☄️August '24: Finish Strong!
... and don't miss Perseids!
What's Happening in August
August is an interesting and hard month for me. It feels like the summer version of February, where everyone is ready for the change of seasons. There are things I like about this time of year, though. School kicks back in for the kids and schedules begin to get back into a rhythm. In the garden, the page begins to turn towards fall with direct seedings of multiple crops into the garden. It’s out with the old and in with the new. BLTs still haven’t gotten old however; neither have white acre peas with a slice of fresh onion and corn bread. In fact, it’s their time of the year. August is a transitional month and I have a tendency to want to hurry through it. However, time is moving fast enough without my help. Maybe I should stop and smell the ragweed (that begins blooming in August). Eh, maybe not.
I love the fall garden. There is something about keeping a vegetable garden as temperatures begin to drop and days grow shorter. If the spring garden is full of excitement and newness, the autumn garden is full of intention and comfort.
August isn’t fall. Not in Alabama. But it is the time for gardeners to begin looking forward and making preparations for fall. I encourage you to be intentional with your garden this month. Your intention and care will pay dividends in the coming months, even if you choose not to keep a fall garden. It is hot and the shine has worn off of the garden, but don’t let it go. Keep it weeded and clean. Finish strong!
If you decide a fall garden isn’t something you want to take on, I want to share two things you can do now that will make next year’s garden area flourish. Here they are:
Mulch heavily throughout the garden. This will payoff come spring when you pull back the mulch to find super soft soil teeming with life! Go thick. 6-12 inches thick. I prefer chopped leaves, but you can also use wheat straw or wood chips. Remember to never incorporate woody, mulch material into your soil. It should always rest on top of the soil. Mulch will conserve moisture, regulate temperature, prevent soil erosion, feed the soil biology, and supress weed growth!
Plant a cover crop. A cover crop is something you plant to cover and protect the soil in between the plantings of crops that you plan on harvesting. Cover crops aren’t harvested, instead they are cut down before they go to seed and left on the surface of the soil. Different crops have different attributes, but generally cover crops help to supress weeds, aerate soils, increase water infiltration, increase the soil’s nutrient capacity, prevent soil erosion, and attract pollinators. For a fall/winter cover crop try one or a combo of the following: hairy vetch, field peas, oilseed radish, winter rye, and crimson clover. These crops establish quickly and do not require maintenance. If you plant a cover crop this fall, in late winter you will simply mow/cut it down, cover with mulch, wait a couple weeks, and then plant directly into the living, soft soil beneath!
August In the Garden
🌷 August is a great time to order and plant spring flowering bulbs.
✂️ Speaking of flowers, keep “dead-heading” flowers to encourage development of more blooms and a late summer flowering display.
🔪 Harvest that zuchinni and squash daily! It encourages production and reduces the chance for disease to set in the fruit.
🌱 Seeding Time! In early August go ahead and start your cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, and kale seeds in your seeding trays. Keep ‘em indoors until they have a couple true leaves. It will depend on how quickly they grow, but the plan will be to get these seedlings into the garden in late August / early September. So seed them asap. Also, I’ll remind us in September, but don’t forget to harden off these seedlings before planting outside.
🌱🌱 More seeding! Peas, potatoes, kale, collards, kohlrabi, and turnips can be planted directly into the garden. The first frost for the southeast region will likely be happening in October, so frost tender plants like peas will have a solid 60-90 days to produce. If we protect the vulnerable plants, and Old-Man winter goes easy on us, we can extend that out even further.
A couple rehashes that still apply to August!
✔️ Avoiding pruning during the summer is a good idea for a few reasons. First, during this season, plants are busy growing and putting all their energy into making leaves, flowers, and fruits. If we prune them, it can interrupt their growth process and take away the resources they need to thrive. Second, pruning in the summer can make plants more vulnerable to stress, diseases, and bugs. When we cut branches or stems, we create open wounds that can get infected or attract pests that are more active in warm weather. Plus, pruning can expose delicate plant tissues to too much sunlight, which can cause sunburn and harm the plant. Lastly, many plants bloom in the spring or early summer, and if we prune them during this time, we might accidentally remove the flower buds or disrupt their natural blooming cycle. It's generally better to prune trees and shrubs when they're dormant or in early spring before new growth starts. This way, the plants have time to recover and grow without any unnecessary stress.
