August

Foggy mornings pale
Seared from sight by blazing sun
Nectarine juice drips

Aside from watering, August may seem like the perfect time to take a break form the heat, but there are still plenty of things going on in your garden!

Nectarines in August (Kate Russell)

​Ants

While ants do help aerate the soil, they can also damage crops and spread disease. Fruit trees can be protected with sticky barriers. Boric acid bait traps can be an effective control method, just be sure the baits are placed where children and pets cannot reach them.

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Apples

​Now is the time to be on the lookout for codling moth larva. From the outside, an apple will have a small, scabby spot. If you cut (or bite) into the apple, you will see that this spot leads to a trail that heads toward the core. You can interrupt the codling moth lifecycle by collecting and removing any fallen fruit that would provide an overwintering haven. Unaffected apples can also be protected by bagging them or dusting them with kaolin clay.


Beetles

This is the time of year when Japanese beetles, dried fruit beetles, and June beetles are the easiest to see (and eliminate). Japanese beetles will skeletonize many plants. These pests tend to cling to their favorite foods and are easy to knock into cans of soapy water. [When I lived in Virginia, I used to pay the neighborhood children a nickel for every June bug they eliminated - it was very effective and the kids had fun and earned some money!] June bugs are clumsy fliers and easy to slap down with a net. Most beetles can be fed to chickens. Dried fruit beetles and June bugs do not bite or sting and dogs can be trained to chase and kill them before they lay eggs in the soil. These eggs will later hatch and the larval grubs will devour lawn, ornamental, and other plant roots.


Citrus

Just as in April and June, oranges and other mature citrus trees should be fed one-half pound of nitrogen in August. Blood meal is an excellent source of nitrogen, without all the fillers. Ammonium sulfate is another good source of nitrogen.


Harvest

This is the time of year when all that hard work and patience really pay off. Keep plants healthy and enjoy the fruits of your labor by harvesting frequently. This reduces the number of places where pests and diseases can hide. This also prevents many plants from going to seed and ending fruit production. When harvesting tree fruit, be sure to keep a look out for mummified fruit. Remove mummies and dispose of them in the trash, not the compost pile.


Lavender

This drought tolerant shrub is a great way to attract pollinators. After it has bloomed, cut lavender plants back, close to the ground. This will prevent plants from becoming too leggy and it stimulates more flower development.


Lawn Care

If you have a lawn and it has not turned completely brown, allow it to grow longer than you would in cooler months. Taller grass protects and shades the soil and helps retain moisture. You can even let it go to seed and save money on lawn seed in the autumn! Be on the lookout for masked chafers and southern chinch bugs.

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Mites

This has been a particularly bad year for mites in my garden. Mite infestations often look like nothing more than light webbing around leaves and stems. This webbing is followed by leaf stippling, chlorosis, and leaf drop. Water-stressed plants are more susceptible, as are dusty plants. Mites are related to spiders. Adults have eight legs, but the young only have six. Spraying pesticides often backfires because mite predators, such as lacewings and pirate bugs, are killed. Often, you can use a soft-bristled brush to dislodge these pests. 


Moles and voles

Underground ridges in your lawn often mean you have moles. Moles eat insects and worms, but their tunneling can damage roots and redirect irrigation water away from your plants. Voles will devour root systems. In both cases, trapping is your best control method.


Rain barrels

By August, most rain barrels have run dry, making this the perfect time to clean out any debris in the remaining gray water, along with any mosquito larvae. West Nile Virus, Zika Virus, and many other diseases are transmitted by mosquitoes, so it is important to regularly eliminate any standing water. Mosquito dunks should be added to any standing water every 30 days.


Stink bugs

Green or brown shield-shaped stink bugs eat seeds, grain, fruit, vegetables, ornamental plants, legumes, weeds and tree leaves. They can also transmit tomato bacterial spot with piercing mouthparts. There are hundreds of different stink bug species, the most commonly seen in California are bagrada bugs, brown marmorated stink bugs, rough stink bugs, harlequin bugs, and uhler’s stink bugs. You may see white or yellow eggs on tomatoes, or tight rows of tiny grayish eggs on netting. Unfortunately, insecticides are ineffective against stink bugs. Frequent inspections and hand picking are your best control methods. If put in place early enough, row covers can prevent stink bugs from reaching your crops.


Sunburn

Leaf cover is a plant’s equivalent to sunscreen. Insufficient leave cover and/or irrigation can make plants susceptible to sunburn, or, more technically, sunscald. Tomatoes and peppers are especially vulnerable to sunscald. Rather than turning red and peeling, the way we do, the side of fruit exposed to too much sun will look bleached and brown and leathery. Insufficient nitrogen is a common cause for too few leaves, but you can provide shade cloth in extreme situations. Just make sure the plants still get the sunlight they need to grow and thrive.


Tree care

Hot weather means trees need more water. Trees planted in a lawn that is being watered regularly will still need a deep watering 2 or 3 times during the summer, or more, depending on the weather. Solitary mature fruit and nut trees will need a deep watering every 3 - 4 weeks, while younger trees will need to be watered every 2 weeks. Ideally, there is an irrigation ring around each tree at the drip line. This is also a good time to check the sticky barriers and whitewashing on fruit and nut trees, feed citrus trees,  and prune apricot and cherry trees. Unlike other trees, which are pruned when they are dormant, apricot and cherry trees are best pruned in summer. This is because they are susceptible to a fungus called Eutypa dieback, which can infect trees if rain reaches fresh pruning cuts.

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Winter crops

August is an excellent time to start seeds for California's winter crops. Spinach, beets, lettuce, arugula, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cilantro, bush beans, fava beans, leeks, radishes, and peas can all be started in small containers for transplanting after summer crops are done. This gives you a head start on the cooler growing season, just be sure to keep the soil moist. A thin layer of vermiculite can help retain moisture in those pots.


​Remember that your plants are not the only things that need extra hydration and sun protection in summer! You do, too! Be sure to drink lots of water, slather on the sunscreen, and wear that hat!