August Weather Statistics
Average
daily high: 86 degrees
Average daily low: 64 degrees
Average rainfall: 4.17 inches
• August brings heat and humidity and as a consequence,
things may not be looking too great in your yard and
garden. Insects and diseases take their toll over the
course of the summer. Much of this burned-out look may be
attributed to the time of year and can be addressed with a
little judicious pruning. However, if you feel the use of
pesticide is warranted, please contact the Cooperative
Extension Service at (336) 570-6740 for proper
identification of the pest and help in selecting the best
product to use.
• Take stock of your lawn this month. If weeds and weedy
grass make up more than half of the “green” in your lawn, a
complete lawn renovation may be in order. Renovation of
fescue lawns begins now with an application of Round Up or
the equivalent to kill Bermuda grass and other pesky weeds.
A second application may be needed in two weeks to ensure a
thorough job.
• Feed basil with a liquid fertilizer to keep it productive
into fall. If you cut off the seed heads, the plant will
put more energy into producing flavorful foliage.
• Your fall vegetable garden starts this month. Before Aug.
15, plant cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, brussels sprouts,
spinach, cucumbers, leaf lettuce and kohlrabi. From Aug. 15
to Aug. 30, plant kale, turnips, mustard, head lettuce and
radishes. Set out garlic cloves for harvest early next
summer.
• Collect soil samples from lawn and garden and take them
to the Cooperative Extension for analysis. This service is
still free and the turnaround time is relatively short this
time of year.
• Continue pinching back annual flowers to encourage new
bloom right up until frost. Stop fertilizing roses by the
end of the month.
• Treat for turf pests now, if needed. Cut a 12-inch square
of turf and peel it back. If there are fewer than six white
grubs visible in the exposed dirt, put the turf back and
forget about it. If you see six or more grubs, you may need
to treat the lawn.
• Try not to disturb the soil in flower beds during hot,
dry August days. Loosening the soil through cultivation can
damage surface roots and increase water loss. Instead,
inspect mulch and replenish where needed; two to three
inches between the plants is preferable, but only half an
inch will be needed around the base of each plant.
• Avoid overhead watering of plants to slow the spread of
disease. It is best to water in the early morning to allow
foliage, fruit and flowers to dry out before evening. Early
morning watering discourages slugs, too. Dry surface soil
slows down their nocturnal activities.
• Fall webworms and azalea caterpillars are beginning to
make their presence known. Handpick what you can reach.
Break open webs to expose the worms to the birds and the
elements.
• Take stock of your lawn this month. If the “green” is
more than half weeds and weedy grasses, a complete lawn
renovation may be in order. Renovation of fescue lawns
begins now with an application of Round Up or the
equivalent to kill out Bermuda grass and other pesky weeds.
A second application may be needed in two weeks to ensure a
thorough job.
• August is an excellent month to have your soil tested.
The test is free and turnaround time is short this time of
year. Call the Cooperative Extension Office for
instructions and materials at 570-6740.
• Cut back okra up to 50% or to within four inches of the
ground to rejuvenate and improve the quality of your
harvest.
• Get pumpkins up off the soil to prevent rot. Simply slip
a shingle or other thin board under the ripening fruit.
Winter squash, including pumpkins, are ready to harvest
when the rind is hard and cannot be punctured with your
thumbnail.
• Get to work on that fall vegetable garden. Before the
15th, plant cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, Brussels
sprouts, spinach, cucumbers, leaf lettuce and kohlrabi.
Between the 15th and the 30th, plant kale, turnips,
mustard, head lettuce and radishes. Set out garlic cloves
for harvest early next summer.
• Continue pinching back annual flowers to encourage new
bloom right up until frost. Stop fertilizing roses by the
end of the month.
• Treat for turf pests now, if needed. Cut a 12-inch square
of turf and peel it back. If there are fewer than six white
grubs visible in the exposed dirt, put the turf back and
forget about it. Six or more and you may need to treat the
lawn.
• Always read and follow the label directions when using
pesticides. Much of that fine print is in place to ensure
that the desired result is achieved with minimal collateral
damage. When in doubt, call the Cooperative Extension
Office for help.
• Avoid overhead watering of plants to slow the spread of
disease. Water in the early morning to allow foliage, fruit
and flowers to dry out before evening. Early-morning
watering discourages slugs, too. Dry surface soil hampers
their night moves.
• Fall webworms and azalea caterpillars are beginning to
make their presence known. Hand pick what you can reach.
Break open webs to expose the worms to the birds and the
elements.
• Collect soil to be dropped off at the Extension office
for analysis.
• Plant cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, Brussels sprouts,
spinach, cucumbers, leaf lettuce, and kohlrabi the first
half of the month. Between the 15th and 30th, plant kale,
turnips, mustard, head lettuce, and radishes.
• Cut back okra up to 50 percent or to within 4 inches of
the ground to rejuvenate and improve the quality of your
harvest.
• Set out cloves of garlic for harvest early next summer.
• For fall gardens, determine planting dates by counting
backwards from our average date of first frost, Oct. 15.
Use the Òdays to harvestÓ information from the vegetable
seed packet.
• Check for and treat grub worms, mole crickets, and/or sod
webworms.
• Defoliating pests will be hard at work. Hand pick these
off, hose them off, or spray with appropriate pesticide.
• Continue to pinch back annual flowers. Stop fertilizing
roses by the end of the month.
• Kill out Bermudagrass with Roundup to prepare for fall
seeding of cool-season lawns. Three applications will be
needed at two-week intervals to ensure a thorough job.
• Water early in the morning to discourage
slugs.
