Gardening in August: Preparing for autumn

In August, the workload for garden enthusiasts traditionally spikes, with more tasks demanding attention than any other month. It's time to harvest early crop varieties and decide what to do with the space they leave behind. Vigilance is still required for the plants remaining in the soil, and the season for canning and preserving has already begun. How can one ensure nothing is overlooked?

Experienced gardeners might have the seasonal crop rotation memorized, while those newer to gardening are still perfecting their craft. To keep everything under control, it's vital to have a system in place for tracking all garden activities. For instance, using this guide. Bookmark it to make sure you don't miss anything.

August harvest

At the heart of summer, in August, gardens and orchards are filled with ripe fruit that yields a bountiful harvest. This is the best time for gardeners to harvest the fruits of their hard work. Many varieties of fruit trees are ready for harvest. It is very important to keep an eye on apples, pears, plums and fruits, remembering to pick them off the ground and pluck them off the branches as soon as they are ripe. Not only will this prevent crop loss, but it will also help keep the plants healthy and strong.

If you notice that the branches of your fruit trees are bending or straining under the weight of the crop, but the fruit is not yet ready - this is a clear sign that they need support. Supports made of wood or other sturdy materials can prevent branch breakage, ensuring healthy and productive trees for many seasons to come. 

Protecting garden crops from infections

Ensuring the health of your garden involves vigilant protection against infections and pests. Regularly inspect and replace the trapping belts around the trees. These are crucial for catching pests that climb up the trees to feed or lay eggs. Pay special attention to the bases of the main scaffold branches, a common site for pests like the gypsy moth to lay their eggs. Catching these pests early, in their egg stage, can prevent a future infestation.

Stone fruit trees, in particular, need protection from diseases like scab. It's essential to treat them at least 20 days before you plan to harvest. This preemptive care helps ensure that your fruits remain healthy and bountiful, safeguarding your hard work throughout the season.

Preparing planting pits

Preparing for autumn tree planting starts in August, about a month before the actual planting. This timing is crucial for ensuring that the soil and environment are optimal for the new saplings. The size of each planting pit should be approximately 2 x 2 feet (70cm x 70cm) to accommodate the roots of the saplings comfortably. Into these excavated pits, add fertile soil and well-rotted manure to create a nutrient-rich environment.

This preparation will ensure that the saplings have the best possible start in their new location, fostering strong growth and healthy development.

Harvesting onions

The ideal time for harvesting onions is when the tops are completely dry and the protective scales have formed on the bulbs. To prepare for this, watering should be stopped about two weeks before the expected harvest date. This pause in watering helps the bulbs mature and become ready to be pulled out of the ground.

Once dry and sunny weather arrives, it's time to harvest the onions. Carefully remove the onions from the soil and leave them on the surface to dry in the sun. This drying process is very important as this will make it more durable and easy to store. After a few hours of drying or when the outer layers have dried sufficiently, move the onions to a well-ventilated room. A further drying phase will strengthen their storability, giving you a long-lasting supply of onions from your vegetable garden.

Harvesting garlic

Timing is key when harvesting garlic. The signal to begin is 5-7 days after the garlic leaves have fully yellowed, indicating that the bulbs are mature and ready for harvest. To encourage larger, healthier bulbs, a useful technique is tying the leaves into a knot a few weeks before harvesting. This not only aids in redirecting the plant's energy from the leaves to the bulb, promoting growth, but also accelerates the yellowing process if the leaves are still green.

This leaf-tying method, aside from benefiting the bulb's size and health, simplifies the harvest by making the plants easier to handle and pull from the soil. When the time comes to harvest, choose a dry day to avoid moisture-related issues and gently lift the bulbs from the ground. Lay them out to cure in a dry, airy space, preparing them for storage.

Sowing green crops

After harvesting early varieties, such as potatoes or cabbage, take advantage of the freed-up space by sowing green crops like parsley, fennel, lettuce, or spinach.

It's crucial to select varieties that have a short maturation period, ensuring that you'll have enough time to harvest them. This approach not only maximizes the use of your garden space but also keeps the soil active and productive, leading to a continuous supply of fresh greens right from your backyard.

Allocating space for green manures

Allocating space for green manures in your garden can be a transformative practice, especially after a season of cultivating nightshade vegetables such as tomatoes, potatoes, and eggplants. These crops, while nutritious and valuable, can deplete the soil of essential nutrients and disrupt its balance. By sowing areas with green manures, including mustard, clover, rapeseed, oats, rye, and phacelia, you introduce a natural method to rejuvenate and enrich your garden's soil. These cover crops play a pivotal role in soil health, not only by preventing erosion and suppressing weed growth but also by fixing nitrogen levels and improving water permeability. 

When these plants are cut down and turned back into the soil, they decompose, releasing organic matter that serves as a nutrient-rich, natural fertilizer. This cycle of planting and incorporating green manures enhances soil structure, boosts fertility, and fosters a more vibrant ecosystem in your garden. Moreover, this practice prepares the land for future planting, ensuring that your next crops have a robust foundation to grow from. Adopting green manures into your gardening routine is a step towards sustainable cultivation, offering a chemical-free alternative to maintain soil health and garden productivity.

Dedicating time to your tomatoes

August is a crucial month for tomato care, focusing on two key practices: pruning suckers and protecting against blight. As the summer progresses, tomatoes demand attention to ensure they continue to thrive and produce a bountiful harvest. The process of removing unnecessary shoots, or suckering, is particularly important this month. It's the last opportunity of the season to tidy up the plants and direct their energy towards fruiting rather than foliage growth.

August's proactive care includes treatments to protect tomatoes from the late blight. This disease can devastate crops, so preventative measures, including applying fungicides or using resistant varieties, are vital. By combining these practices, gardeners can ensure their tomato plants are healthy, manageable, and primed for producing an excellent crop. This dedicated approach in August sets the stage for a successful end to the growing season, rewarding you with a plentiful tomato harvest.

Collect plant seeds

Gathering seeds from your garden is not only a cost-effective practice but also a rewarding gardening activity. It applies not just to flowers like calendula, nasturtium, and dianthus, but also to a variety of other plants including vegetables and herbs. This method allows you to preserve the best traits of your garden's plants for next season.

Start by identifying the plants you want to collect seeds from, focusing on those that have performed well in your garden. Once the seeds have matured and the seed heads have dried on the plant, carefully collect them. This usually involves gently removing the seed heads or pods and then shaking out the seeds.

After collection, it's important to sort through the seeds, discarding any that are damaged or diseased. This ensures that only the healthiest seeds are stored for future planting. Spread the good seeds out on a dry surface in a well-ventilated area to dry thoroughly. This step is crucial to prevent mold growth during storage.

Once the seeds are dry, package them in envelopes or small paper bags. Label each package clearly with the plant name and the date of collection. Storing the seeds in a cool, dry place will help maintain their viability until you're ready to plant them in the next season.

Plant bulbs and biennials

Now is the ideal time to start planting those species that bloom in autumn, as well as to transplant biennials to their permanent spots in the garden. This is the season for setting bulbs that will grace your garden with their colors come fall. Simultaneously, it's the traditional period for moving biennial seedlings, such as forget-me-nots, hollyhocks, and Sweet William, to their designated places.

When planting bulbs, ensure they are set at the correct depth in the soil, which is typically two to three times the height of the bulb, and that the pointed end faces upwards. This will encourage successful root and shoot development. For biennials, choose a location that matches their light and soil preferences, and space them adequately to allow for growth and air circulation, reducing the risk of disease.