August Gardening Tips

Is anyone else on the August gardening summer struggle bus?

Right this minute, it's already mid-August and I've only just now carved out a few minutes to peel off my gloves and put down my hand-hoe to write this blog post. Where has the summer gone and why are there still so many weeds in the garden!? I've been playing a desperate game of catch-up weeding neglected parts of the garden, cutting back blackberries (with a fiery hatred for those delicious demon plants), and watering like it's my job (which it is). Needless to say, I've been busy and I'm starting to have that familiar late-summer attitude of "eff-it, I don't care about this garden, I just want to sit on a beach and drink margaritas until the sun goes down." But then, at the end of the day, when I do get a chance to sit in my garden and take it all in, I'm proud of what I've created. The bees are happy, the zucchini are flowering, and my cosmos dance in the wind. Beautiful. And it's in those moments I remember why I love gardening and my garden.

White Cosmo in Summer Garden

It's important to remember that August is a turning point in the garden. Here in the Pacific Northwest, August is arguably the driest month of the year and perennials start to look a little tired--while annuals come into their prime. The soil is dry, so watering becomes even more important than weeding. And I must constantly remind myself that late summer and fall are the WORST times of the year to prune and that I need to put down my loppers.

So what does August Gardening in the PNW entail? If you're on the summer struggle bus, I've got some tips and tricks for staying positive too.

List of August Gardening To-Do's:

1. Water and water often

2. Weed

3. Deadhead flowers

4. Cut flowers and harvest veg

5. Add compost

6. Fertilize perennials

7. Plant Fall Crops

8. Edge grasses growing around garden beds

9. Clean out bird baths and fountains

10. Sit and enjoy the garden

Do: Water and Water Often

Watering is an incredibly essential function of gardening in the Pacific Northwest. Why? Because, contrary to popular belief, rainy Washington (and Oregon and Idaho) is very dry and sunny throughout the summer. Without sufficient rain, watering the garden becomes an essential task throughout the summer.

Most plants need about one inch of water a week for survival. But what does that mean? "One inch of water" is a pretty confusing statement, so here's my general rules about watering:

• Pots and planters get thoroughly soaked with water and you never let the soil completely dry out. Ensure water penetrates the entire pot until you see water draining out of the pot's bottom. Pots and planters dry out very quickly in the sun; therefore they must be watered more often and you can essentially ignore the "one inch a week" rule.

• Watering raised beds is similar to pots and planters, but it's more difficult to see when a raised bed garden has been thoroughly watered. Dig your hand into the soil and see how far the water made it. You'll want water to seep at least 4-5 in (10 cm) deep. Wet soil is a darker color than dry soil and you'll soon know the difference after a couple of rounds of watering and looking. You can water a raised bed as often as it needs--likely every other day and sometimes daily when temperatures are hot.

• For traditional garden beds in the ground, you can get away with watering every other day and sometimes every three days. The ground (in general) is a much larger mass of soil when compared to a pot or raised bed; therefore, the soil in traditional garden beds won't heat up or lose water (through plant uptake and evaporation) as quickly as potted gardens. Because of this, you shouldn't have to water more than every other day unless the temperatures are hot or you have a soil type that dries out quickly (typically sandy soils). Water so that the top 4-5 in (10 cm) are thoroughly soaked. Verify this using the same digging method described previously.

These are just general rules about watering, but I stand by them when making watering decisions both in my garden and in my clients'.

Do: Weed

Weeding the garden never truly stops here in the Pacific Northwest. If you're watering plants, weeds and weed seeds are also getting watered and growing. Weed the garden in the morning and evening when temperatures are cooler and you don't have to be in direct sunlight.

If you're a professional gardener who needs to maintain a client's garden, limit your exposure to direct sunlight, especially during heat waves. A few methods I use are:

Women's Garden Gloves

• Alter between weeding in sunny spots with shady spots every 15 minutes

• Weed the sunniest part of the garden first and then cool off in the shade while weeding the remainder

• Start earlier in the day and finish by 2 pm when temperatures rise

• Wear a sun hat and sunshirt

• Drink lots of water and take breaks often

Do: Deadhead Flowers

This time of year, flowers such as peonies and roses start looking haggard and require deadheading. Cut the spent flowers off and toss them in the compost. Deadheading does require a little knowledge about each plant you're deadheading, so do some research first. But in general, simply removing the spent flower will suffice.

Do: Cut Flowers and Harvest Veg

Who doesn't love fresh-cut flowers!!!? Actually, I have two clients who refuse to have fresh-cut flowers in their homes! But that story is for a different time. If you're pretty basic (like me) and can never have too many cut flowers in your home, now is the season! Cut away and cut those stems long.

August also happens to be the time of year when all your veg crops seem to overflow in abundance. Remember to harvest zucchinis EVERY DAY, don't let your cucumbers get blown out, and tomatoes are best picked in the morning. If you find yourself overrun with abundance, give zucchini away to co-workers, freeze your tomatoes for a winter soup, or dehydrate kale for a delicious (and crunchy!) snack. Enjoy all the fruits of your labor and give yourself a pat on the back for growing a beautiful, bountiful garden.

