Gardening Jobs for August

We are in the dog days of Summer. The weather is hot, and the garden looks a little worse for wear at this point. To be honest, the garden is pretty low maintenance right now. But August is the exciting time when everything seems to ripen all at once. We’re getting baskets and baskets full of lush produce. Last year at this time, I had more zucchini than I knew what to do with or could even give away!

So, our garden chores may be fewer, but using and preserving all of this delicious produce can be a massive job. There are a few useful posts here on Learning to Bloom to help you use the excess of produce and herbs you may be experiencing from your garden, and I will list them below! Here are a few gardening jobs for August.

Prune your Lavender

I have an abundance of lavender in my garden. I am miffed as to why I waited so long to use some of it in a simple syrup for summer popsicles and lavender lemonade! August is around the time we should be thinking about pruning to prevent them from getting leggy and woody. The rule of thumb is to prune back 1/3 of the growth this time of year. Garden design has a very helpful article, should you ned further guidance.

Use & Preserve your harvests

As I mentioned in my introduction, August is when our work in the garden transitions into our kitchen. It’s a time when we need to stay on top of harvesting and preserving so we can get the most out of all our fresh produce. I love eating fresh vegetables that I have grown, but I am focusing on preserving the fruits of my labor in various ways so I can enjoy a homegrown tomato sauce in the dead of Winter! Here are a few fun ideas from Learning to Bloom to help you use up and preserve what you’ve grown!

Keep an eye out for pests and disease

Your garden is stressed. Most plants require full sun, but the heat can be hard on them. They are working to ripen their fruit, and this can exhaust them and make them susceptible to pests and disease. Make sure you are checking under leaves and around the stems of your plants a few times a week to catch things early.

Pinch out your tomatoes

Here in the Pacific Northwest, it can be difficult for tomatoes to ripen toward the end of Summer. Our weather can either be super hot or we can cool off quite quickly, depending on the year. One way to combat this is the pinch the tops of your indeterminate tomato plants, about 4 inches. This will help the plant focus on ripening the fruit that is already maturing instead of growing taller. If you have a determinate variety of tomato, I recommend pinching off any new flowers for the same purpose.

Remove new flowers from winter squash and continue to monitor pollination for summer squash and cucumbers

Same as with tomatoes, removing new flowers from your Winter squash plants will help with the ripening process so you can store them for Winter.

Cure your onions, potatoes, garlic, and shallots

As you harvest your onions, potatoes, garlic, and shallots, be sure to cure them in a warm, dry place with good air circulation to ensure the best storage life possible!

Order your Spring bulbs

It’s crazy to think about Springtime here are the tail end of Summer. But, because we are planting these in September, it’s the perfect time to order them in August so you have them ready!

Late in the month: Transplant your Fall & Winter starts

The end of August is the perfect time to harden off and transplant your Fall and Winter starts that you sowed back in July! Planting them now will give them a boost and allow them to establish their root system as the weather starts getting cooler.

Gardening Jobs for August