Garden Activities for August
There are many reasons why this time of year is the best for planting.
First, there are a lot of plants on sale. Check out what is available locally. Some
mail-order nurseries will notify you of late season sales if you are on their mailing list.
The more important reason to plant in the fall is that it gives plants a chance
to establish themselves while the temperatures are in a more hospitable range.
Perennials planted in April have only a few weeks to acclimate before the onslaught
of summer heat. In contrast, those planted in August have several months of
mild temperatures in which to establish roots. As a result, they do better and you will
still get flowers the following season.
There are a few exceptions, mostly plants that are barely hardy here, or
that usually die back completely in winter. Crape myrtle, for instance, should be
planted in spring. Also, some plants in four-inch pots or smaller might heave out of
the ground during winter's freeze-thaw cycles, particularly in heavier soils. Native
plants, and most sturdy perennials, shrubs, or trees will do well when planted in the fall.
Finally, in fall, your garden layout is still fresh in your mind. You will have
a better idea of what "worked," what did not, and areas of the garden that
need attention.
To Do List
• Keep fruit and vegetable debris cleaned up to reduce bug populations.
• Continue removing spent flowers; many plants will have a burst of new bloom
in September if they haven't set seed. Cut hollyhock stalks to the ground when
they finish blooming.
• Divide Iris and other spring bloomers as they become dormant.
• Stake fast-growing plants as needed before they begin to flop over.
• Remove weeds and unwanted grasses. They go to seed faster in hot weather.
• Mulch to reduce watering and to help cool the soil around your plants.
Garden Tip!!! When do you pick cantaloupe? When they have a light fragrance
at the stem and can be picked with a very slight tug; the outside of the fruit will
be yellowing and the veining will be pronounced.
Watering. Water trees and shrubs every 10 to 14 days to a depth of three feet.
Do not fertilize. Water flowerbeds and vegetable gardens two to three times a week.
Pruning. Prune honeysuckle again after it blooms, if needed. Do not pinch
Chrysanthemums back any further.
Weather
August weather is humid, with an average rainfall of one and a half inches. Temperatures average
in the low 60's at night to the high 80's during the day. It tends to be sunny in the morning with clouds
forming midday and sometimes a downpour in the afternoon. Be wary of electrical storms in the garden.
August is the wettest month in New Mexico. The monsoon season is now at its peak, and with
it, higher humidity. School starts, and as the temperature begins to drop, it feels like fall. Not so! There are
two more months of warm weather.
Hot weather continues to affect all but the most heat-loving plants. Measurable solar
radiation (intensity of the sun's rays) in Albuquerque is greater than most plants like. Give them some protection
from full sun all day, and you will have fewer pests and problems.
What's Blooming
There are three types of blooming shrubs you see everywhere this month, crape
myrtle (Lagerstroemia indica), rose of Sharon
(Hibiscus syriacus), and butterfly bush
(Buddleia). Crape myrtle comes in both tall and dwarf forms. The tall variety can be limbed up to look like a tree with flowers
massed at the top, so the ground below can be used for other plants when this late blooming beauty is not in
flower. The blooms come in the same red, pink, purple, and white shades as flowering
stock. Every yard should have one!
Rose of Sharon is another late summer favorite. It comes in single and double forms, the
former resembling (and related to) hibiscus. Its colors range from white through the pinks to a deeper
hydrangea blue, and it blooms for weeks.
Butterfly bush has been flowering all summer in an assortment of flower colors: pink,lilac,
purple, white, and yellow. All three of these shrubs are candidates for the Xeric garden.
Roses continue to bloom. The big sunflowers are beginning their spectacular show. Many annuals
are in full bloom by the end of the month, including Zinnias and marigolds. Also blooming are
Clematis and trumpet vine (Campsis radicans).
Xeric Blooms
Look for dwarf plumbago (Ceratostigma), red devil verbena
(Verbena Peruviana), gayfeather
(Liatrus) and Texas ranger
(Leucophyllum). Gaillardia, Gaura, and Rudbeckias are still going strong.
Flowering shrubs include "Blue Mist" spirea
(Caryopteris x clandonensis), cherry sage
(Salvia greggii), and butterfly bush
(Buddleia).
Planting.
• Begin planting perennials and cool season vegetables that will winter over. Plant lettuce, spinach,
radishes, carrots, onions, broccoli, snow peas, turnips, etc., for harvest before Christmas.
• Plant trees and shrubs that are fully hardy in Albuquerque. Remember how hot it was in July?
