Cut back tired annuals, establish next year’s lawn, late Summer color…

Cut back tired annuals and feed them with a water-soluble fertilizer to rejuvenate them! Petunias and other annuals can get “leggy” and worn by August. Chopping them back part way and using a good liquid feeding can give you a resurgence of growth and flowers that will last to the frosts of October.

Mid-August begins the time in Michigan where the window of opportunity for establishing a new lawn is best. The period from mid-August to October 1st is prime time for seeding or sodding a lawn. In early August, kill weed vegetation in the area to be seeded with Round-up. The next step is good soil preparation and tilling to provide a good seed bed for germination and rooting. Make sure to use a starter fertilizer and do your seeding in late August and into September.

August is the month for planting or moving Peonies and Iris.

Mums and Asters become available in this month providing a splash of color to add to the landscape and containers.

Keep a can of wasp and hornet spray handy for this month and next. In outdoor living areas like decks, patios and porches you may need some protection. Look under resin chairs, decks and rails where they like to hide and nest.

Young hatched grubs can do lots of damage to drought stressed lawns this month and next. Don’t forget to irrigate lawns in hot dry weather. Turf around tree areas is especially vulnerable due to tree root and turf competition. Avoid leaf scorch and stress to the trees too, during hot dry periods run an oscillating sprinkler under and around the tree canopy.

Keep a steady supply of water to vegetables in the garden, especially tomatoes to avoid the cracking of the cell walls of the fruit.

August is a colorful time in the garden. Ornamental grasses are beginning to reach their prime. Rudbeckias, Butterfly bush; Roses along with Sedums and Hydrangeas provide great color and a playground for butterflies.