August Garden Checklist: 10 Things Every Piedmont Gardener Should Do Now
August Garden Checklist: 10 Things Every Piedmont Gardener Should Do Now
August may be hot, but it’s one of the most important months for keeping your landscape looking its best and preparing for a beautiful fall. Here are ten timely tasks for gardeners across the Piedmont of North Carolina and Virginia.
1. Water Deeply, Not Daily
Give trees, shrubs, and perennials a thorough soaking once or twice a week rather than light daily watering. Early morning is the best time to reduce evaporation and disease.
2. Refresh Mulch
Maintain 2–3 inches of mulch around plants to conserve moisture, suppress weeds, and keep roots cooler. Keep mulch a few inches away from trunks and stems.
3. Deadhead Summer Flowers
Remove faded blooms from crape myrtles, zinnias, lantana, salvias, coneflowers, and other flowering plants to encourage continued blooming and keep beds looking tidy.
4. Watch for Heat and Drought Stress
Wilting, scorched leaves, and premature leaf drop are common this time of year. Newly planted trees and shrubs need extra attention until cooler weather arrives.
5. Scout for Insects and Diseases
Check plants weekly for spider mites, Japanese beetles, aphids, whiteflies, powdery mildew, and leaf spots. Catching problems early makes control much easier.
6. Begin Your Fall Vegetable Garden
Now is a great time to plant broccoli, cabbage, kale, collards, lettuce, spinach, carrots, beets, radishes, and turnips for delicious fall harvests.
7. Skip Fertilizing Most Shrubs
Avoid fertilizing trees and shrubs now. Late-season fertilization can encourage tender new growth that may be damaged by early frost. Continue feeding containers as needed.
8. Plan for Fall Planting
Make a list of trees, shrubs, perennials, and native plants you’d like to add this fall. September through November is the ideal planting season in our region.
9. Harvest Often
Pick tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, squash, beans, and herbs regularly. Frequent harvesting encourages plants to remain productive longer.
10. Visit our Garden Center
Fresh crops of pansies, mums, ornamental kale, cool-season vegetables, and fall landscape plants are growing will be appearing soon. It’s a great time to start planning your autumn color.
The work you do in August pays big dividends in September and October. Stay hydrated, garden during the cooler morning hours, and enjoy the rewards of another growing season.
Happy Gardening from your friends at Franklin Brothers Nursery & Greenhouse — proudly serving gardeners in North Carolina and Virginia since 1974!