Gardening Charlotte

August Gardening Chores

This month has started cool and wet , unusual for a Missouri August. Considered the dearth month, August is usually hot and dry. Not that I am complaining, it is a good respite from the record hot temperatures of the past two months.  Planting in USDA hardiness zone 5B, here are the gardening chores for this month:

1. If you didn’t get to planting your garden this year, at least toss a few buckwheat seeds to help improve your soil. Buckwheat will sprout in about 6 weeks and will be welcome fall food for pollinators as well.

2. Water plants at root level, which means no sprinklers. Use underground wands and move them to saturate soil. Gardens need an inch of rain a week. Don’t forget established shrubs and older trees, they also need moisture delivered to their roots.

3. Water potted plants daily, maybe twice a day and move them into shade. Add compost to keep the potted soil healthy.

4. If you haven’t been using your fresh herbs, this is a good time to start. Most may have flowered and lost some of their potency but they still can be added to salads and other summer dishes. I chop up and freeze some of mine in ice cubes for winter use in soups.

5. Try to keep tomatoes evenly watered to minimize cracking.

6. Have peonies you want to divide? Wait until after a good rain but you can start dividing them now through September. Bury the root “eyes” no more than an inch or two beneath the soil; if you bury them deeper the plants won’t flower. If you have to move peonies without rain, use a hose to soak the soil around the plant before you try to dig it up.

7. You can also dig up daylilies and iris now to divide and re-plant. Again I would wait until after a good rain. If you still need to move them, at least water the area with a hose first so you don’t rip roots when you try to dig them up.

8. Start saving seeds for next year. Marigolds, zinnias and sunflowers have a lot of seeds than can easily be stored.

9. I am also developing new flower beds for next year by removing starts, adding cardboard and mulching.

10. Hot temperatures can prompt trees to drop leaves early. Leave leaves on the ground to return nitrogen to the soil. If you are worried about them sitting on grass, set your mower to a higher setting and cut them up when you mow. Leaves are a wonderful source of soil amendments. They also work well as mulch, helping to retain water when leaves are underground or under mulch.

Charlotte Ekker Wiggins is a beekeeper, gardener and sometimes cook. Published by El Dorado Springs Sun once in print and online with author’s permission. Copyright 2017, all rights reserved. This column may not be reprinted, republished or otherwise distributed without author’s permission. Contact Charlotte at gardeningcharlotte at gmail dot com.

CATS, PLANTS LOVE OUTDOORS-Move your inside plants out to enjoy the summer rain showers.

BE CONSISTENT – Tomatoes develop cracks when they don’t get even watering. These tomatoes are fine, they just don’t look perfect. (Photos by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)