Pacific Northwest Gardener's August Checklist
Deadheading perennials, cutting raspberry canes and preparing for the onion harvest keeps Northwest gardeners busy in August
Genevieve Schmidt
July 27, 2012
If the Northwest hasn't seen sunny skies and dry summer weather yet, we certainly will in August. This is the month when the ground starts to bake, and it's easy to become concerned that our plants won't tolerate the yearly cycle of drought as well.
Yet August's dry weather actually is necessary for many plants to make a successful transition between seasons. Spring bulbs require that baking-hot soil to go 100 percent dormant and prepare for next year's bloom. Pears, peaches, plums and apples all need the extra boost of dry heat to ripen well. And onion crops, just like spring bulbs, take energy from their foliage this month to create those savory staples of the kitchen.
Tasks in ornamental gardens include staking dahlias and other flowers to prevent flopping, removing spent flowers from roses and perennials, and cutting back daylilies that have gone summer dormant.
In the fruit and veggie garden, now's the time to begin removing fruited canes from raspberries and thinning the patch. It's also time to stop watering onions so they will go dormant and set a good crop. And August is a great time to check out what's blooming at the nursery. Scotch heather (Calluna vulgaris) is a colorful evergreen bloomer that does a great job filling in the time between the intermittent blooms of summer-flowering perennials.
Yet August's dry weather actually is necessary for many plants to make a successful transition between seasons. Spring bulbs require that baking-hot soil to go 100 percent dormant and prepare for next year's bloom. Pears, peaches, plums and apples all need the extra boost of dry heat to ripen well. And onion crops, just like spring bulbs, take energy from their foliage this month to create those savory staples of the kitchen.
Tasks in ornamental gardens include staking dahlias and other flowers to prevent flopping, removing spent flowers from roses and perennials, and cutting back daylilies that have gone summer dormant.
In the fruit and veggie garden, now's the time to begin removing fruited canes from raspberries and thinning the patch. It's also time to stop watering onions so they will go dormant and set a good crop. And August is a great time to check out what's blooming at the nursery. Scotch heather (Calluna vulgaris) is a colorful evergreen bloomer that does a great job filling in the time between the intermittent blooms of summer-flowering perennials.
Stake flopping perennials. Dahlia (Dahlia cvs.), Joe Pye weed (Eupatorium purpureum), Sedum (Sedum 'Autumn Joy' is shown) and other tall bloomers often need help to stay upright in late summer, as their blooms can be heavier than their stems can bear. Plant stakes and supports can be incredibly helpful in keeping your plants from flopping or even breaking under the weight of summer blossoms.
These elegant English Y-stakes from aHa! Modern Living are strong enough to support plants, yet attractive enough to leave in the garden year-round if desired.
These elegant English Y-stakes from aHa! Modern Living are strong enough to support plants, yet attractive enough to leave in the garden year-round if desired.
Remove spent flowers. Keep on deadheading roses, Shasta daisies (Leucanthemum x superbum), dahlias and other summer-flowering plants. By removing spent flowers, you encourage the plant to continue setting new buds and put energy into blooms for the rest of the summer.
As plants begin to lose steam, a dose of organic fertilizer can help keep them going strong. Choose one labeled for flowering plants; it will have exactly the right nutrients to stimulate more blooms, rather than just foliage.
As plants begin to lose steam, a dose of organic fertilizer can help keep them going strong. Choose one labeled for flowering plants; it will have exactly the right nutrients to stimulate more blooms, rather than just foliage.
Groom daylilies as needed. Some types of daylily (Hemerocallis cvs.) go dormant in summer, particularly in gardens where they aren't watered regularly. If your daylily is looking more brown than green, you have two options: painstakingly pick out all the brown foliage and hope the plant fills in, or just cut the whole thing down to the ground. When pruned to the ground in summer, daylilies grow back as soon as cool temperatures resume and will often give a lovely fall season of color.
Thin raspberries and begin onion harvesting. Now is also the time of year to care for some of your edible plants. Prune out any canes on your raspberry plants that have fruited, as the canes are most productive on their first year of fruit production. Simply cut the fruited stems to the ground once they're done bearing for the year.
Onions can also use some attention right now, or rather, a lack of it. Stop watering onions when their stems turn yellow to force them into dormancy, and push the stems over to the ground to begin their ripening process. Leave them for about 10 days, then dig them up (stems intact) and let them dry in a warm, airy location until the stems have shriveled and the skins are papery and shiny.
Onions can also use some attention right now, or rather, a lack of it. Stop watering onions when their stems turn yellow to force them into dormancy, and push the stems over to the ground to begin their ripening process. Leave them for about 10 days, then dig them up (stems intact) and let them dry in a warm, airy location until the stems have shriveled and the skins are papery and shiny.
Pick out new plants. August often marks a pause point in the garden between the first flush of summer blooms and the late summer show of reblooming perennials. If your garden is looking drab, head out to the nursery and pick up a few Scotch heathers (Calluna vulgaris 'Long White' is shown). The wide variety of foliage and bloom colors fit into every garden, and they're freshly in bloom so you can choose the colors that work for you.
Another great plant for this time of year is the new Encore Azalea, a reblooming Azalea that just keeps going. While it has the traditional spring flowers we expect from an Azalea, it also blooms through late summer/early fall. If your garden needs something taller than a 2-foot heather, an Encore Azalea could fill the bill.
While August's dry heat can be worrying for gardeners, just remember it's a natural part of our climate and a great excuse to get outside and enjoy the warmth.
More:
Planting guides for your Northwest garden
Browse flowers, plants and garden design ideas
Another great plant for this time of year is the new Encore Azalea, a reblooming Azalea that just keeps going. While it has the traditional spring flowers we expect from an Azalea, it also blooms through late summer/early fall. If your garden needs something taller than a 2-foot heather, an Encore Azalea could fill the bill.
While August's dry heat can be worrying for gardeners, just remember it's a natural part of our climate and a great excuse to get outside and enjoy the warmth.
More:
Planting guides for your Northwest garden
Browse flowers, plants and garden design ideas
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Our hot sunny weather started in June this year. Record breaking temps for both June and July so far, the hottest ever recorded. August looks no different. We're just not used to all that heat! I've been harvesting tomatoes since July 4. We may have to rethink our garden plantings. Our hydrangeas are wilting...
For those of you with Joe Pye Weed and the large Sedums, a trick I was taught is to cut them back by half in June or early July - yes, I realise that this advice is too late for this year ;-( .
The plants flower slightly later than they would if you don't do this but both will have much fuller growth and more flowers. In my area (PNW, Zone 8a), the deer generally take care of trimming the sedums for me, but I do the Joe Pye Weed when it gets close to 5'.
It's a great thing you mentioned pruning raspberries. We have an out-of-control patch I'm going to probably try relocate to make space for some cold frames in my fenced in garden area.
One chore on my list is to harvest and preserve the ubiquitous blackberries from the wild canes growing in the wild parts and boundaries of our property, then prune those, and when the bees finish capping their honeycomb, harvest the blackberry honey from my beehives before beginning autumn feeding to give them a leg up for winter time.