The dog days of summer have set in.
No complaints: The pumpkin spice season will be here soon enough. Enjoy the here and now no matter the heat, dryness, monsoon rain, lightning and hail.
We know what can happen quickly, even in September when ripe tomatoes are in their stride. If you’re new to the Front Range, the most recent early snow event happened in 2020 when we went from 93 degrees on Sept. 7 to the low 30s on Sept. 8. Talk about a slap in the ole zucchini patch: That storm came out of nowhere to remind us that weather happens when least expected.
The long month of August is the perfect time to focus on keeping the garden in tip-top shape heading into fall, one of the best seasons of the year in Colorado.
Outdoor container care
Continue deadheading dried flowers, cutting off leggy plant growth, and regularly fertilizing to keep ornamental outdoor containers looking good.
But sometimes this ongoing maintenance isn’t enough, and they need our help.
Signs of outdoor container stress is easy to spot. There can be disease and insect issues in both ornamental and vegetable pots. Take photos and samples to a farmers market where Colorado master gardener volunteers are on hand to help diagnose the problem. Independent garden centers also have support desks so stop by and let them take a look.
A very common occurrence is cramped and overgrown plant roots. Basically, the pot is so root bound that regular water isn’t being absorbed, which causes foliage to wilt even after watering. The plant is overly dry and can die if help isn’t given.
Remedies include repotting to a larger container if possible (if the container isn’t too large to begin with). Use fresh potting soil on the bottom and sides, then tease or cut into the bound plant roots to force them to grow new roots. Also cut off any extra roots that are growing out of the bottom of the container. Add a sprinkle of dry or liquid fertilizer after repotting to give them a nutrient boost. Water the container first before adding fertilizer, which helps with absorption.
If repotting isn’t an option, try using a large, long nail or stick to poke several holes from the top of the soil downward. This will open up compacted roots and allow for more water penetration. Water and fertilize afterward as well.
If the container is just worn out and not blooming well or at all, it might be time to send it to the compost pile (if disease free) and start over with new plants. Look for colors that will transition well into fall including red, gold, purple, white and orange.
Perennials
Remove the old blooms of spring and early summer perennials, allowing for another flush of blooms in a few weeks. Cut down the bloom and stem to just above a new bud or a lateral leaf. The short list includes: obedient plant, coreopsis, Jupiter’s beard, columbine, Shasta daisy, veronica, pinks, bee balms and salvia. For a longer list, click here.
Vegetables/herbs
Despite the heat and monsoonal rainstorms, August is the time for fall vegetable planting, including shorter maturing leafy crops like lettuce, kale, Asian greens, spinach plus the regulars: radish, turnips, Swiss chard and beets. Also directly seed basil in open areas or containers. Grow enough to harvest later in fall and freeze for winter use. Check out my basil seeding video here.
Protect winter squash and pumpkins from moist soils by placing on a piece of cardboard or well rinsed Styrofoam meat tray from the grocery store.
Renew mulch around vegetables with insecticide-free grass clippings to maintain soil temperatures and keep down weeds.
Harvest vegetables daily or as needed. Share extras with friends, neighbors, shelters and food pantries.
Grasshoppers
It has been an awful year for plant-damaging grasshoppers, at least in my garden. They are hanging out on the patio and surrounding walls and windows, the nerve of them! Using chemical spray to kill grasshoppers is a poor choice with pollinators and other beneficial insects around. Organic products are hit and miss in availability this year; plus, they need to be applied early in the spring. My best advice is to sneak up on them and wound them first with a fly swatter, then finish them off with the back of your shoe. That works almost every time for me.
Betty Cahill speaks and writes about gardening in Colorado. Visit her at http://gardenpunchlist.blogspot.com/ for more gardening articles.
Source: https://www.denverpost.com/