August in the Garden

​by Cathy Bylinowski, M.S. Horticulture, Horticulture Instructor, University of Missouri Extension- Jackson County, MO

     August looks like it will be hot. Even with challenging weather conditions, there are many important gardening activities we can do this month.

Outdoor Flowering Plants and Ornamentals

• Continue to keep newly planted trees and shrubs well-watered.
• Clean up fallen rose and peony leaves. They can harbor disease and insect pests over the winter if allowed to remain on the ground.
• Refresh mulch, check for weeds and water landscape beds.
• Take a break from the heat, sit in the shade, and take time to enjoy your landscape!
• Keep an eye out for spider mites on ornamentals. They love it hot and dry. Frequent, strong jets of water can help reduce mite populations.
• Avoid pruning shrubs and trees now. Pruning now will promote new growth that will not harden by winter which can lead to winter damage.
• Powdery mildew on lilacs, phlox and zinnias is unsightly, but causes no harm and rarely warrants control with fungicides.
• Start ordering spring flowering bulbs, but wait to plant them until fall.

Edible/Vegetable Gardening

• Water garden vegetables thoroughly in times of drought.
• Many herbs self-sow if the flowers are not removed. Dill, lemon balm, oregano, basil and cilantro seeds fall around the parent plant and come up as volunteers the following spring.
• A cover crop adds organic material when it is incorporated into the soil the following spring. Later this month, plant a winter cover crop to enrich your garden soil. Wheat, cereal rye and red clover are good choices. Plant no later than November 1st.
•  Many fall vegetables can be planted until late August or early September depending on the days to maturity for each crop. Vegetables for fall planting include lettuce, radishes, spinach and turnips. For planting dates, see MU Extension Guide G6201 Vegetable Planting Calendar https:// extension2.missouri.edu/g6201
• Compost plant materials from the garden as crops are harvested and prepared for cooking or preservation. For more information on composting, see MU Extension Guide G6956 Making and Using Compost https://extension2.missouri.edu/

Fruits Production

• To reduce the number of pests on your fruit trees for the coming year, pick up and discard spoiled fruit lying on the ground.
• Prop up branches of fruit trees that are threatening to break under the weight of a heavy crop.
• Harvest cantaloupes when the melons pull easily from the stem, watermelons when there is a hollow sound when thumped and the skin loses its shine, and honeydews when the blossom end is slightly soft or springy.
• Harvest early season apples when the under-color turns from green to red.

Turfgrass

• Fall seeding- Make plans for fall lawn renovation if needed.

• Purchase necessary grass seed and fertilizer.
• Have soil tested if you are unsure of basic fertility levels.
• Links for MU Publications on lawn care here- https://extension.missouri.edu/publications/g6700

(Information adapted from the Garden Spade newsletter- https://mailer.missouri.edu/p/42N5-3DV/garden-spade)

Have an abundance of zucchini this summer? Here’s a tasty way to use extra:

Chocolate Chip Zucchini Muffins
INGREDIENTS
2 cups whole wheat flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/4 cup oil (canola, olive, or vegetable)
1/4 cup nonfat milk
1 banana, mashed
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 cup zucchini, washed and shredded (about 1/2 large unpeeled zucchini)
1/4 cup chocolate chips

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a muffin tin.
2. Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon in a large mixing bowl.
3. Whisk together applesauce, oil, milk, banana, and sugar in a separate bowl.
4. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients. Stir until just moistened.
5. Stir in the zucchini and chocolate chips.
6. Divide the mixture between 12 muffin tins. Bake until a tester (knife or toothpick) comes out clean (about 18 minutes).
   
   
   ​(Recipe from Iowa State University Extension and Outreach Spend Smart. Eat Smart Program: https://spendsmart.extension.iastate.edu/recipe/chocolate-chip-and-zucchini-muffins/)
   

Contact Master Gardeners of Greater Kansas City Hotline for gardening help- 816-833-TREE (8733), [email protected]. (Please include your county, phone number and any pictures that would help us assist you with your email) You can contact Cathy, MU Extension Horticulture Instructor, [email protected], for more gardening information.