Do: Add Compost

In the Pacific Northwest, you can add compost to the garden anytime the ground isn't frozen (and August is no exception). If there's a few spots you didn't get to in the spring, now's the time to top-dress and feed your soil. Aim to have 3-4 inches of compost covering your entire garden bed. If you don't have enough compost for that, any amount is better than none at all.

Do: Fertilize Perennials

One of the most forgotten summer garden tasks is fertilizing. Think about it: those roses and spireas and Japanese Maples are working really hard growing 8 to 9 months out of the year, yet they don't get the amount of attention annuals get. Do your perennials a favor and give them the nutrients they need to stay healthy, ward off pests and diseases, and keep growing.

Do: Plant Fall Crops

Did you know that fall crops are planted in the late summer? When I used to work on a vegetable farm, we planted crops well into October--but it was the lettuce, spinach, radishes, turnips, and beets we planted in the late summer that were harvested in the fall. Remember, veg crops need anywhere from 30-90 days until maturity, which means you've got to plant crops in August to harvest in October and November.

Do: Edge Grasses Growing Around Garden Beds

There's something esthetically pleasing about edging grass around garden beds. When grass gets too tall or invades rock walls, a garden will look unkempt. I suggest edging around your garden so all grass is cut to the same height as the rest of the lawn. This may take some finessing and help from a partner, but you'll thank me when it's all over.

For instance, last week I was maintaining a client's garden and the lavender was gorgeous and big and spilled out into the lawn. The grass around and under the lavender had gotten long and I thought it made the rest of the garden look unkempt. I used a bucket to momentarily prop up the lavender (this is when you could use a friend to help you, but I only had a bucket) so I could weed whack the grass down to the same height as the rest of the lawn. Volla! A quick and aesthetically pleasing improvement.

Do: Clean Out Bird Baths and Fountains

If you have a bird bath or fountain that reuses the same water, now is a good time to clean all the surfaces and change out the water. Birds get sick from contaminated water (just like humans) so you should ensure that the water provided is clean and safe.

Do: Sit and Enjoy the Garden

Remember how I mentioned I'd give you a few tips on how to get over your August gardening slump? Well here's the best advice I can give: sit down and take a break--you've earned it! No seriously, that patch of weeds can wait. Simply sit in your garden and enjoy all the beauty around you. Even if your garden is a single pot of basil on your balcony, embrace the scent, and the deep green color, and thank that basil for the joy it provided.

In just a few months, we'll be embraced by winter's darkness and the summer garden will be a fleeting memory. Enjoy the garden you have now. Here are a few things you can do in the garden:

• sit and listen to the birds

• draw pictures of your garden, flowers, and vegetables

• read a good book

• have a picnic

• enjoy the sunset

• have a drink (adult or otherwise) with the bees and a bestie

• practice yoga

• write a blog post (inspired by what I'm currently doing!)

It's important to recognize what you've accomplished this season and remind yourself that there is no "perfect garden," but rather, the garden you've created is the perfect one for you right now. Even if it's weedy, or plants died, or you had a major infestation of slugs--I'm sure you learned something and next year's garden will be even better.

And now for the don'ts:

1. Prune perennial flowers, shrubs, or trees

2. Mow frequently

3. Divide or transplant (unless plants are in the shade for most of the day)

Don't: Prune Perennial Flowers, Shrubs, or Trees

Other than deadheading or cutting flowers, the only pruning of perennial flowers, shrubs, and trees should be to remove dead, damaged, and diseased limbs. Pruning plants when temperatures are hot and when plants are growing can be extremely detrimental. Pruning in August can cause undue stress that may lead to mortality. It is best to err on the side of safety and prune later in the year, winter, or next spring. This rule is for nearly every plant in the PNW.

Don't: Mow Frequently

This isn't quite a fine gardening task, but since I mow a couple of lawns and my own, I'll include it here. Grass stops growing when the rain stops raining (unless you irrigate). You'll notice that the grass is growing slower and it may start browning and getting crunchy. These are all signs that the grass is going into dormancy and won't start growing or greening up until the rainy season.

If you feel compelled to mow the grass for evenness or to whack down all the catsear and dandelions, make sure you mow at a higher level (I like a level 4) and decrease mowing to every other week and then less as needed. If you mow too low or scalp grass this time of year, you may end up killing it.

Don't: Divide or Transplant (unless plants in the shade for most of the day)

Ok, so I know I said that August is the perfect time to plant fall crops, but you should wait to divide and transplant the plants you already have in the ground. I'm not saying these tasks shouldn't be done at all, but they should wait to be done at another time of year. Dividing and transplanting adds stress to the plant and it's just safer to wait. If you do decide you must divide or transplant, make sure to water more frequently.

And so there you have it; ten dos and three don'ts for August gardening. Stay positive, my gardening gal pals! The summer slump is real and you're not alone! Relax a little and enjoy what's left of the summer. And as always, don't sweat the small stuff.