Northern Plains August Garden To-Do List

Support your plants . Top - heavy plant such as delphinium ( Delphiniumspp . and cvs . , Zones 3–8 ) , Dahlia pinnata ( Dahliaspp . and cvs . , Zones 8–11 ) , and lilies ( Liliumspp . and cvs . , Zones 4–9 ) will do good from additional support to keep them erect in heavy wind and sporadic summertime storms . This can be accomplish with many techniques , from chip sticks and twine to more formal stands and ring .

Divide perennials . Summer does not seem like the idealistic time to divide perennial , but there are several that can be divided in August , such as Siberian fleur-de-lis ( Iris siberica , Zones 2–9 ) , bleed heart ( Dicentraspp . and cvs . , Zones 3–9 ) , bloodroot ( Sanguinaria canadensis , Zones 3–8 ) , and Oriental poppy ( Papaver orientale , Zones 3–9 ) , to name a few . Just be sure to irrigate the section well into evenfall to guarantee they get established before wintertime arrives and the ground freezes . Learn perennials here .

Monitor for diseases and pests . The estrus and humidity of August can be the staring surround for diseases such aspowdery mildewto get established and take off . Routinely monitor your plants for sign and symptoms of disease , and promptly remedy or remove pathological leaves and plant life from your garden , as fall or compost plant stuff can harbor the disease and continue the wheel . Watch forunwanted insectsas well , as many will be fighting this month .

Keep harvesting your vegetable . If you are like me , eventually you take up to come behind on harvesting edibles such as light-green beans , peas , cucumbers , and courgette , which result in overly mature or outsize green groceries and a decline in additional growth . Keep up the harvest to further production throughout the season . If you ca n’t use all the produce yourself , give some to your neighbors . Learn when and how best toharvest your yield and vegetables here .

Make certain newfangled additions delay well watered . The heart of summertime is here , and pelting are becoming less frequent while scorching days become more common . Hopefully by now , any new planted items have gotten a probability to get established to facilitate them withstand those wry periods , but during extreme dryness , it is still crucial to render adequate moisture . It only takes missing one or two key waterings to ruin new investments in your garden , so bear attention to what your plants are telling you and water , water system , water !

Begin to reap seed . Collecting and saving seed is a great room to turn more of the plants you love . The progeny may see like the parent or even have a completely dissimilar facial expression , which makes it exciting as well . Using your pruning hook or a pair of incisive scissors , crop off the seedpod or cum capitulum ( similar to deadheading ) , and localize it in a newspaper udder . ( Plastic bag can trap moisture and result in mould . ) Harvesting should take plaza after a flow of dry weather , and the come should be hive away in a cool ( 40 ° F ideally ) and dingy lieu until it is time to embed them next year .

— Chris Schlenker is the brain gardener of McCrory Gardens at South Dakota State University in Brookings , South Dakota .

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