What To Do in Your Garden in August

There’s always a lot going on in August. School is back in session, and everyone is trying to get back on their busy schedules. In the middle of the chaos, don’t forget your garden!

Prepare

• Plan beds for bulbs. Order tulip, hyacinth, Dutch iris, daffodil, narcissus, and amaryllis bulbs.
• Prepare beds for October planting by adding compost or leaf mold.

Plant

• Plant daylilies in a sunny location. They will be well established before winter.
• Divide and transplant Louisiana iris, Easter lily, canna, liriope, ajuga, and Shasta daisy.
• Plant cool-season vegetables: broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, spinach, potatoes, lettuce, carrots, beets, radishes, and English peas.
• Plant warm-season grasses: Buffalo, Bermuda, and St. Augustine.
• Mums should be planted for September bloom and fall color.
• Plant marigolds, asters, zinnias, and celosia to replace faded annuals.
• Plant seeds of calendula, columbine, English daisy, forget-me-not, pansy, sweet William, and violet.

Fertilize

• If acid-loving plants, including azaleas, camellias, and gardenias, show signs of chlorosis (yellowing of leaves), a treatment of iron chelate should cause leaves to regain their green color.
• Feed mums with a complete fertilizer every 2 weeks, and water thoroughly until buds show color.

Prune

• Cut back annuals such as impatiens and vinca to encourage fall blooms.
• Disbud camellias, dahlias, and chrysanthemums to produce specimen blooms.
• Continue to remove dead heads in the garden to stimulate blooming.
• Cut back rose canes to 24 to 30 inches from the ground for autumn blooms.
• Remove dead and damaged wood from trees and shrubs.

Water

• Water the garden deeply but infrequently throughout the month.
• Water early in the morning or late in the afternoon. Water on leaves during the heat of the day can cause the sun to burn them.
• Potted plants and hanging baskets need to be watered daily.
• Make sure azaleas and camellias stay well-watered, because they are forming flower buds for next year.

Miscellaneous

• Mow weekly and leave clippings on the lawn.
• Turn your compost pile.
• Feed the birds.

In Bloom

• Ageratum, angel’s trumpet, balsam, begonia, browallia, caladium, canna, celosia, clematis, dahlia, four-o’clock, funkia, gladiolus, lily, hosta, impatiens, marigold, periwinkle, phlox, portulaca, rattle box, salvia, snow-on-the-mountain, torenia, vinca, pink zephyranthes lily, zinnia, althea, butterfly bush, crape myrtle, hydrangea, oleander, roses, and tamarisk.

Be sure to keep yourself hydrated while you’re working in the garden. The heat isn’t going anywhere for a while, but cooler weather will be here before you know it!

If you have any questions about a gardening problem or specific plant, we’re here to help! The MSU Extension website is a great place to start! You can also follow Southern Gardening on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter for more help and useful tips.

Happy gardening, friends!