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Rocky Mountain Gardener's August Checklist
August may be hot, dry and dusty, but with care and planning, your garden will continue to thrive
Houzz Contributor. I am a landscape/garden designer, garden coach, writer, and public speaker with over 25 years of professional experience creating beautiful outdoor environments that are lifestyle friendly and Colorado "green". Please contact me at jhcstudios@yahoo.com if you would like more information about my services.
Houzz Contributor. I am a landscape/garden designer, garden coach, writer,... More »
The “dog days of August” sound like they should be slow and lazy — yet they’re usually anything but. There are vacations to take, festivals to attend and children to ready for school. There’s also plenty to do in the garden: It’s time for a little TLC for your trees and soil, weed wrangling and produce planting. August is also a great month to critique your garden’s design and plan for future improvements.
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Deep-root water trees. Many regions of the Rocky Mountain West have experienced an unusually hot and dry summer. Drought can take its toll on trees, even those that are well established. Trees are the most valuable asset in our landscapes, so it pays to baby them a bit.
Give them a good soak by using a bubbler or other low-pressure sprinkler attachment at the end of a hose. Apply water at a low rate to allow for thorough water absorption to a depth of about 12 inches. Cover the entire root zone, which may extend three to five times the height of the tree. Continue this practice monthly through fall and winter (when snow cover is lacking and the temperature is 40 degrees Fahrenheit or more).
Give them a good soak by using a bubbler or other low-pressure sprinkler attachment at the end of a hose. Apply water at a low rate to allow for thorough water absorption to a depth of about 12 inches. Cover the entire root zone, which may extend three to five times the height of the tree. Continue this practice monthly through fall and winter (when snow cover is lacking and the temperature is 40 degrees Fahrenheit or more).
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Keep up with weed control. Sadly, weeds don’t take a vacation. They continue to grow, stealing water and nutrients from your chosen plants. Here are some tips for nonchemical weed suppression. Chemical herbicides, when necessary, are best applied in another month or two.
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Spread compost. Compost is nature’s perfect soil amendment. It loosens clay soils to allow better water and air penetration, and when added to sandy or gravelly soils, compost forms organic aggregates that retain water and nutrients. Use compost as a top dressing around vegetables, flowers, trees and shrubs, working it into the soil lightly.
A summertime application of compost will help the soil retain moisture and also stimulate the growth of beneficial microorganisms. You may use your own compost or purchase Class I compost (which can be used any time of year in any type of soil) from a reliable supplier.
A summertime application of compost will help the soil retain moisture and also stimulate the growth of beneficial microorganisms. You may use your own compost or purchase Class I compost (which can be used any time of year in any type of soil) from a reliable supplier.
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Plant fall crops. Craving some freshly grown veggies this fall? August is the time to seed cool-season veggies into the garden. Beets, carrots, lettuce, peas, turnips, spinach, etc. can be sown directly into warm summer soil.
To select the best time to plant, refer to the “days to maturity” data on the back of the seed packet, and count backward from your location’s average first frost date. For example, if you live in Colorado Springs, Colorado, your average first frost date is October 10. Radishes and lettuces need only two to four weeks (on average) from seeding to harvest and could be sown successfully until mid-September.
To select the best time to plant, refer to the “days to maturity” data on the back of the seed packet, and count backward from your location’s average first frost date. For example, if you live in Colorado Springs, Colorado, your average first frost date is October 10. Radishes and lettuces need only two to four weeks (on average) from seeding to harvest and could be sown successfully until mid-September.
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| Beets, however, need 50 to 60 days to reach maturity, so should be planted no later than August 20. Have fun planting a new veggie variety this month, and try a new recipe sometime soon! |
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| Assess your landscape and plan ahead. The high heat of August is not the time to divide or move plants, but it’s a great time for planning ahead for an active September and beyond. Look at your garden with a critical eye as you plan your shopping and work lists for the cooler days to come:
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| Take a few digital photographs and convert them to black and white. The absence of color will help you home in on the forms and textures of your plant compositions. Ask yourself:
More: Guides to gardening in the Rocky Mountains |
Ideabook published on July 28, 2012.
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