August 31, 2023
The State Fair is going on. The nights are getting cooler even after the heatwaves we’ve had. Our gardens are producing, but we can say that the plants are changing. However, there is still a lot of gardening to do!
Harvest your own vegetables and fruits
Keep pulling out peppers, tomatoes, kale, herbs, cakes, squash, cherries, raspberries, strawberries, apples, pears, and whatever else you have left.
Think about how to keep your crop safe. We have a lot of information about her Preserve and prepare food safely.
When you have finished harvesting a crop such as beets, plant a late fall crop in place that takes short days to maturity such as baby pak choi, peas, spinach or radishes.
Get some guidance about Plant vegetables in mid-summer for the fall season.
Continue weeding
Weeds continue to grow into fall and can compete with flowers, trees and shrubs for valuable nutrients, light and water. They also host insects such as leafhoppers that can carry pathogens such as Aster whistles And infect your favorite asters.
Fall is the best time to take care of the garden
Rejuvenation, fertilization, and broadleaf control are covered in John Trapp’s Lawn Education Supplement Lawn Care Checklist for September. And check Minnesota lawn care calendar For other tasks you can do now.
Water trees and shrubs
Especially evergreen. We water faithfully during dry summers but may slow down a bit as the season comes to a close and we get busy with the start of school, the state fair, and end-of-summer fun.
Continue watering your plants to help them successfully enter the fall and winter seasons. This is especially important for evergreens because they hold on to their needles over the winter and dried evergreens can get winter burn resulting in brown needles.
be seen Watering established trees and shrubs And Watering newly planted trees and shrubs.
Stop pruning and fertilizing trees and shrubs
Pruning stimulates new growth where you make the cut. Fertilizing will also encourage the plant to produce new growth. This new growth will not harden off before the cold weather arrives and will die.
Deadhead perennials
Removing spent flowers from plants such as yarrow and bee balm can cause the flowers to flow again. Although it’s not as prolific as the initial bloom, it’s always nice to get that extra bit of color that also feeds pollinators late in the season.
Replace spent annuals with fall mums
Containers may be on the decline now. Replace annuals that have finished blooming with the classic fall flower – mums.
Ornamental cabbage is also attractive in containers and in areas of the garden where your annuals finish off the summer.
There is still time to plant
Visit your local garden center for deals on hardy perennials, trees and shrubs and get them into the ground right away. Planting of perennials can continue until early September. It is also possible to plant trees and shrubs.
Make sure to water these new plants daily (depending on the rain) and cover them with a mulch. sawdust It protects plant roots from damage, retains soil moisture, and moderates soil temperatures so your plants can gradually move into winter.