The Whistling Gardener

by Steve Smith

Steve Smith is owner of Sunnyside Nursery in Marysville, located at 3915 Sunnyside Blvd., and a respected local expert on all things horticultural. You can reach Steve at 425-334-2002 or by e-mail at [email protected].

Time for yet another monthly checklist. Here are my words of wisdom on what to do in the month of August.

Water: No surprise here. I gave you my epistle a few weeks back on how to get the most out of the end of your hose. No point in repeating myself. You can go to my website at sunnysidenursery.net or check www.northcountyoutlook.com/columnists and re-read the article if you need a refresher.

Fertilize: If you want to keep your annuals and perennials blooming, then you will need to feed them this month. As much as I hate Miracle-Gro (it is owned by the industry giant Scotts), I have to admit that it really does work miracles. I feed my containers and beds twice a week with the stuff and it works magic. The flowers are nonstop and the colors are brilliant. I prefer the Nursery Select formulation, which is the same stuff that we use in our greenhouses to grow our geraniums and baskets in the spring.

Plant: Yes, Virginia, it is okay to plant this time of year. In fact, you would be amazed what you will find at the garden center in August that's fit for planting: The variety of blooming perennials is mind-boggling. Shrubs and trees can all be planted this month, so if you need to start or finish your landscape, August is a fabulous time to do it. Warm soils are perfect for roots to grow so your plants will be well established before winter sets in. Be sure and pre-soak the planting hole before you install your plant so there will be no dry soil against the new roots.

Pruning: July was a good month to prune, but you can continue to do thinning all month long. As shrubs, trees and perennials grow into each other, they should be thinned to prevent crowding. Don't wait until the winter to do this or you will be sorry.

Roses: Keep removing old blooms and fertilize every 6 weeks. We are now entering mildew season (any time we have dew in the morning, we can have mildew as well). Control mildew, rust and black spot with your favorite fungicide. It is a whole lot easier to prevent then it is to get rid of once you have it, so spray now before you see the disease. You can also use one of the new drenches that contain a systemic fungicide that you pour under the base of the rose. This works fine if you have no diseases, but if you already have mildew or black spot, then you should probably go ahead and spray too.

Bugs: After living on the east coast for three years back in the '70s I can really appreciate what few insects we have here in the northwest. Most of them are merely a nuisance and pose no real threat to our plants. Tent caterpillars and fall web worms may start showing up this month, and a natural product containing Spinosad will take care of them in short order. It will also knock the socks off of pear slugs, which skeletonize leaves on pears and plums mostly. Aphids never really go away completely, but they are not the problem they are in the spring unless you have lupines and nasturtiums, in which case you may wake up one morning and discover that the aphids have uprooted them and stolen them from your garden.

Diseases: Most foliar diseases needed to be controlled back in spring, so there isn't too much you can do at this point when it comes to scab on apples and pears. Red thread in lawns usually goes away when it gets hot unless you have very poor drainage and water too often. All the damage we had from the long cold and wet spring on cherries and lilacs and laurels--and who knows what else--is best dealt with now with the loppers. Cut out dead and diseased wood and fertilize and water to stimulate new replacement growth.

Lawns: August is usually a slow month for lawns. It is the calm before the storm. By the end of the month the nights will be cooling down and lawns will be kicking into gear again. That will be the signal to reseed, aerate, dethatch or generally overhaul or plant anew the lawn. If you do nothing until the rains come in the fall, you will probably be dealing with a whole bunch of weeds and hard compacted soil. Plan on whipping your lawn into shape starting the end of this month.

Veggies, herbs and fruits: Be sure and harvest on a regular basis and if you have too much produce, take it to your local food bank. Once you have pulled out your spring crops you can replant with a fall crop of carrots and beets or lettuce and spinach and even some cabbage. After the last two winters, I would suggest you plan on building yourself some kind of cloche for winter protection. Simple PVC pipe and plastic is all you need to save your plants from a nasty arctic blast.

So keep your nose to the grindstone and enjoy the fruits of your labor. Stop by your favorite garden center and pick up a few more summer and fall blooming perennials to fill in those awkward spots. And by the end of this month it will be time to start thinking about planting tulips and daffodils again. OMG.

Steve Smith is owner of Sunnyside Nursery in Marysville and can be reached at (425) 334-2002 or online at [email protected].