August Planting and Sowing Tips and Around the Garden.

Dear Folks,

If you are new to gardening here in the desert southwest, gardening in August must feel like "what?" are you thinking.

[Pictured: Spaghetti Squash fruit has doubled in size from July 6th when I first spotted it.]

Bear with me here as I explain how seeds react to our temperatures.  From approximately May 29th to September 29th, the day time temperatures are in the high 90s to 110+ range and they do not fall back to below 90 for continuous days until the end of September. Sure we can get a 100 degree day in October, but the "cooling" trend starts near the end of August when the typical monsoonal rains start to ebb and with it the higher consistent temperatures.  What all of that means, is near the end of August the soil is cooling.

We have two main growing seasons for starting seed:  End of Summer/Fall and end of Winter/Spring.  We can of course grow things year round here, but the starting of the individual varieties is most successful if you pay attention to what I call, the plant feet (roots) liking cool or cooling soil, or warm or warming soil.

So, for the fall/winter garden we look at plants like root crops, lettuces and other greens, herbs like dill, cilantro, chervil and parsley.

I will be sort of repeating some of the above in the tips below the sowing guide, I just want to help you have the most success in your garden.

I have had great success in literally sowing seeds of cilantro, etc. at the beginning of August, ensured the seed area stayed moist (at least sprinkling each evening), and the plants emerged on or about September 1st.  Why bother, you think?  Because, direct sown seeds are generally stronger.  The germination rate will not be as great compared to starting in jiffy pellets or similar (I do that for starting tomatoes etc. in December for transplanting out February 1st), but the resulting plants are overall stronger, and we always have volunteer aka self-sown tomatoes pop up in different areas of the garden, thank you!

If you have noticed plants in your garden which self-seeded, they will usually be stronger and healthier - presuming they are in the right spot for their sun needs.

[Pictured:  My celery patch - is over 4+ wide.  This self-seeded LAST fall and took off, and I let it. I have been harvesting celery since late Oct/Nov.  I use a lot of celery and no I won't be able to use all of this, so a lot of it will be cut-and-drop mulch for beds.  The point is I took this picture as I write this blog - July 16, 2020.   Most of the plants are about 14 inches+ tall.  When I want celery I come out and get the best!]

AUGUST PLANTING:

Large selection of seed-only (sowing) planting.

Anise
Beans, Snap (bush and pole)
Bok Choy
Broccoli
Brussels Sprouts
Cabbage
Caraway
Carrots
Cauliflower
Chervil
Cilantro
Corn       
Cucumbers
Dill
Fennel
Greens, all
Kale
Kohlrabi
Lettuce
Mustard
Onions, Green
Parsley
Pumpkin
Purslane
Squash, Winter


EDIBLE FLOWERS TO PLANT:

Marigolds, including Tangerine Scented (Tagetes Lemonii), Citrus Scented (Tagetes Nelsonii)
Nasturtium
Portulaca (Moss Rose)
Stock
Sweet Alyssum