Research
This is the time to take a trip to the Santa Fe Ski Basin, the Sandias, and
the Jemez Mountains to see the burst of wildflowers after the rains. Native
Penstemons, asters, Indian paintbrush, columbine, orchids, and other varieties make a show in
the high mountain meadows. Many of these native plants are adaptable to your
garden and are available in native plant nurseries.
Every Thursday night in June, July, and August enjoy "SUMMER NIGHTS"
at the RIO GRANDE BOTANIC GARDEN. 6:00 PM - 9:30 PM. Live music,
clowns, magicians, food and other entertainment make for a fun family event. $4.50
adults. $2.50 ages three to 15 & 65 or over.
The RIO GRANDE BOTANIC GARDEN provides fun, educational
materials for elementary age children to use while visiting the park. Ask the cashier
for "PASSPORTS," and "IN SEARCH OF NATURE" pen and pencil activities.
Attend the ORIENTATION COFFEE for potential docent volunteers at the
RIO GRANDE BOTANIC GARDENS to learn if this program is right for you.
Training begins this month. Call 764-6214 for details.
FIELD DAY is held every other year in mid-August at the Agricultural
Science Center Research Station, an outpost of New Mexico State University, in Los
Lunas. The facility is opened to the public for Field Day. There are tours of
research demonstration plots, demonstrations presented by faculty, exhibits, and a plant
clinic with faculty experts to answer your questions. Contact the Bernalillo
County Cooperative Extension Service at 243-1386 for information.
Check the UNM Continuing Education Catalog for classes of interest
to gardeners. Call 277-2527 for information and to request a copy of the catalog.
SOUTHWEST YARD & GARDEN, hosted by Curtis Smith and John White,
is aired weekly on the following public television stations: KRWG-TV (Las
Cruces), KENW-TV(Portales), and KNME-TV (Albuquerque). Check a local TV
schedule for days of the week and times, or contact the Bernalillo County
Cooperative Extension Office at 243-1386.
"SHARE THE PRODUCE" continues through October. Take any
excess, good-quality produce to any of the Albuquerque area ROWLAND
NURSERIES. Produce is accepted Mondays and Thursdays from 9:00 AM to 2:00 PM and
is distributed through the "Storehouse" to those in need. Another pick-up site for
"Share the Produce" is RIO RANCHO GARDEN CENTER.
the type of trees you'd like to plant for future shade.
• Plant cool season lawns between August 15 and September 15.
• As the days begin to shorten and the rains come, the soil starts to
cool down. Now is a perfect time for outdoor seeding of hardy annuals,
wildflower seeds, and some perennials and biennials. Scratch the soil
and sprinkle liberally with larkspur, love-in-a-mist, poppies, bachelor
buttons, hollyhock, Rocky Mountain Penstemon, and Rudbeckia. Rake over
lightly and sprinkle to settle them in. The rains will help them break
dormancy. Small plants will appear, will and winter over, and will be ready to take
off
next spring. If they are in a totally dry area, provide extra water as needed.
Houseplants. Check for salt build up. Remove any white crust on the soil or pot. Do any
necessary repotting between August 15 and September 15. Discard soil that has salt build up and clean the pots.
Houseplants do not go dormant, but there is little to no growth until March when the days begin to lengthen.
Around Town in August
PLANTS OF THE SOUTHWEST, a local nursery,
features a free speaker series each fall August
to November. Local experts offer advice on a wide range of topics including how to start and maintain
a vegetable garden and how to handle "trouble spots" in the garden. Call 344-8830 for details.
The NATIVE PLANT SOCIETY OF NEW MEXICO holds its annual Native Plant Show and Sale
at the Albuquerque Garden Center. Many unusual specimens of wildflowers, trees, and shrubs can be
purchased. Go and see these plants which require less water and maintenance, are wind resistant, thrive in
our sunshine, and maintain our regional character. There are educational exhibits and Native Plant
Society members on hand to answer questions. Free admission! Contact the Albuquerque Garden Center at
296-6020 for details.
Another water-wise event this month is the Xeric Garden Club's XERIC PLANT SALE. Contact
the Albuquerque Garden Center at 296-6020 for information. Admission is free.
The annual LAVENDER FESTIVAL will be held at Rancho Manzano in Chimayo, New Mexico.
The Festival features tours of lavender fields, demonstrations in the use of lavender, and free lavender lemonade.
A variety of lavender plants and products can be purchased. Watch for announcements in local media.
Santa Fe Greenhouses will host its annual HUMMINGBIRD and BUTTERFLY DAY. This
event features tours of the greenhouses and demonstration gardens and lectures on hummingbirds and
butterflies by local experts. There are special sale events and information from gardening experts.
(book excerpt used by permission) | 
