All this heat may be deterring you from working in the garden this month, but hopefully your flowers and vegetables are thriving.  August is a great time to take stock of your garden—what worked, what didn’t work—to help you plan for the fall and next season.  As always, continue to make sure your garden is free of weeds and getting plenty of water to withstand the summer heat.  Add some more compost to give your plants a boost going into the autumn. 

In the vegetable garden, you can start harvesting some of your potatoes and melons.  For melons, check for ripeness by looking at the stem – it should pull easily away from the fruit.  If you’re struggling to keep up with your zucchini, tomatoes, or anything else, be sure to share some with your friends and neighbors!  Fill in any empty spaces in your garden by planting some fall crops such as peas, spinach, radishes, etc.

In the flower garden, be sure to keep deadheading your plants (removing the spent/dying flowers) to help them bloom longer into the season.  Dig up, divide, and replant your irises and make sure to order some spring bulbs so you have them in time to plant this fall.  Prune and remove any dead branches on bushes and small trees while you can still distinguish them from the living branches.

Most of all enjoy the fruits of your labor this month and be sure to take lots of pictures of your garden in full bloom!

Summer is here!  In the high desert, where we don’t see a lot of rainfall, it’s essential to make sure your plants get enough water – at least 1″ a week, even more if it’s hot and dry (hello Nevada!).  You also want to make sure you are watering deeply, which will encourage the plants’ roots to grow deep as well.  As a test, you can dig down with a small spade 2-3″ near your plants to ensure the soil is moist and that the plant roots actually got wet.  For your potted plants, water them everyday, and possibly twice-a-day if it’s a real scorcher.

Your vegetable garden and annual flowers will need fertilizer again this month, as they produce a lot in one season of growth.  Be sure to harvest the produce as soon as it’s ready in order to prevent unwanted pests in your garden.  If you planted garlic last fall, it should be just about ready to harvest.  You might also be able to start harvesting some early potatoes – check them gently so as not to disturb the plants too much.  To extend your garden a little longer this season, be sure to plant your fall crops now (think broccoli raab, chard, lettuce, peas, spinach, etc).  Net your fruit trees and berry bushes to deter the birds from eating the ripe fruit before you can get to it.  Then, once you’ve harvested your berries, it’s a good time to give them some extra fertilizer.  Any later than this and the foliage will continue to grow into the Fall.

Continue deadheading your flowers to extend their life, and prune summer flowering shrubs as they fade to help them store more energy.  You might be tempted to plant some new flowers and shrubs, but hold off until the fall if you can.  The heat makes transplanting quite stressful for the plants.  If you do plant anything, be sure to do it in the early morning or evening while it’s cooler and water thoroughly.  Gardening maintenance is a never-ending cycle (don’t forget to pull those pesky weeds!), but you can really start to enjoy all the hard work you’ve put into your yard now, so cheers to that!