A Gardener's To-Do List for August

     For many gardeners the month of August begins the last leg of the summer growing season.  Now that summer’s heat has passed for the most part, there are quite a few tasks that can be done to prolong this year’s flower and vegetable bounty.  There are also a number of things that can be done now to get a head start on next year growing season.  Here is a to-do list that will help you get ready for fall and even next spring:

• Seed fall crops of leaf lettuce, spinach, and other cold weather crops.
• Keep harvesting.  There’s always something to make with zucchini!
• Pick herbs for fresh use and for drying.  Harvesting will promote new growth.
• Order spring bulbs for planting and cold forcing (more on that to come in a later issue).
• Check to see how much of your mulch has decomposed and add more if needed.
• Spread a mid-season layer of compost.
• Keep deadheading!  Summer’s not over yet.
• Start collecting and saving seeds.
• Remove any diseased foliage from trees and shrubs so they don’t get lost in fall leaves.
• Take pictures of your garden and container combinations to help plan for next year.
• Make sure your cold frame is ready to go.
• Plant trees, shrubs, and perennials now so they can take root by winter.  Be sure to keep them well watered.
• Plant a spring crop of garlic.