August 13, 2008  

Since it is mid-August, I expect that you have either been enjoying the fresh fruits and vegetables from your garden, or you've visited the farmers' market near you and have supplied yourself with their healthy and nutritious offerings. If you grow some produce at home and you have a surplus, remember to share it with those in need or donate some to a hunger center or food kitchen. It's such a good feeling helping feed others.  

If you've been bothered by cluster flies in the past, the next two weeks are the only two when you can outsmart these critters that want to spend the winter in a protected space such as inside of your house. A professional pesticide applicator might be consulted to spray outside vertical surfaces.  

Or, do it yourself by calking and tightening up any spaces that might offer entrance around windows and doors and attaching fine screening over soffit and attic vents, and other suspected areas of entry. The goal is to completely exclude them, and it can be done without chemicals, but the time is now. This works equally well for ladybird beetles, soon to seek the same kind of winter shelter.  

Now is the best time to go after noxious weeds like quack grass, poison ivy and Japanese knotweed. Cut them and spray with glyphosate based herbicides (KleenUp and Roundup are the brand names of two popular products). If you can't get to cutting them, spray at or close to flowering. White vinegar is a useful alternate herbicide. It might have to be repeated, but often the other products need to as well.

If the weeds to be removed and the ground are wet from rain, take care and cook them with a flame-thrower. This is an old tried and true weed control method used by organic farmers and growers. It, too, has to be repeated until the plant can no longer manufacture food and store it in its roots. Cutting and cutting again and again will also starve the roots over time. Control any and all weeds before they set seed.  

For you lawn lovers and enthusiasts, as well as lawn caretakers, continue to mow high and often. Late August thru September is the best time to renovate an old lawn or seed a new one. There is more uniform moisture and temperatures, and no weed seeds are germinating now. If you didn't fertilize this year yet, aim for Labor Day.  

If you're an avid vegetable gardener, you'll want to make a map of this year's garden so you can plan next year's rotation garden. Also, if you have some areas not in production, you'll want to plant them with cover crops. Oats, annual and perennial rye and hairy vetch are all excellent.  

Deadhead annuals to keep them blooming and even later blooming perennials, too. Garden lilies and lily of the valley, as well as other perennials that flower early in the spring and that are overcrowded can be divided and planted in new locations.  

It's okay to thin apple trees lightly to allow more light and air to the fruit. Cut out blackberry and raspberry canes that have fruited. Don't fertilize or prune any other trees or shrubs now. Do plan on planting new trees, shrubs and perennials this fall. Fall is the best time to do this.  

You can always weed, turn the compost, and mulch.  

Harvest onions 2 weeks after their tops fall over if dry. If it's wet, get them sooner. Cure them 10 days in well-ventilated shade.  

Continue to hill up soil around potatoes for better production.  

Beets, carrots and turnips sown by mid-month can be harvested after a hard frost for extra sweetness.  

Mentioned in an earlier column, collards, kale, spinach, Swiss chard, leaf lettuce, mustard, radishes, bok choy, and endive all germinate fast and like cooler temperatures. These are great for the fall garden.  

      "Gardening is a medicine that does not need a prescription ... And with no limit on dosage."
                - Author unknown

From The Garden of Ed. Submitted for publication in The Towne Crier on August 13, 2008

© 2008 Ed Mues. All Rights Reserved.

eMail:  eGarden@MountainAir.us