The August Garden
Contributed by Jolene Ottosen for the Chaparral Green Thumbs
August is an in-between month for a gardener, where some of the garden has ripened and been harvested, while other parts need to wait for cooler weather in the fall. This can lead to some unsightly bare patches and a sense of space going to waste, but it doesn’t have to be that way. Although the days are hot and becoming shorter with cooler nights, there are still many things that can be planted now.
First, if you can still find bedding-out plants, as long as you water well, many will do well if you plant them now. Plants like carrots and parsnips have an advantage when planted late, as there is less chance of dealing with carrot flies this late in the season. You could also harvest tender leeks or broccoli in the fall if you also get those in.
If bedding-out plants isn’t the thing for you, there is still time to start some things from seed too. Lettuce takes no time at all, and you can use other more mature plants to help shade it from the heat of the midday sun. Spinach, kale, and chard are also great options. I like kale as you can keep harvesting until it freezes. I have also had people suggest that peas would still have enough time if you were content with small young pods, the same with beets. I have tried beets late before, but never had much luck getting more than just greens, although that may have had a lot to do with me not watering them enough. Anything you plant late will need a lot of water!
For those even more adventurous, you could also consider extending your growing season into the fall’s colder days by providing some sort of cold protection for the plants. This protection could come in the form of a nighttime cover such as fabric over a large area, a glass or plastic cloche covering specific plants, or it could be a more permanent structure. I have had great success with a hoop house made of PVC hose bent over rebar stakes pounded into the ground and covered with either row fabric or plastic as the days got colder. I have also seen some beautiful boxes that use old windows for the lid, which can be propped open on warm days but left closed on cold days and at night.
August is also a great time to look at your perennial beds and see what work needs to be done. If you have perennials that are beginning to look crowded or dying in the centre, now would be a good time to divide many of them. New divisions can then be planted somewhere else and, if watered well, will have plenty of time to establish a new root base before winter. I try to divide as much as possible at this time as that way I have a little less work in the spring, and I start the season with fuller, more mature plants in the garden.
Last on your list of August chores, don’t forget to keep deadheading your flowers to keep those blooms around as long as possible, and if you are growing garlic, it is probably ready to harvest now.
Happy gardening!
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