Tips for late summer garden care

Irrigation and pest control are top priorities now, and some plants may need cover from harsh sunlight. Following are top tips for August & September.

Maintenance

Fertilize cucumbers, summer squash, broccoli and strawberry beds to maintain production through harvest.

Monitor irrigation of crops and ornamentals to prevent dryout. Deep-water camellias.

Prune raspberries, boysenberries and other caneberries after harvest. Remove infested wood before adults emerge (approximately mid-August).

Plant now

Cover crops in vacant vegetable garden space. 

Plant winter kale, cauliflower, broccoli, spinach, Brussels sprouts, turnips, parsnips, parsley and Chinese cabbage.

Don’t bug me!

Practice preventive pest management rather than reactive pest control. Identify and monitor problems before acting, and opt for the least toxic approach. Conserve biological control agents such as predators and the parasitoids that feed on insect pests.

For mite control on ornamentals and most vegetables, hose off foliage, spray with approved miticide if necessary. Check leafy vegetables for caterpillars. Pick off caterpillars as they appear. Use Bt-k, if necessary.

Corn may need protection from earworm. Spray new silks with appropriate pesticides if necessary.

Lawns

Typically now through mid-September is optimal for establishing a new lawn, but in the event of a heat wave, wait until temperatures become more “normal” for best results.

In heat/drought conditions, water 0.25 inches 4-6x/week. Measure water using an empty tuna can. Stop irrigating after Labor Day to suppress European crane fly populations.

September

Protect tomatoes; pick green tomatoes and ripen indoors. Dig, clean and store tuberous begonias.

Divide peonies and iris.

Plant daffodils, tulips and crocus for spring bloom. Work calcium and phosphorus into the soil below the bulbs at planting time. Remember when purchasing bulbs, the size of the bulb is directly correlated to the size of the flower yet to come in spring.

Plant or transplant woody ornamentals and mature herbaceous perennials. Fall planting of trees, shrubs and perennials can encourage healthy root growth over the winter.

Tips courtesy Oregon State University Extension Service, which encourages sustainable gardening practices. Find more tips and resources at extension.oregonstate.edu.