The Big Sandy Mountaineer -

Horticultural Tips for August

Below are some rules of thumb when tending vegetables, lawns, flowers and trees during the month of August.

• Renovate strawberries by mowing a minimum of every three years. Some people mow their strawberries every year following fruit production. Be sure to set the mower high enough to mow the leaves. Mowing too low may damage the crowns and kill the plant.

• Top-dress strawberries after harvest with a complete fertilizer like 16-16-16.

• Pinch the tops of indeterminate tomatoes and reduce watering to promote ripening.

• Pull dry bulb onions and dig garlic when the tops on 75% of the plants have fallen over.

• Cure dry bulb onions prior to storage.

• Harvest cabbage before the cabbage heads split.

• Gather and sow hollyhock seeds where desired.

• Transplant lilies after the foliage has died down.

• Turn the soil as soon as each crop is harvested.

• With intense heat, all garden plants, perennials and lawn will need 2.5 inches of water per week. Trees under three years old should be watered deeply. Soak top foot around the dripline every 10 days.

• The best time to seed a lawn is in mid-August to mid-September. Annual weeds do not have time to produce a crop of seed, and the grass has the entire fall and early spring to become established before the heat and stress of summer. Lightly rake and roll to incorporate the seed into the soil.

Don’t bury grass seeds more than ¼ inches. Hydro-mulch (wood fiber sprayed with water on to the lawn surface) is effective in holding moisture, reducing soil erosion and promoting germination.

Information for this article came from the MSU Extension Montana Gardener’s Book of days and the MSU Extension Montana Master Gardener Handbook.

Montana State University, U.S. Department of Agriculture and Montana Counties Cooperating. MSU Extension is an equal opportunity/affirmative action provider of educational outreach.