Arizona gardens typically endure from warmth and neglect in August. Nonetheless, as the following planting season approaches, it’s time to organize the beds and plan for fall. This text covers the important duties to assist your August backyard greens, fruit, flowers, and panorama crops thrive. We may also cowl which pests to count on and the way typically to water your backyard, bushes, and shrubs.
For details about what to plant and harvest within the low desert throughout August, please see my planting guides or this weblog publish, “What to Plant and Harvest in August: Low Desert of Arizona.” Low desert contains elevations under 3500 ft within the Southwest, such because the Phoenix and Tucson metro areas.
Arizona Backyard in August Guidelines:
Click on on the title to leap to that part and study extra about what to do throughout August:
Vegetable Gardening
Plan Your Fall Backyard
Learn “Find out how to begin a backyard in 8 easy steps” to get began in your backyard if you’re a first-timer or are searching for a number of ideas.
Make a plan for fall and winter planting. We normally don’t have sufficient room to develop every thing we would like. Take into consideration what’s most essential to have recent from the backyard. Incorporate totally different greens, herbs, fruits, and flowers into your backyard plan.
If you wish to develop garlic, buy garlic when you haven’t already. Retailer it within the fridge till it’s time to plant in October.
If you wish to plant potatoes subsequent month, buy natural potatoes and start chitting them. Learn the way right here.
Put together Beds For Fall Planting
Add compost, spent cowl crops, worm castings, and different natural matter to the soil to organize beds for fall planting. Natural matter decomposes and must be replenished.
In case your backyard has struggled or has not grown properly, think about testing your soil. Then, amend the soil as directed by the soil check. That is the soil testing package I take advantage of.
If you’re not going to plant till September or October, plant a canopy crop like buckwheat or cowpeas to cowl the soil.
In the reduction of cowl crops 2-3 weeks earlier than you intend to plant. Lower off at soil stage. Pull again the mulch and depart crops on the soil or cowl with compost. Study extra about how you can develop cowl crops right here.
Backyard Duties Throughout August
Take away spent summer-heat-loving greens and greens previous their prime.
In the reduction of peppers, eggplants, and tomatoes to the latest leaves. This rejuvenates the crops for a wonderful fall crop. After slicing again, high crops with worm castings and compost.
Take away particles round crops to discourage pests.
Take away spent artichoke heads to avoid wasting the seeds.
Harvest any remaining I’itoi onions.
Pot up any indoor-grown seedlings which are outgrowing their containers if it’s not time to plant them outdoors.
Fertilize indoor-grown seedlings each different watering.
My August Backyard Journals
Twice a month, I ship my private backyard journal to members of “Rising within the Backyard Academy.” From the primary seedling to the final harvest, you possibly can comply with my gardening adventures in Arizona’s distinctive low desert. As a member, you even have entry to the previous three years of backyard journals and month-to-month courses.
Be part of me, and let’s make your backyard thrive underneath the desert solar!
Low Desert Arizona in August: Pests & Wildlife to Watch Out For This Month
The most effective protection in opposition to pests is wholesome crops. This may be tough as a result of the warmth is annoying for crops. Spend time within the backyard every day and catch issues when they’re small.
Grasshoppers present as much as feed on new development. Handpick. Hopefully, the birds provide help to out, too.
Spider mites might be problematic this month. Learn this publish for remedy choices.
Squash and Jap Bordered Plant Bugs. This text shares prevention and remedy choices.
Whiteflies thrive in August backyard circumstances. They appear like clouds coming off the underside of leaves when a plant is disturbed. Use a soapy water resolution of 1 Tablespoon Daybreak to 1 gallon of water on the undersides of leaves each day to maintain infestations down.
Corn borer larvae trigger skeletonized patches on corn leaves. Deal with with Bt or a drop of mineral oil on high of every tassel.
Chicken harm on melon and sunflower leaves. Though they harm the leaves, the plant normally survives. Take into account placing out a chicken tub for thirsty birds.
Chrysanthemum lace bugs on sunflowers. Learn this publish for remedy choices.
Bagrada bugs, tomato hornworms, three-lined potato bugs, and leaf-footed bugs are widespread this month. Hand-pick all phases and drop into soapy water.
