Your August Garden Checklist: What to Do Before Fall Arrives
August can be one of the most challenging months in the garden. The heat is still hanging around, summer plants may be looking a little tired, and it can be tempting to put the garden on autopilot until cooler weather arrives. But August is actually an important month for gardeners! A little attention now will help your landscape stay healthy through the end of summer and set you up for a beautiful fall.
Whether you have a large landscape, a few containers on the porch, or a backyard vegetable garden, here’s your August garden checklist to help you make the most of the month.
1. Check Your Watering
Watering is one of the most important jobs in August. High temperatures, humidity, and periods without rain can quickly stress plants.
Take a walk through your garden and check the soil before watering. When you do water, aim for a deep, thorough watering rather than a quick sprinkle. Morning is generally the best time to water because plants have time to absorb moisture before the heat of the day.
Pay special attention to newly planted trees and shrubs, perennials planted this summer, container plants, hanging baskets, vegetable gardens, and any plants showing signs of heat stress. Containers can dry out much faster than plants growing in the ground, so be sure to check them frequently, especially during periods of high heat or when rainfall has been limited.
2. Look for Heat Stress
Not every plant that looks unhappy in August has a pest or disease problem. Heat, drought, and intense summer conditions can cause leaves to wilt, curl, brown, or drop.
Before reaching for a treatment, take a closer look at the plant and consider its growing conditions. Is the soil dry? Has the plant been receiving enough water? Is it getting more afternoon sun than it prefers?
Some plants may simply need a little extra water and time to recover once temperatures moderate.
3. Scout for Pests
August is also a good time to inspect your plants for insects. Walk through your landscape regularly and check both the tops and undersides of leaves.
Look for:
- Chewed or skeletonized leaves
- Sticky residue on foliage
- Webbing
- Discolored or stippled leaves
- Clusters of insects
- Sudden decline in plant health
The sooner you spot a problem, the easier it is to address. If you’re unsure what you’re seeing, bring a sample in a ziploc bag or send a photo to info@guilfordgardencenter.com and let us help you identify the issue and choose an appropriate treatment.
4. Deadhead and Tidy
Your garden may need a little cleanup after a long, hot summer.
Remove spent flowers from annuals and perennials to encourage continued blooming and keep plants looking fresh. Remove dead, damaged, or diseased foliage as needed, and clean up fallen leaves or plant debris that could harbor pests or disease.
Avoid giving everything a major haircut simply because it looks tired. Some plants are better left alone during the heat of August, and aggressive pruning can encourage tender new growth that is vulnerable to additional stress.
Think tidy, not total makeover!
5. Keep Weeds Under Control
If you’ve ever wondered how weeds seem to grow faster than everything else in August, you’re not alone!
Don’t let them get ahead of you. Pull weeds while they’re young and before they have a chance to flower and produce seeds. Removing weeds also reduces competition for water and nutrients.
Once you’ve cleaned things up, a fresh layer of mulch can help keep future weeds under control.
6. Refresh Your Mulch
August is a great time to check the condition of your mulch.
Mulch helps conserve soil moisture, moderate soil temperatures, reduce weed growth, and add organic matter as it breaks down. If your mulch has become thin or has washed away, add a fresh layer.
Just remember: more isn’t always better. Keep mulch a few inches away from the trunks and stems of trees and shrubs rather than piling it directly against them.
7. Refresh Your Containers
Don’t give up on your summer containers just because they’re looking a little tired!
Trim back overgrown plants, remove anything that has completely finished, and freshen up the container with new plants. Late-summer and fall-friendly annuals, perennials, ornamental grasses, and foliage plants can give tired containers a whole new look.
This is also a great opportunity to change the location of a container if the summer sun has become too intense for the plants inside.
8. Give Your Houseplants Some Attention
Many houseplants spend the summer outside enjoying the warm weather and extra humidity. But as we move toward fall, it’s time to start thinking about bringing them back inside.
Before you move them indoors:
- Check carefully for insects
- Inspect leaves and stems
- Clean dusty foliage
- Remove dead or damaged leaves
- Check the soil and drainage
- Make sure the plant is healthy before bringing it inside
Don’t wait until the first cold night! Start planning where your houseplants will live indoors and give yourself plenty of time to transition them. Now is a great time to apply Bonide Systemic Houseplant Insect Control to all houseplants.
9. Start Your Fall Vegetable Garden
If you love growing vegetables, August is not the end of the gardening season—it’s the beginning of another one!
Now is the time to start planning and planting your fall vegetable garden. Depending on your timing and conditions, cool-season crops such as broccoli, cabbage, collards, kale, lettuce, carrots, radishes, turnips, and other greens can be part of your fall garden.
Prepare your beds by removing finished summer crops, pulling weeds, and adding compost or other soil amendments as needed.
A little planning now can give you a productive garden well into the cooler months.
10. Start Planning Fall Planting
Fall is an excellent time to plant many trees, shrubs, and perennials in North Carolina. Cooler temperatures can make planting more comfortable for gardeners and can give plants time to establish roots before the heat of next summer.
August is the perfect time to start thinking about what you’d like to change.
Walk around your property and ask yourself:
- Where could I use more color?
- Do I need more privacy?
- Are there areas that need shade?
- Could I replace a struggling plant?
- Where could I add a pollinator garden?
- Would a new tree or shrub improve the landscape?
Make your wish list now so you’re ready to plant when fall arrives.
August Is a Great Time to Reset
August may be hot, but your garden doesn’t have to take the month off! This is a great time to reset, refresh, and prepare your garden for the transition into fall. A little watering, weeding, tidying, scouting, and planning now can make a big difference in the months ahead.
And if you’re ready to make bigger changes, now is a great time to start planning your fall landscape projects. From selecting plants to landscape design and professional installation, the team at Guilford Garden Center can help bring your ideas to life.
Stop by and see what’s growing—we’re here to help you refresh your garden and make the most of every season. 🌱
