A Master Gardener's Journal

By Joe Daniels, Delaware County Master Gardener
Start a compost pile, as fall is an excellent time to do so. You can use lots of garden debris including leaves, perennial tops, non-flowering annuals, dried lawn clippings, shredded tree and shrub prunings. If you already have a compost pile, keep adding garden trimmings, maintain pile moisture, and turn the pile weekly for the best and fastest results. If finishing a batch of compost (after pile was hot, then cooled down and about 1/3 of the original volume), let the pile 'cure' and harvest in four weeks for use in the garden.

Sit down and plan any landscaping you intend to do in the fall. Decide what and where you want to plant.

Be careful of yellow jackets this month and take note of problematic areas around doors, garbage cans, and fruit trees. Removing nests can be dangerous, so unless they are an imminent danger, leave them alone.

Take cuttings of favorite houseplants to have extras for you and to give to friends.

Order bulbs for planting in the fall.

Divide irises and daylilies now.

Resow cool-weather crops such as radishes, lettuce, kale, carrots, turnips and beets. Plant transplants of broccoli, cauliflower and cabbage for a fall crop. Harvest onions when the tops yellow and dry.

Note that if temperatures are excessive (over 90), tomatoes, peppers, snap beans and many other vegetables may stop setting fruits.

If it has just rained heavily, wait for a few days of dry weather before harvesting watermelons and they will be sweeter. Heavy rains can reduce the sugars (sweetness) in watermelons.

Avoid or reduce blossom end rot in tomatoes by mulching the plants and keeping the soil moist.

Apply two inches of mulch to your vegetable garden to reduce soil temperature and watering needs.

Prune canes of summer fruiting raspberries. Remove those canes which produced fruit this season.

Increase the size of your strawberries for next year. The better the growing conditions in August and September, the better the berries will be next June. Make sure that strawberries receive at least an inch of water a week throughout this time period.

Allow herbs to self-sow by not removing the flowers. Harvest herbs just prior to flowering for best flavor.

Be careful if you fertilize your lawn this month, as you could increase disease problems. Seed a new lawn in late August to early September. Proper soil preparation is critical to the successful establishment of a new lawn, so take a soil test as a first step. Get a soil test one if you have not had one done in the last three years.

Begin to decrease the frequency of watering your lawn if you are not installing a new one, but water deeply each time. Water early in the morning to reduce evaporation.

Apply fertilizer lightly to keep your annuals flowering, but be sure to water the soil before applying it to avoid burning the roots.

Sow hollyhocks, poppies and larkspur for next spring's flowers.

Be on the look out for powdery mildew, as it can become a problem toward the end of August when the evenings become cooler. Reduce problems with powdery mildew by using prevention strategies. Select resistant varieties, space and prune, water early in the day and reduce nitrogen fertilizer.

Order peony roots for planting in September since they need to be in the ground about a month before the killing frost.

Prune summer-flowering plants that flower on new wood after the flowers fade.

Don't fertilize plants now; give them time to harden-off before winter.

Water plants deeply in August since this is when they set buds for next year's growth.

Hand remove bagworms and tent caterpillars.

Root cuttings of many woody plants including azaleas, hollies and hydrangeas.

Deadhead and fertilize roses before winter. Take late cuttings for additional rose plants by using a sharp knife and taking a 6-9" section. Remove the leaves on lower sections (none should be below the soil) and place so that only 2-3" are above ground. Water well and cover with an inverted glass jar. Place in bright, indirect light only.

Remember perennial gardens often take a bit of a rest during this month and maybe you should too...go away on vacation for awhile...but don't forget to ask a friend to look in on your garden for watering.

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