Monthly Gardening Tasks - August

From seed plant petunias, larkspur, snapdragon, cockscomb, cosmos, gaillardia in a sunny, well drained area, working several inches of compost into the soil before planting. Keep the soil moist throughout the month.

Pinch off spent flowers from Crape Myrtles to encourage continued reblooming.

Pinch off caladium stalks and coleus.

Keep four o'clocks well watered.

DO NOT cut off the leaves from your gladiolus. It will hurt your next years' growth.

Fertilize your impatiens with a high phosphorus fertilizer.

Give your gardenias a heavy spraying from your water hose to prevent white fly. Make sure you get the under part of the leaves.

Stop watering your grape vines.

Vegetables

Last chance to plant lima bush beans, corn, southern peas, pumpkins, winter squash, beets, broccoli, and brussels sprouts.

If you are harvesting peppers, make sure you cut the pepper off the plant and not tear it off. If might damage the stem.

Trees

This is the last time to spray your pecan trees with zinc.

Anything oozing out of your peach tree might mean it has an infection.

Stop watering your fig trees.

Do not over water your Texas Sage, it likes drought conditions

Lawns

If you see any weeds in your lawn, try to pull them out. Do not cut your lawn short, the heat will damage it.

Do not seed Bermuda lawns after August.

You can still lay St. Augustine sod.

Water early in the day when the winds are down, and evaporation is low.