Here it is – that bittersweet time of year when we don’t know how much more of a “summer” we’ll get up here in these hills. No matter what the season brings, these August Gardening Tips ought to help you weather any situation.
1- Keep up with watering. Pay attention – we tend to get these sudden, heavy storms this time of year. Then the rest of the time it feels like a tropical, balmy sweat-pit. Watch for things like yellowing leaves or moldy growth. It’s a bit of a tricky, fine line on which we have to walk (as we water.)
2- Clear away the dead – Keep removing spent blooms, and more! For us, the pea vines are drying up and dying. The beans are, too. The dead plants make for lovely, enriched compost. Plus, it’s very important to keep the decaying plant parts away from the live ones. Don’t forget to pick off the dried pods so you can save your seeds for next year, or use them in recipes over the winter. Hearty bean soups are so simple and comforting when the temperature drops.
3- If you’ve placed your houseplants outside for the summer, move them inside between now and September.
4- Put compost on your rhubarb, asparagus, horseradish beds. They will thank you in the springtime.
5- Add mulch to potatoes, carrots and any other root vegetables if you plan to leave them in the ground longer.
6- Enjoy your harvest – Around now, are you grumbling about the “over-abundance?” Well, I can relate. If you can’t use it up, or you can’t preserve your harvest by either canning, drying, fermenting, or freezing? Then use as much of it as you can in your daily life. After that, give as much as you can away to other people. We can our blackberries around this time, plus I like to make pickles with our ridiculous amount of cucumbers. *Farmhouse tip – check to make sure the food you give away to people is food they like and will eat! I can’t tell you the amount of times I attempted to give away rhubarb or sunchokes, only to be asked, “What do I do with it?”
7- Keep weeding – it gets easier now, I promise!
Maybe your gardening season is longer than ours. We are already experiencing “Fall” weather! At any rate, we can enjoy the time we have remaining in the garden.
What’s growing in your garden?
♥
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