š» August Garden To-Do List: Keep the Color Going
Welcome to the lazy, hazy days of late summer! While August might feel like a winding-down season, thereās still plenty of beauty and life in the gardenāand just a bit of care now can keep it looking vibrant well into fall. Hereās your August checklist to help your garden thrive in the heat and transition gracefully into the next season.
ā 1. Deadhead for More Blooms
Snip off spent flowers from coneflowers, black-eyed Susans, zinnias, petunias, and dahlias to encourage fresh blooms. This simple task tells the plant to keep producing instead of setting seed.
Bonus tip: Leave some seed heads (like echinacea or rudbeckia) if you want to feed birds later in the season!
š¦ 2. Water Deeply and Consistently
August heat can be tough on plants. Water in the early morning, soaking the soil at the base of plants rather than overhead. Container gardens especially need daily attentionāsometimes even twice a day in extreme heat.
Pro tip: Use soaker hoses or try a Tree Hugger Sprinkler to make watering more efficient.
š± 3. Feed Your Containers
By now, your potted plants may be hungry! Give them a mid-season boost with a water-soluble fertilizer every 1ā2 weeks. Look for formulas geared toward blooming plants, like a 10-30-20, Us professionals use Jacks Blossom Booster!
š§¹ 4. Weed Before Seeds Drop
Those weeds youāve been ignoring? They’re going to seed soon! A quick weeding session now can save you from a headache in fall and spring. Pull them before they multiply.
āļø 5. Divide Daylilies and Other Perennials
If your daylilies, irises, or hostas have outgrown their space or arenāt blooming like they used to, August is a great time to divide and replant them. Give them a good drink after transplanting to help them settle in. For best transplant success utilize Bio-Tone Fertilizer at the time of planting. Then treat them like young plants continuing to water them through fall.
š„¬ 6. Plant a Late-Season Veggie Crop
Itās not too late! Start a fall veggie patch with cool-weather crops like:
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Lettuce
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Kale
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Spinach
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Carrots
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Beets
These can be directly sown into the garden in early to mid-August for a tasty autumn harvest.
š 7. Start Planning for Fall Planting
Walk your garden with a critical eye and jot down notes: Where is there a gap in late-season color? What shrubs could use replacing? Fall is one of the best times to plant trees, shrubs, and perennialsāso use this time to plan!
šØ 8. Refresh Containers for Late Summer
Tired of droopy petunias? Swap in bold late-summer favorites like coleus, ornamental peppers, crotons, or mums. Tuck in a mini pumpkin for an early autumn vibe!
š 9. Support Pollinators
Keep pollinators happy by letting some herbs like basil and oregano flower, and leave a few echinacea and zinnias blooming. Butterflies and bees are still hard at work this time of year.
š Final Thought
August might bring the heat, but it also brings opportunityāa chance to tidy, re-energize, and prepare for the glorious days of fall gardening just ahead. A little effort now keeps your garden thriving, blooming, and buzzing with life.
