August in the Garden

In southern California the main garden chores for August are watering, harvesting, and pest control.

In the first part of the month, any summer vegetable can be planted. Especially those that love the heat: Okra, cucumbers, tomatoes, eggplant, watermelons, squash and really any crop that will finish before the days get too short in the fall. We'll be direct seeding Okra, squash, limas, dill, basil, and cukes; setting out transplants of the others.


Near the middle of the month, we will be starting our fall crops from seeds for transplant in September and October: broccoli, cabbage, kale, and cauliflower.

Give your roses a light pruning.

Feed fushias, ferns, tropicals, roses.

Do not fertilize deciduous fruit trees.

Prune berries.

We also prune our deciduous fruit trees after the last peaches come off the trees. This mostly is to control the size of the trees. We will prune again in January.

Gather and dry herbs.

Apply compost and mulch to retain moisture in the soil.

Shade plants that may need afternoon protection from the hot sun.

August is a good time to solarize empty beds to kill weed seeds and disease pathogens: Water the soil thoroughly, then seal it with clear plastic for 6 to 8 weeks.