Monthly Diary August

Come Grow with us

August

In the Vegetable Garden:

Fall is the best time to grow a vegetable garden in Central Texas. The only problem is you have to get out there and work the garden when it is hot. But the reduced heat as your plants start to mature and provide fruits and vegetables is extra nice when you're out there picking 'em! Be sure to work some more compost and other good organic soil amendments into the soil before you plant. You can plant the following vegetables this month.

Plant at anytime during the month:
Peppers	Chard
Snap Beans	Cucumbers
Broccoli	Garlic
Cabbage	Kale
Carrots	Potatoes
Cauliflower	Shallots
Celery	Radishes

First Two Weeks of August:
Tomatoes (ASAP)	Lima Beans
Blackeye Peas	Okra (ASAP)
Cantaloupe (ASAP)	Summer Squash
Sweet Corn (ASAP)	Watermelon (ASAP)

Second Two Weeks of August:
Beets	Kohlrabi
Snap Beans	Head Lettuce
Chinese Cabbage	Leaf Lettuce
Collard Greens	Mustard Greens

Trees and Shrubs:

Fall is the best time to plant trees and shrubs. And we are almost there. With the recent rains, if you actually just had to plant a tree, this year would be the best in recent memory to go ahead and plant that tree. The soil has a high level of moisture, which will surely help the tree access water. But remember that anytime you plant a large plant with a large root ball, you still have to keep that root ball moist after you put it in the ground. Even though the soil around the root ball is wet, the newly planted tree does not have the roots established to reach out and get that water. Keep the root ball mulched and deep soak it as it needs the water. Two products that will stop the transplant shock and help the roots establish quicker are liquid seaweed and mycorrhizae fungus inoculant.
Liquid Seaweed: This product is a natural source of Vitamin B1, a natural rooting stimulator that will help your plants establish quicker. It also contains over sixty trace minerals. It comes as a concentrate that you mix with water and then use a soil drench after planting. For a five-gallon tree or shrub, pour three or four gallons of this solution around the root ball when planting.
Mycorrhizal Fungus: This is a new product on the market. This beneficial fungus is found in all healthy soils. It has a symbiotic relationship with plants. The roots of your plants release a gas from their roots that this fungus uses as its sustenance. In exchange for this, the fungus protects the plants roots from disease and insect attacks and also reaches out and brings water and nutrients back to the plant. You can now purchase this product to use when you plant most anything. It has to be applied in the root zone, so you mix it with the soil backfill when you plant. Even though it is found in healthy soils, by applying when you plant you will give your new plantings the immediate benefits of this wonderful soil amendment.

Perennials:

August is when you need the most protection from the heat for the life in the soil and to keep the soil cooler. Be sure to re-mulch those areas that are going bare or showing weeds.
With the recent rains in Central Texas, now would be a great time to fill in those beds with some new perennial plantings. Just pull the mulch back, stick your selection in the ground, cover with soil, work some Rabbit Hill Farms Buds and Blooms into the top of the soil, and give it a good soaking of seaweed. You might think about adding some fall blooming specimens such as Fall Aster, Mexican Mint Marigold, or even an ornamental grass or two.
The heat of this month can bring spider mites out. Use liquid seaweed to control these pests. Be sure to spray the top and bottom of the leaves.
Powdery Mildew can also be a problem. It is that white to gray looking powder that coats the tops of the leaves. Some crepe myrtles are prone to powdery mildew. Once it is started, you can't really get it to magically disappear, but you can arrest its development. We use aerobically activated compost tea to control not only powdery mildew but also black spot on roses. To learn how to make it yourself, see the article written by the master herself, Dr. Elaine Ingham from SoilFood Web, Inc. Or find it in our article archive.
Now is the time to give some of your overgrown perennials and even your antique roses a light pruning. By pruning back gently now, you will see a new flush of growth and flowering as we move into September and October. A light pruning would be considered a quarter to a third of the plant pruned back.
Now would also be a great time to foliar feed everything! Foliar feeding substitutes for top dressing. Try Neptune's Harvest Fish and Seaweed or the liquid Bioform. Be sure to spray in the cool of the day when the temperature is below 90°.
For those wanting to go the extra mile, work some Buds and Blooms into the soil around the plants. This product from Rabbit Hill Farms works wonderfully. It is phosphorus rich, just what your plants need to build their strength for strong fall flowering.

Miscellaneous:

Have a soil test done by the folks at Texas Plant and Soil Lab. They do a very complete test and recommend how to amend the soil organically with their analysis and interpretations. You can pick up a test sheet at the nursery or go to their website and download the form. If you need help with interpreting the test, bring it by the nursery and Steve will help you make sense of it.
Be sure your not over-watering your plants this time of year. The ideal soil has as much air as water in it. You can actually drown your plants with too much water. A good way to know how often you should water is to soak everything really well and then wait for the plants to show a slight wilt. Look for the tender new growth of your plants to wilt first. When they begin to show some droop, then it is time to water again. If you have your beds mulched, you may not have to water as much as you think you do.
You can still plant warm season annuals, but they will not be around for much longer. Look for warm season annuals to start playing out in late October. This is that time of the year when the stock at the nurseries are limited. The growers are out of warm season annuals, but it is too early for cool season annuals. If you can wait, the cool season annuals will be available soon!
For those native and perennial beds that you will not be changing much this fall, now is a good time to work some compost and other good organic soil amendments into the soil.
1. Go ahead and prune back the leggy perennials by a quarter to a third.
2. Rake the old mulch and leaves back, spread one inch of compost across the top of the soil.
3. Add one of Rabbit Hill Farms all-in-one fertilizers, such as Buds And Blooms, at the recommended rate.
4. Gently work the compost and fertilizer into the soil with a spade fork.
5. Drench the ground with a soil activator such as the Lady Bug Natural Brand's Terra Tonic.
6. Finish off with 2-4 inches of mulch to reduce the fall weeds.