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August Garden Guide
- Mulch dahilias to conserve moisture and eliminate weeds.
- Stake plants with heavy blooms.
- Order spring-flowering bulbs for fall planting
- Keep phlox plants deadheaded. Never let phlox go to seed if you want to keep colors true.
- Start seeds of daisy, coreopsis, sweet william and pansy in peat pots or nursery beds.
Transfer to permanent beds in late September or early October. - Cut Gladiolus blooms leaving maximum amount of foliage on plants.
- Transplant and divide iris and day lily.
- Watch for red spider mites on phlox.
- Plant chrysanthimums for fall color. Fall planted chrysanthimums
need extra winter protection. - In mid-month, take cuttings of coleus, geraniums and
other plants for winter houseplants. - Plant Madonna lily and Japanese and Siberian Iris.
- Continue watering flowerbeds at least once a week during dry periods.
- Plant or transplant oriental poppies.
Do not mulch, as they prefer hot, sun-baked ground. - Bring poinsettias indoors.
- By the end of the month, start withholding water from amaryllis.
Amaryllis requires an eight-week period of drought to bloom.
Place in cool basement for 3-month rest. - Sow cover crops in vegetable garden areas not in use.
- Cut and dry or freeze herbs. Pick herbs just before
blossoms open for best flavor. - Inspect corn regularly. Corn pests become abundant in mid-August.
- Keep eggplant and peppers picked so younger fruit develops.
- Plant late crops of radishes, lettuce, spinach and beets.
- Mid-August to mid-September is the best time to establish grass seed.
Keep soil moist at all times or seed will dry and die. - Plant evergreens now through mid-September so they are
well established before winter. - Remove thatch from lawn if more than 1/2 inch thick.
- Tip layer black and purple raspberries for replacement.
- Fertilize strawberries with 10-10-10 fertilizer applied at
2-3 pounds per 100 square feet. Thin plants if needed. - Maintain lime-sulfur spray program on tree fruit to control apple
and pear scab and certain other diseases. - Collect and bury diseased, mummified plums for future brown-rot control. Reference: Portage County Master Gardener Newsletter.
UW Extension Portage County, Pg.6.