August Gardening In Soperton

Written By Soperton's "Gardening Guru"

August Gardening 

Whoever coined the phrase, "the lazy days of summer," could not have had  Soperton gardeners in mind!  With a little added watering, our gardens are flourishing and need our vigilance every day, even in this heat. 

I may be losing the battle with the deer and my roses, but I'm still hopeful for a few fall blooms anyway.  Continue to cut the faded booms from roses to prevent the plant from producing hips, which are the fruit of the rose containing the seeds, and remove any hips that have already formed.  Doing so will allow the plant to expend its energy in producing new flowers rather than seeds.  Fertilize roses about the end of the month or early in September.  Trim back any rangy shoots, but be sparing with the pruning shears at this time. 

Butterflies are welcome guests to Soperton gardens, expecially this month.  You can attract these tiny jewels of the air by planting flowers like lantana and buddleia.  Plant plenty of parsley and fennel as food for monarch caterpillars.  You can also fill a shallow container with fresh water and place it in the shade as a source of water for the colorful visitors. 

Do not continue pinching chrysanthemums or you will remove the flowerbuds which begin setting in late summer and early fall.  Chrysanthemums will begin to flower about eight weeks after their final pinching.  If your garden mums have grown tall, you can cut them back.  Pruning will cause the plants to branch close to the ground which will eliminate tall and leggy growth; however, you may sacrifice a few blooms. 

Good garden maintenance is important at this time of the year.  A regular spraying and dusting schedule should be followed especially with roses, in which good results depend upon repeated preventive measures.  Keep a sharp watch for the first sign of attack by pests and diseases on other plants that may need only occasional attention from the sprayer or duster.  Here is a receipe for making your own insecticide.  Mix one tablespoon liquid soap and one cup vegetable oil in a large container.  Add two tablespoons of the mix to a gallon of water and spray away. 

If your bedding plants are beginning to fade, remove them and reseed the area with petunias, marigolds and zinnias to provide your beds with color this fall.  Seeds of many perennials give satisfaction if sown towards the middle of the month.  Kinds to sow include columbines, gaillardias, shasta daisies, hollyhocks, and veronicas.  These seeds should be kept uniformly moist. 

Give your shrubs a final light pruning in early August.  This will allow new growth to emerge and mature sufficiently before cold weather arrives.  (Remember.  An exception to this is spring-blooming shrubs like azaleas.) 

The crepe myrtles have been glorious this year.  To encourage late summer bloom, cut the seed pods as soon as they form. 

Coleus have also been a top performer in gardens this summer.  There are many new varieties from which to choose.  When you need a cut bouquet in the house, try trimming coleus and placing the stems in a container of water.  As an added bonus, they will easily root from these cuttings. 

One parting reminder:  at regular intervals during dry weather, do not fail to water thoroughly azaleas and camellias.  These are staples in the southern garden and will reward you with bloom later if nurtured now. 

Gardens are meant to be lived in, so enjoy yours! 

See you outside.