Walk out to the herb bed this week and you might find your basil throwing up little white or purple…
If your lawn suddenly looks like someone rolled out a bad toupee — patches that lift right off the soil…
Walk out to the squash patch in early August and it looks like someone dumped a bag of flour on…
If your bearded irises bloomed like champs back in May and then just sort of sat there sulking all summer,…
Walk out to the herb bed this week and you might find your basil throwing up little white or purple flower spikes like it’s trying to escape. That’s bolting, and August heat is basically an engraved invitation for basil to do it. Long days, high temperatures, and a plant that’s been cruising along for months…
If your lawn suddenly looks like someone rolled out a bad toupee — patches that lift right off the soil when you tug on them — you’re probably not dealing with drought or brown patch. You’re dealing with grubs. Early August is exactly when they’re fat, active, and doing the most damage, right before they…
Walk out to the squash patch in early August and it looks like someone dumped a bag of flour on your zucchini leaves. That’s powdery mildew, and if you garden in a humid climate, it shows up like clockwork this time of year. The good news: your plants probably aren’t dying. The bad news: you…
If your bearded irises bloomed like champs back in May and then just sort of sat there sulking all summer, there’s a good chance they’re overdue for a haircut — and I mean a real one, roots and all. Late July through August is prime time to dig up and divide bearded iris rhizomes, and…
You water in the morning, the soil is dark and damp, and by 3 p.m. your hydrangea looks like it’s begging for mercy. Leaves drooping, flower heads hanging low, the whole plant looking one bad day from the compost pile. Then you check it again at 7 p.m. and it’s perked right back up, like…
Every year I see the same thing happen: gardeners assume fall crops are a September project, then wonder in October why their broccoli never sized up before frost. Late July into early August is actually the window for a huge chunk of fall vegetables, especially if you’re direct-seeding instead of transplanting. Miss it and you’re…
