August in the Orange County Garden
August's relentless heat and seemingly endless days can make relief feel like a distant dream. During these scorching weeks, water becomes a precious resource that both plants and animals depend on for survival. Yet this challenging season is precisely when gardeners should turn their attention to fall planning and implementing strategies to support their gardens through the transition ahead.
Cool Season Vegetables
If you have any cool season vegetables still hanging on, watch daily for bolting (the plant sending out a flower which signals that the plant has completed its growing season) and then remove the plant. Now is a good time to think about what you want to grow during the fall/winter season and purchase or order seeds. Need more information on what to plant when, check out our seed planting chart https://ucanr.edu/sites/default/files/2022-02/363604.pdf.
Warm Season Vegetables
The optimum temperature for germination of tomatoes is 70-80 degrees, however the optimum temperature for growth is 80-90 degrees. Anything over 100 degrees for prolonged time will cause the flower not to set. If you chose to prune your tomatoes, if your temperatures are very high, only prune during the cool morning times when temps are low. Peppers will have some of the same challenges with high heat. At 100 degrees plants will reduce pollination, fruit set and yield. Peppers have roots that go about 2 feet deep and plants need to be monitored and watched so there is limited chance of water stress. Watering with deep soaks is critical for our warm season vegetables.
Raised Beds
Continue to monitor your irrigation and make sure that any drip emitters are not clogged. Watch for weeds that might have been deposited in the soil by birds or wind. Begin to plan what crops you will put in the next growing season for your beds. Remember, changing up the crops grown in a raised bed will help avoid soilborne pests, such as root-knot nematodes or root diseases.
Citrus Trees
Valencia oranges should all be harvested for the year. If plants are showing signs of iron or zinc deficiency, the tissue between leaf veins turns yellow, but the veins remain green. Foliar sprays containing chelated zinc or iron can be used to correct those deficiencies. Iron deficiency can be caused by excessively wet soil or very alkaline soil, so avoid overwatering during this time of year.
Roses
You can do a moderate prune during this month, although it is important to try and complete tasks in the early morning before the heat of the day has set in. Continue to deadhead as blooms become spent. Due to the heat, most diseases should not be an issue, unless you live close to the ocean. Spider mites will attempt to set in and a rinse of the foliage in the mornings could help keep these pests at bay.
California Natives
Understanding that California Natives are completely adapted to surviving with no supplemental watering is crucial to their survival. These plants will show signs of stress if they receive too much water during this time. Now is time to plan for what you will want to add to the garden during the months of October and November when it becomes prime time for adding new native plants to your garden.
Annuals
Looking for some pops of color in your garden now, you can continue to add sun loving annuals to pots. Make sure that you are committed to watering pots, sometimes once or twice a day when the weather is very hot. Keeping plants pruned and fed will help keep pests away. This is the prime season for spider mites. If you grow annuals from seeds, begin to check out seed companies. Perusing seeds with a cool drink is often the best chore that we can all do in the dog days of summer.