tasks in August
Tasks for Your vegetable garden in August is also in full swing, but among them there are those that need to be taken care of first.
Accelerating the ripening of the crop
These works are especially important in areas with a short warm season and provided that weather conditions do not contribute to the timely ripening of the crop (prolonged rains, a long decrease in daily temperature and frequent periods of cloudiness, etc.).
You can save the situation if you simply pick off the flowers on tomatoes and peppers, as well as pinch the tops. This procedure will allow the fruits that have already set to receive the maximum amount of nutrients and light. This will speed up their ripening.
With prolonged rains, not only the soil but also the air becomes over-moistened. It makes sense to thin out the beds and “mercilessly” remove weaker plants to speed up the evaporation of moisture and improve ventilation. This will not only help the fruits ripen, but also reduce the likelihood of fungal diseases that affect plants with excess moisture.
Harvesting
August is a month that requires monitoring the harvest. It is not only about collecting ripe tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, etc., but also about picking off unripe fruits. This is necessary in situations where weather conditions do not promote the full development of plants, and heavy rains or extreme heat can damage the fruits.
Such a harvest can be kept on a windowsill or a well-lit rack, where they will reach technical maturity.
It is important to monitor the timely picking of cucumbers, zucchini, pattypan squash and not allow them to overgrow. These crops complete their growing season in August. So even one overgrown zucchini or pattypan squash can put an end to this year’s harvest. The more often you pick young fruits, the longer you will enjoy these vegetables.
Sowing green manure
Next year will “ask” whether you have prepared the land well for subsequent plantings. In August, many areas have already been cleared in the beds after peas, onions, garlic and other crops. In these places, sow all available green manure. You can simply “forget” about them for 1.5-2 months until it is time to mow them. Therefore, they will not interfere with your other work. In the meantime, these plants will take care of the soil nutrition and will not allow weeds to grow in free areas.
Renewal and design of plantings
In August, it is time to take care of strawberries and wild strawberries, namely, to renew their population with new plants. This is provided that these crops have been in one place for more than 4-5 years.
After planting new plants, be sure to organize regular watering and shading . The sun is still quite aggressive and can damage strawberry and wild strawberry seedlings in August.
If the plantings of these crops are still young and do not need renewal, you need to remove the non-functional whiskers formed during the season. Also refresh the mulch between the rows and raise its level by one inch. This will protect the strawberry roots from soil leaching during fall rains.
If you want to extend your growing season or engage in year-round cultivation, now is the time to purchase a greenhouse. You will be able to plant your favorite plants in it as early as fall.