GARDEN TIPS for August
    The new-to-desert gardener may be asking how can anyone plant in August, with 105+ temps.  Well consider:  If you want pumpkins for Halloween, you have to count back 90-120 days for seeding in.  These seeds will germinate in the 'cooling' soil.
    Cool weather annuals and biennials can be sown every 2-4 weeks (beginning in August) through end of January for a continuous crop through next spring.
    With food plants such as pumpkin and corn and their long growing season requirements, a one-time planting is sufficient.  AND, give the pumpkins room!
    With corn, plant in 'blocks' not 'rows' space the individual seeds approximately 6 inches apart imagining a 12 inch square, then the next square etc. you will have rows in a sense, but not the typical farmers rows.  The reason for this is pollination - the anthers of the corn knock together better with the closer planting and therefore you get more corn.
    PLANT ONLY one variety of corn a season - otherwise they may cross.  Save one or two cobs, allowed to dry on the stalks at the end of the season for, replanting next corn season
    Heavy pre-fall seed planting begins now (corn, pumpkin, etc.).
    Higher humidity can reduce moisture loss to plants, reducing watering frequency, but check with water meter regularly.
    Hold off on any major TRANSPLANTING until the fall when the temperatures drop back to prime planting weather.  Typically we do not see below 90 temps between May 29th and September 29th (other than a storm but the temp drop is short-lived).
    Chlorosis may appear particularly in the fruit trees.  This yellowing of the leaves, leaving the leaf vein showing through bright green is the result of the iron in the soil being made unavailable to the plant due to excess water in the soil which causes the iron to bind to other minerals.
    Easily treated with an application of ironite or green sand before watering.  These elements do not burn the plants and can be used as needed throught the season.  The yellowing of the leaves usually resolves within 1 to 2 weeks of the application.  Use only ironite or green sand and not a fertilizer containing it as you could overfertilize and THEN burn the plants.
    Although this is a result of a lot of water in the soil it does not necessarily mean you are overwatering, only that the additional water required due to the high heat of the season is causing the situation.  It sometimes also occurs in the winter time when the cold soil causes the same thing to happen.

HOWEVER - you CAN over water during the Summer Monsoons.  Use your moisture meter to check soil moisture after heavy rains.  You may be able to skip the next watering cycle if it is within 2 days of the rain.

SUNBURN damage:  Like frost damage - do not prune until danger of sunburn is over - the damaged plant protects the lower growth.

TOMATO "RESTART" TIP
    Tomato plants that have continued through the summer will start setting fruit again as soon as the night time temperatures drop below 80 again. Towards the end of August to September prepare for new flowering times by pruning back about 1/3 to ½ of plant, do this gradually over several days, to give the protected lower growth time to adjust to the higher light levels.

TIME to watch for aphids and other pests that start to flock back as the night time temps dip down at the end of August.
    They like the cooling weather as we do!  The squash family (pumpkin) is particularly vulnerable so keep your safe soap spray handy (1 quart of water, 1 teaspoon each of vegetable oil and dawn dish detergent)  Shake spray, shake spray undersides and tops of leaves every 5 days as needed.  Do this in the evening so the spray does not sunburn the plants.
    With the cabbage family another food plant favored by the bugs, pour a quarter cup of light soapy solution right down the center stalk once a week (1 quart of water and a finger tip of dawn dish detergent)  Grandma would dump the used dish pan water down the plants to do the same thing.

National Farmers Market Week is August 2nd - 8th.   You can find wonderful local produce and more. And some of them will have an option for YOU to sell extra from your gardens.  Check with market managers about that.

Some fun things in the garden now:

I noticed the banana flower just starting June 24th.  This is what it looks like 2 days ago.  This is a LONG flower stalk, beginning on the right of the picture and you can just barely see more "hands" of fruit beginning on the left.  If the bees keep up with it that could be a huge (please!!) set of hands of banana fruit.  This is the only variety I grow, Ice Cream Banana, aka  Blue Java.  I am really lucky this time as the plant put out the flower at the perfect time.  In the last couple of years the flower and fruit emerged to late and were mostly killed back by frost, as it takes about 4 months from flower emerging to ripe fruit.  So I am looking forward to fruit in October.  Did I mention the fruit is amazing!! Small but so creamy with a hint of vanilla flavor.  Eaten fresh - wonderful and I make the most amazing real banana pudding. :-)

I have several critter sculptures in the garden.  This one is the most recent.  "Sunny" the sunflower with a visiting silk butterfly.

I put 'her' where we can see her - when not covered by nasturtiums in the winter - from our kitchen table.

My Turmeric is getting huge.  This picture was taken about a week ago and it is already at least twice the size and I need to trim back the grapefruit branch that is in the way :-)  As big as these leaves are this year, I am hoping for good size rhizomes in late fall.  I harvest after the leaves decline. 

I hope you are finding your garden a source of comfort and peace at this really stressful time.

Take care of yourselves and each other, be kind, be patience and be generous.


-- Catherine, The Herb Lady

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