Whether you've been harvesting all summer, or you're preparing for fall planting, there's a lot to manage in this transitional month.
As summer stretches, there is a lot going on inside and outside the garden. Transitional months like August can be hugely demanding on us mentally, emotionally, and logistically as we prepare for the return to the school year and all of the unknown challenges ahead. Fortunately, the garden can still provide us an opportunity to reset and resettle ourselves even as it adds to the list of demands on our plate.
Looking for wins in the late summer garden
Yes, the weeds have gotten tall (okay, alarmingly tall) and your plants may be showing signs of wear from the 90+ degree days, but there is more to see in the garden than it may seem at first.
Most people don't consider that the plants of the summer are extremely fast-growing annuals. Planted from seed, they've reached maturity and developed ripe fruits within a quick 100 days. This means that if you planted your garden in April, you're witnessing the final days of this growing cycle and that alone is worth a moment of appreciation. Stepping into the garden this month, give yourself a chance to pause and reflect on just how many things had to go right for these plants to produce: late spring rains gave the seeds an early boost, rich soil provided nutrients all season, pollinators meticulously visited each flower, you provided time and care to keep away weeds and manage pests. All of this work came together to provide the bountiful summer harvest that begins to take shape this month. Don't let the weeds distract you from everything else that actually went well in your garden this season. Look for your successes and what you might want to try differently next year. Those lessons will give you a boost come next spring when you're planning for your summer garden again.
Most people don't consider that the plants of the summer are extremely fast-growing annuals. Planted from seed, they've reached maturity and developed ripe fruits within a quick 100 days. This means that if you planted your garden in April, you're witnessing the final days of this growing cycle and that alone is worth a moment of appreciation.
Don't let a smaller harvest keep you down
This time of the season may also have you feeling defeated if your summer garden did not go as planned. Tiny, shriveled pumpkin vines, yellow unpollinated squash, dead flower stalks-- it can be very frustrating and disheartening to see things that didn't pan out. Everyone that has ever attempted to grow anything will tell you, this is part of the experience too.
Even the most successful gardeners will have this happen in their gardens. Give yourself time to process the emotions you're experiencing and then, when you're ready, look for lessons you can take away from this experience. Were there things that the garden can teach us here that will help us grow and find more success next time? What varieties worked? Did my watering schedule make sense? Where did things start to fall apart? Do I need a soil test? This is where your growth as a gardener really happens, not during the successful harvests but during the unsuccessful ones.
This is where your growth as a gardener really happens, not during the successful harvests, but during the unsuccessful ones.
Going on a Seed Hunt
One of the most rewarding things about late summer is that it's a great time to go seed hunting! If you've left your plants in the ground past harvest time, then right about now you'll be seeing lots of dry brown stalks rustling with full mature seed pods out in your garden. Collecting seed is immensely satisfying and is a great activity to do solo or with family. Children in particular absolutely love the sensory experience and the joy of discovering where seeds are hiding.
Plants you can harvest from this month include:
Sunflower
Blanket Flower
Calendula
Milkweed
Garlic
Lettuce
Cilantro
Basil
Marigolds
Celery
Oregano
Snap and Snow peas
Some tips for how to collect seed:
If you're new to collecting seed, here are a few tips for success:
Look for plants that have spent blooms, they will look dry and brown. If you pinch the buds between your fingers they should make a crackling sound and break apart. If the bud still is squishy then wait a few more weeks until it gets dry and stiff to harvest.
Sometimes you make the process easier by cutting off the whole head of the flower and then thrashing it into a bucket. This is a great way to harvest grain as well as sunflower seeds.
Get other people involved! It's one of the best activities to do with kids, friends, partners.
If you're foraging for seed, resist the temptation to collect more than you need. Consider for a moment that this is a natural space that relies on those seeds to be reintroduced each fall. And if possible, harvest small amounts from a few different plants instead of only from one plant. This will ensure you have some genetic diversity to your seeds and it'll allow the remaining seed pods to disperse evenly too.
After you've harvested seed, give them a little time to dry out completely before storing them long term. Spread them out flat on a tray for a couple of days and then store them away. This will reduce the chance of mold.
August Garden Tasks:
Now that you've collected seeds and reflected on this season's wins, it's time to plan for the fall garden! You may even find yourself swapping some of those under-performing peppers for some winter squash this month to give them a boost of summer sun. In addition to fall planning, you can even begin starting seed for most plants in the mustard family- broccoli, kale, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, as well as onions, beets, and carrots so that everything is ready to go in the ground come fall.
You may even find yourself swapping some of those under-performing peppers for some winter squash this month to give them a boost of summer sun.
If you are preparing gardens specifically for a school, now is the time to make sure tools are organized, cleaned, greased. Prioritize clearing walkways so students can easily maneuver through the space as they come back to campus and take stock of what's changed. Now is also a great time to go through your supplies and see what needs to be replaced: gloves? broken tools? leaky hose connections? spray nozzles? Even if the garden isn't looking beautiful right now, make sure you're set for students to begin hands on learning when they return.
Full August task list:
Harvest time for a lot of summer fruits and veggies: - Squash - Tomatoes - Cucumbers - Watermelon - Grapes - Eggplant - Peppers
Prepare for lots of canning, get supplies now before there's a rush and stores run out of lids, jars, or other preserving items you need. Maybe you need a food mill, maybe a new stock pot. Get your set up prepared so that you can harvest as needed
Start planning the fall garden! This is the perfect month to start mapping out what you'd like to see in your garden
Plant winter squash this time of year
Pull out any under-performing summer plants to make room for early fall plant starts
Plan for dry spells this month and extreme heat, get out into the garden early in the day or after dinner to avoid too much heat exposure
Start seeds for your fall vegetables: kale, broccoli, cauliflower, brussels sprouts, herbs, lettuce, celery
Seed harvesting! As mentioned earlier, get out there and collect all those dried flower heads
Weeding and pest management become a big challenge this month as plants are under heat stress. Be on high alert for disease and garden pests. Some pest damage and eggs to look out for right now: cabbage beetles, harlequin bugs, and stink bugs
If you manage a school garden: take stock of your tools and what needs to be replaced before school starts
Clear pathways of weeds to allow for easy access
Give your irrigation a thorough review, replace or repair nozzles and connections
Prune apricot trees- late summer is the ideal time to trim these trees to avoid potential diseases from winter rain
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