VEGETABLES

• This is peak harvesting month many warm season vegetables - know when to harvest for best flavor and quality:
  • Tomatoes, Peppers, Eggplant: Harvest regularly to encourage continued production.
  • Corn: Harvest when silks are brown and kernels are plump.
  • Beans (Bush & Pole): Pick frequently to keep plants producing.
  • Cucumbers & Squash: Harvest young and tender for best flavor. Check daily as they grow quickly.
  • Melons: Harvest when the tendril opposite the melon stem turns brown and dry, and the melon has a pleasant aroma.
  • Okra: Pick pods when young and tender, usually 2-4 inches long.
• Tomatoes not ripening? Be patient. Best temperature range for ripening is 70 - 75 degrees. Heat in the 85 - 90 degree range will slow down the ripening process.
• Combination of heat and humidity make conditions right for diseases to show up strong in the garden. Avoid overhead watering to reduce fungal diseases.Avoid working in the garden when the plants are wet. If treating,  continue fungicide treatments to prevent disease development. If blight appears, remove plants immediately to protect remaining plants.

• Start planting fall vegetables anytime in August. Look for starts of cool season crops like cabbage, broccoli and cauliflower at tailgates and in garden centers.
• Sow seeds for lettuce, kale, spinach, turnips and beets. Keep seedbeds consistently moist as seedlings emerge.

ORNAMENTALS

• Stay on top of weeds and remove them before they go to seed.
• Reinforce supports on tall varieties of Dahlias and remove lateral flower buds to increase size of the one remaining flower.
• Monitor trees or shrubs planted last year and provide a deep watering once a week. Even with periodic rains, water may not reach the root zone. When in doubt check it out and water if needed.
• Deadhead garden perennials by removing faded flowers and dying stems to improve the appearance and possibly encourage a second bloom.
• Container gardens may need some late summer TLC and could benefit from grooming and a dose of liquid fertilizer.
• Now is NOT the time to fertilize shrubs and trees as they slow down growth and move towards fall leaf drop and winter dormancy. One exception is fall or reblooming roses where a quick release fertilizer can provide a late season boost.
• Also HOLD OFF on major pruning of shrubs and trees until after frost or late winter. Pruning now stimulates tender new growth that can be killed by the first hard frost, especially evergreens like hollies and boxwoods.

FRUIT

• Consistent watering is critical for development of tree and small fruit types, especially during dry periods. Lack of water can lead to small, poor-quality fruit or fruit drop.
• When to harvest fruit:
  • Apples: Early varieties will begin to ripen. Check for ripeness by gently twisting the fruit.
  • Grapes: Taste test for sweetness.
  • Blackberries/Raspberries: Continue to harvest floricane (second-year cane) fruiting varieties. Primocane (first-year cane) fruiting varieties will be setting fruit for a fall harvest.
• Continue fungicide treatments on tree fruits. Follow label directions for the amount of time between the last application of a pesticide and the harvest of a crop - also known as "pre harvest intervals".
• Watch for peach tree borers on peach, cherry and plum trees.

LAWNS

• During periods of dry weather avoid adding stress to the lawn, skip a mowing cycle or at least raise the mowing deck to its highest level.
• Wait to seed and fertilize cool-season fescue or bluegrass lawns until the very end of August. Cool-season grasses won't respond when the weather is hot and dry.
• Now is a good time to examine turf for the presence of white grubs. With a heavy duty knife or a spade, cut a 1 square-foot flap of sod and roll it back. Examine the soil and roots in the top 3 to 4 inches. Repeat this process in several locations. If you find an average of five or more grubs per square foot, treatment may be justified.