If rollie-pollies are consuming seedlings (they love beans!), sprinkle a small quantity of this slug and snail bait once you plant.
Milkweed and different seed bugs are widespread on seed pods and greatest left untreated; they normally don’t trigger harm.
Leaf miners on cantaloupe or different melons. Take away broken leaves.
The excitement of cicadas fills the air, and their exoskeletons might be discovered throughout the yard. Injury is minimal; they’re seasonal, and there’s no have to deal with for them.
Useful bugs and different wildlife you may even see throughout August:
Lovebirds and finches on sunflowers, bees, murderer bugs, wasps, hummingbirds, praying mantids, lizards, and butterflies like Swallowtails and Gulf Fritillary.
Container Gardening Duties
Transfer containers to areas of your yard that obtain afternoon shade naturally.
Group containers and develop baggage shut collectively for an insulating impact.
Refresh massive containers with extra raised mattress combine if you’re planting in them. Natural matter decomposes and must be replenished. I like this soil combine for raised beds and containers.
Hold these small containers put away for not less than one other month.
Arizona August Backyard Duties: Flower Gardening
Hold summer season bloomers like zinnia, vinca, cosmos, and gaillardia deadheaded to encourage extra blooms.
Don’t minimize something again severely; it in all probability gained’t get better.
Plan your wildflower backyard for fall. Study extra right here.
Fertilize container-grown flowers this month.
Save seeds from summer season flowers like sunflowers, marigolds, tithonia, zinnias, and four-o-clocks. Learn to save seeds right here.
In case you haven’t already, order fall-planted bulbs like ranunculus, prechilled tulip bulbs, and anemones. Retailer ranunculus and anemone corms in a cool closet till it’s time to plant.
To take away spent sunflowers, don’t pull them up! Lower them off simply above soil stage, and the roots will decay as an alternative of pulling a big soil ball with them.
Arizona Annual Flowers Planting Calendar helps you study when to plant flowers in Arizona and when to start out seeds indoors.
Caring for Roses Throughout August in Arizona
Consider your roses. They could look haggard, but when crops are severely burned or struggling, think about shifting them to a shadier location within the fall.
Roses are sometimes chlorotic, as it’s tough for them to entry soil vitamins when it’s so scorching. Because the soil cools, the plant will start to take up the vitamins.
Hold roses frivolously deadheaded (I minimize off just below the bloom). Don’t fertilize or prune this month.
Take away roses immediately from burdened crops. Blooming provides extra stress.
Make plans for fall planting. Choosing the proper varieties helps guarantee your roses survive the summer season warmth. Roses equivalent to Memorial Day, Iceberg, and Julia Little one are wonderful decisions as they’re recognized for his or her resilience and talent to face up to excessive temperatures. Including extra roses to your backyard? I get my roses from Heirloom Roses. Use Code GARDENAZ24 for 20% off any rose order via December 31, 2024.
Fruit and Fruit Timber
Hold fruit picked on fruit bushes. Clear up rotten, break up, sun-damaged, or fallen fruit.
Don’t prune this month.
Apply the final spherical of citrus fertilizer to citrus between August and September. Water properly the day earlier than you fertilize and once more after fertilizing.
Lemons and key limes start to ripen this month. Harvest as wanted. They’ll proceed to ripen over the following a number of months. The flavour is greatest proper after choosing. Lemons might be saved within the fridge for a few weeks, but it surely’s greatest to depart lemons on the tree till wanted. Learn this text for citrus rising ideas.
Watch pomegranate bushes for leaf-footed bugs.
Increase the basins round bushes to increase 1 foot past the drip line as wanted.
Root strawberry runners to make new crops.
Break up fruit (tomatoes, pomegranates, citrus) is a watering problem. Take away break up fruit and do your greatest to offer common deep watering for crops.
Herb Gardening
Perennial herbs might look slightly spent. Proceed to reap as wanted, however wait till September to offer them a very good trim and determine if you wish to replant. Study extra about rising perennial herbs on this article.
Harvest and use basil. Reducing again basil typically encourages new development and retains it from flowering and going to seed. This text shares how you can develop basil.
The Arizona Herb Planting Information helps you study when to plant over 30 totally different herbs in Arizona and whether or not to plant seeds or transplants.
