GARDENING TIPS FOR AUGUST
 

Jobs for August are basically a continuation of what needs to be done in July.

■ Enjoy your perfumed roses while you are outside.

■ The roses may start to look tattered and bad from attack by the Japanese beetles and the black spot fungus disease. But you want to refrain from spraying because if you are going to nuzzle close to smell the blossoms, you do not want to be in contact with pesticides. Practice other methods of control.

■ It is too late to control the beetles now, other to manually vacuum them up or pick them off the rose bush.

■ Another method is to put a protective netting over the shrub at dusk when the beetles come out to feed.

■The only good method of controlling the beetles is to kill them during the larval stage in the soil before they emerge in the spring.

■ The most effective way of controlling black spot disease is practice sanitation in the fall.

■ Remove all fallen leaves and canes and dispose in the trash or burn them.

■ The disease fungus relies on getting  through the harsh winter months by producing resistant spores embedded in the infected leaves and canes. By diligently removing these, the weakest  link in their life cycle is broken. Then the disease will be less of a problem the following year.

■ As usual, be watchful for insect infestations esp. spider mites, mealy bugs and thrips. These are tiny insects and can easily escape detection if you do not examine closely.

■ It is still not too late to fertilize your lawn, woody shrubs and trees. Those of you living in northern climes where the growing season ends in early September, this will be the last time you should fertilize. This gives time for the succulent tissues to harden off before winter sets in.

■ If you had staggered your vegetable plantings, you should enjoy a continuous harvest throughout the growing season. Otherwise, you will have a big one-time harvest and you will be feeding the whole neighborhood - which is a good thing.

■ Give your fall vegetables a good head start by starting them early, then set them out in the ground for a bountiful harvest before winter kill.

■ If you are interested in producing a huge-sized pumpkin, pinch back to one or two blossoms on the vine. The same principle applies for other vegetables with multiple blossoms such as squash, peppers and tomatoes.

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