What to plant now:
Now is a GREAT time to plant for fall! It may sound odd, but this is the time to plant your fall/winter veggies! We have a handy list of what to plant in August that you can reference when planning out a fall/winter garden. It’s also a great time for mid-summer pea planting! Check our nursery for seasonal veggies, herbs, perennials, and more. We have plenty of culinary herbs in the nursery for you to start planting an herb garden. Caring for herbs can be easy and very rewarding! Check out our info on Growing Healthy Herbs here.
Waterwise Tips:
• Use drip irrigation and water timers if possible.
• Soaker hoses water at the roots, conserving water by reducing evaporation
• Mulch around the base of plants to protect from heat and prevent water evaporation
• Water deeply and less often
• Tools like Ollas pots can be buried in garden beds next to plant roots, delivering a slow release of water right where it needs to go
• Rain barrels are an excellent way to collect rainwater during the wet months to then use in the garden when things get dry
• Avoid watering overhead in the heat to reduce water evaporation
• Water early in the morning before the heat of the day
Make a Pollinator Bowl:
The heat of the summer can be stressful for plants and animals alike. Our hardworking pollinators need to stay hydrated. Find a sturdy, shallow dish and place items like rocks and sticks or even decorative glass marbles inside. Fill it with water daily. The rocks and sticks will provide a place to land and a place to get out of the water so you they don’t drown. Not only does this help beneficial insects, but pollinator bowls can be a beautiful addition to your garden.
Maintenance:
Clean up plant debris and compost leaves and grass clippings. Properly dispose of any diseased plant materials. To maintain your June-bearing strawberries after the crop has been harvested, it is important to cut the foliage back to 2 inches above the crown and remove all the extra debris. This is called renovation, and it will help with next year’s yield as well as disease resistance. In mid to late July, trim off all but 2 to 3 runners from each mother plant. A helpful rule is to remove all runners that have not rooted by September 1. Fertilize with a balanced organic fertilizer like our Acid Mix 4-3-6 in late summer to encourage fall growth.
Pest Prevention:
Set out apple maggot traps to detect infestation. If pests are detected, treat with Surround Kaolin Clay. Prevent apple anthracnose by trimming cankered limbs from trees, being sure to sterilize your tools after every cut to prevent spreading infection.
Natural Lawn Care:
Plant a new lawn during the best seed germinating time of the year, which is generally August 15 thru September 15 for much of Oregon, and Mid-April through Mid-June as a second choice. For more information, check out how to plant and maintain a natural lawn here.