Panorama Plant Duties in August
August is an effective time to plant hardy desert bushes and cacti. Their roots get established greatest in heat soil.
Wait to plant shrubs and perennials. It’s too scorching. They’ll set up significantly better when you plant them within the fall.
To encourage extra blooms, deadhead and frivolously prune summer season flowering crops and perennials equivalent to oleanders, birds of paradise, Texas sage, and lantanas.
If cactus are leaning, this means an issue with the basis system. This may be brought on by an excessive amount of or too little water. Crops might fall over. Contact knowledgeable for help if the saguaro is over 8 toes tall.
Don’t high bushes. It’s damaging to the plant. Thinning limbs to open up the cover is okay.
If a limb breaks throughout a summer season storm, prune again to a fundamental department and make a clear minimize. Clear cuts will heal higher.
Consider severely burdened or unhealthy crops. Typical causes for not rising properly should not sufficient water, an excessive amount of solar (or shade), or the plant will not be fitted to a desert local weather. Make a plan to maneuver or substitute struggling crops within the fall.
Hose off crops susceptible to spider mites about as soon as every week.
Pull weeds that emerge after summer season rains. Don’t allow them to set seed.
Arizona Backyard in August Watering Tips
Hopefully, we are going to get good soaking rain. In case you obtain .5″ rain, you possibly can in all probability skip one watering.
Take into consideration methods to reap or channel rainfall and direct it in your property. Learn this publish to study extra about utilizing rainwater harvesting and swales and berms to gather and use rainwater.
Use a soil probe to verify watering depths. Purpose to water bushes to three toes, panorama crops to 2 toes, and annual crops to 1 foot.
The summer season warmth and dry soils construct up salt ranges within the soil. Native water provides additionally change into saltier later in the summertime. Water twice as deep as soon as this month to flush salts from crops’ root zones.
In case you haven’t already, verify the irrigation system and timer. Run the system, inspecting all drips and sprinklers for leaks and correct watering.
Watering Containers Throughout August
With scorching temperatures, monitoring containers carefully and watering typically is essential. You will have to water daily. In case you’re unsure, use a moisture meter to verify soil moisture ranges
If containers dry out an excessive amount of, the soil might change into hydrophobic. When watering, verify the soil to make sure water is absorbed and never repelled by hydrophobic soil. I normally water my containers each 2-3 days in August and replenish the ollas every time I water. Including ollas to containers helps with watering through the summer season. I take advantage of ollas from Growoya.
Watering Annuals and Backyard Beds Throughout August
Throughout scorching climate, annual greens, herbs, and flowers want extra frequent watering. Water to a depth of about 8-12 inches each 2-3 days, permitting the highest of the soil to dry out earlier than watering once more.
I normally water my raised beds each 2-3 days in August. I take advantage of the backyard grids from Backyard in Minutes to water my raised beds. Use code Angela10 to avoid wasting $10 off $100 or GITG5 to avoid wasting 5 p.c on any measurement order.
Tree and Vine Watering Tips: 1, 2
Monitor your fruit bushes for indicators of water stress. Leaf curling is normally the primary noticeable signal. Moist the soil from the tree trunk to simply previous the tree’s drip line.
Established citrus bushes must be watered as soon as each 7-14 days to a 2-3 toes depth.
Water annual fruit and excessive water use vines each 2-5 days to a depth of 8-12″.
Water established fruit bushes each 7-10 days to a depth of 18-24″.
Grape vines want deep watering each 5 days.
Water annual fruit and excessive water use vines each 2-5 days to a depth of 8-12″.
Desert-adapted bushes, shrubs & vines each 7-21 days (water to a depth of 24-36″ bushes / 18-24″ shrubs / 8-12″ vines).
Excessive water use bushes each 7-10 days (water to a depth of 18-24″).
Excessive water use shrubs each 5-7 days (water to a depth of 8-12″).
Sources:
1 – For extra data on watering practices, go to: “Affiliation of Municipal Water Customers Authority. (2023). Landscaping with Type within the Arizona Desert.” https://www.amwua.org/landscaping-with-style.
2 – https://extension.arizona.edu/websites/extension.arizona.edu/recordsdata/pubs/az1151-2021percent20percent282percent29.pdf