✔️ Remove any diseased fruit in the garden. Stay vigilant here. Make note of any areas of the garden where diseases pop up. Particularly fungal diseases like powdery mildew, downy mildew, and Choanephora Rot. You might have no idea what these diseases are or even look like. That’s OK! What you need to look for when trying to figure out if your plant has a fungal disease are little fuzzy hairs. If you see a white spot on a leaf or a black spot on a fruit, examine it to see if it’s fuzzy. If it is, then its a fungal issue. The problem with fungal diseases in a garden is they can become persistent and get worse every year if you aren’t proactive in doing a few things.
Look for diseased plants and fruit and remove them promptly. Be careful to avoid disturbing the fungal areas as much as possible so that the spores aren’t spread every where. Discard this infected plant material in the trash. Don’t add to any compost or feed to animals.
Rotate your crops each year by planting them in different spots of the garden. This helps to break disease cycles. Particularly fungal diseases because when the spores emerge from the ground, they won’t find a host and will not be able to reproduce.
As mentioned in June’s guide, avoid walking in the garden when its wet. This helps avoid spreading any diseases among the plants.
Keep the garden mulched and well weeded. This promotes healthy plants, supports proper air circulation, and keeps disease prone weeds out
☄️Perseids Meteor Shower
The Perseids meteor shower is a top choice for stargazing, boasting a peak display of up to 100 meteors per hour. These meteors originate from the debris left by the comet Swift-Tuttle, a discovery from the year 1862, and are known for producing a substantial number of bright meteors that streak across the sky. The shower occurs each year from July 17 to August 24, reaching its climax on the night of August 12 and the following morning. For the best experience, seek out a dark location after midnight. Although the meteors will radiate from the Perseus constellation, you might spot them anywhere in the sky.
🌕 Lunar Calendar
In August, the full moon was traditionally known as the Sturgeon Moon by early Native American tribes due to the abundance of large sturgeon fish in North America's lakes and rivers during the summer months. It was a time when these primitive fish were more easily caught. Despite its historical association with the sturgeon fish, which were once abundant and unchanged since ancient times, it's now almost impossible to witness a sturgeon during this moon phase. Sturgeons have become critically endangered, representing one of the most endangered groups of species on Earth. The moon is also referred to as the Green Corn Moon and the Grain Moon.
This year you can see the Full Sturgeon Moon on the night of August 19th.
📆 Calendar of Firsts
A calendar of firsts serves as a meaningful tool to celebrate and connect with the ever-changing rhythms of nature throughout the year. Its purpose is to document and acknowledge the first occurrences of various events and natural phenomena that mark the transition of seasons. By recording the first blooming flowers, migrating birds, or changing foliage, individuals deepen their awareness of the subtle shifts that unfold in the natural world. This heightened observation cultivates a sense of awe and appreciation for the beauty and diversity of our environment. Moreover, a calendar of firsts invites us to engage in a deeper relationship with the natural world, fostering a sense of connection, mindfulness, and gratitude. It allows us to truly immerse ourselves in the present moment and develop a greater understanding of the intricate cycles that shape our lives and the world around us.
August firsts to be looking for:
Remember these are general examples for zone 7 in the southeast US. Specific occurances will depend on your regional climate and conditions. Keeping a personal calendar or journal will allow you to capture the unique experiences and observations of each month in your region.
The first blooming of late summer wildflowers like ragweed, goldenrod, and ironweed
First ripe Elderberry
Monarchs in their northernmost range begin their long migration south in August
Before you go!
💚 If you love this newsletter, tell us by sharing it with all of your friends and family!
✎ Are you passionate about gardening or seasonal living? Share it with our community and write for The Common! Email taylor@acommonlife.co for more information
🎧 Listen to the pod here: A Common Life Podcast
📜 Missed last week’s letter? Read it here!