Essential tasks for the garden in August
As the growing season begins to wind down in August, there are still many things you can do with your garden to keep it looking gorgeous throughout the remainder of the summer and into autumn. Therefore, it is important to complete these essential tasks for the garden in August.
Essential Tasks for the Garden in August #1: Pruning and Deadheading
You should have already started pruning and deadheading your flowers in July, but this continues to be one of the essential tasks for the garden in August as well. Through deadheading and pruning, you can extend the life of your perennial and annual flowers. In fact, many plants will stop producing flowers for the season if they are not deadheaded. In addition, the process of deadheading and pruning helps prepare them for their winter's rest so they can return the following year bigger and stronger.
If you have tall herbaceous perennials in your garden, such as Echinacea, helenium, and rudebeckia, and you want them to stay smaller, August can be a great time to tip prune the plants. This will not only keep the plants smaller, but will also encourage the plants to produce bushier heads with slightly smaller flowers.
Essential Tasks for the Garden in August #2: Take Care of Rhododendrons
Summer can be a rough time for your garden, particularly during a dry period. Therefore, you need to make sure to water your garden regularly. While doing so, don't forget about your rhododendrons. If the weather is dry, make sure to feed and water them regularly in order to keep them strong and healthy.
Essential Tasks for the Garden in August #3: Prepare Your Autumn Annual Seeds
If you are planning to add some more color to your garden with autumn annuals, now is the time to sow them in pots. Peat moss pellets are an excellent and easy way to get seeds started. Place a few seeds in each pellet, and then weed out the weaker growth as the seeds mature into plants. Never pull out the extra plants because this may disturb the root system of the plant you intend to keep. Instead, snip back the weaker plants with a pair of scissors or pruning shears.
Essential Tasks for the Garden in August #4: Stake Large Plants
Depending on the plant varieties you have, one of the essential tasks for the garden in August may be to stake the flowers. Some of your flowers may be quite tall at this point and, as a result, their stems may be having difficulty providing proper support. Staking your plants will help keep your plants from leaning sideways, which is unattractive in the garden. In addition, some stems may break if they are not adequately supported with stakes.
Essential Tasks for the Garden in August #4: Add Mulch
Mulch is an important year-round component of the garden. Throughout the growing season, mulch helps fight back weeds while keeping the area around your plants moist. If you haven't added mulch by this time or if your mulch is starting to decompose, adding a new layer of mulch is another of the essential tasks for the garden in August. Not only will the mulch help your plants through the remainder of the growing season, it will also help protect their roots from the cold in the winter.
There are many essential tasks for the garden in August that must be attended to in order to keep your garden healthy. With a little work and effort, however, these tasks will ensure that you have a beautiful garden for years to come.
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