If only we could get an inch of rain this dry month of August. The dust would settle and our shrubs and trees would perk up a bit. Since an inch of rain is not going to happen anytime soon, why not consider the following chores that can be done in the garden here on the North Coast. Grab the hose and get started.
WATER: Established landscape shrubs and trees often become water stressed by this time of year. Drooping leaves and early leaf drop are good indications that plants need some extra water. Maple trees, rhododendrons, dogwoods, roses and berries all suffer from lack of water this time of year. The best way to add extra water to stressed shrubs and trees is to place a small stationary sprinkler around the base of the plant and let the water run on low for about an hour once a week until rain begins later this fall.
PLANT MORE FOOD: Keep the food garden producing by sowing seeds of beets, carrots and greens. If you plant cole crops such as cabbage, broccoli and kale, cover starts with row cover to keep the white cabbage butterflies from laying eggs on foliage.
Now is a good time to plant an herb garden. Local nurseries have plenty of food plants in stock ready for planting. Get started now, and within six weeks you can be harvesting more fresh produce through late fall.
PLANT MORE FLOWERS: Take a trip to your local nursery and discover a wonderful variety of exciting flowers. Pansies, violas, marigolds, lobelia, rudbeckia and dahlias are among the many plants that will bloom from now through late fall. Summer-blooming salvias will definitely keep the hummingbirds happy. Coleus, begonias and hydrangeas are among the many flowers that will perk up shaded areas.
FEED: Keep summer-blooming plants healthy and vibrant until fall by giving a midsummer feeding now. Containerized plants, especially hanging baskets, all benefit from regular feedings with liquid fertilizer every week or so.
PREP FOR GARLIC: While garlic planting is a couple of months out yet, now is a good time to prep planting beds after cleaning out harvests from earlier crops of beans and squash. Garlic is a high-nitrogen feeder, so putting plenty of nitrogen type fertilizers into the soil is best. Alfalfa meal, blood meal and chicken manure are the top three materials that will produce big garlic harvests. I use all three.
Terry Kramer is the retired site manager for the Humboldt Botanical Garden and a trained horticulturist and journalist. She has been writing a garden column for the Times-Standard since 1982. She currently runs a gardening consulting business. Contact her at 707-834-2661 or terrykramer90@gmail.com.
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