“ The calendar month of August is a busy calendar month in the veggie garden . ” This must be about the fifth calendar month in a row that theMonthly Tasks and Tiparticle has highlight the “ hum ” of whichever month we ’re in . Perhaps you ’re beginning to believe thateverymonth in the vegetable garden is a busy month . Well , as a vegetable gardener , I must say that surely seems to be the casing ! Let ’s get with the short version of the August To - Do list : continue to harvest vegetables , remove spent spring and summertime crops , and weed .   August is also the sentence to plant come down crop and cover crop .

Speaking ofweeds , I am always astounded at how they keep to belt down up workweek after workweek and yr after yr . I am often enquire , “ Where do they come from and why so many ? ” They can be blown in by the wind , washed in by airfoil water , and introduced by birds and other wildlife . And the weed - seeded player   stock list can also be increase with the program of organic issue through compost and manure .   One of my biggest horticulture surprises was the mean solar day I learned that the majority of mourning band add up from come we gardeners plant ourselves . Whoa , restrain on ! Gardeners plant weed ? Every meter a weed is allowed to go to seeded player , it replant itself in our garden . Okay , by now you ’re thinking , “ It ’s August , it ’s hot , and I get sweaty justwalkingto the garden ! How are a few weeds going to seed in the garden going to make a conflict ? ” Well , you are going to be surprised !

A garden friend once remarked , “ Certain weeds have mastered every survival attainment except check to spring up in straight row ! And it ’s as if they are the home squad ; they always win because they bat last . ” One of the survival skills that smoke have truly surmount is their ability to raise an abundant seminal fluid craw . How abundant you ask ? Many common weeds have the ability to produce thou of ejaculate that are deposited on the ground . Many of these seeds have a protective coat and can stay fat for up to 40 geezerhood or more after they are bring to the sens “ seed bank . ” A seed depository financial institution is merely the compendium of gage seed in the ground . get ’s front a little closer at that seed bank .

A single weed plant life can produce a great number of come . Examples of individual plants that produce a hefty bit of seeds let in : red pigweed ( Amaranthus retroflexus ) — 117,000 seeds per flora ; vulgar purslane ( Portulaca oleracea ) — 52,000 seeds per plant ; shepherd ’s purse ( Capsella bursa - pastoris ) — 38,000 , rough-cut lambsquarters ( Chenopodiumalbum ) — 28,000 ; and yellow foxtail grass ( Setaria glauca ) — 12,000 .

This one-year collection of seeds , if present in the garden or in the seed bank ,   makes weed a tough antagonist . It is gauge that the seed bank can be depleted by 80 - 90 percent within 2 - 3 years after weed control is bug out . However , the seed bank can be replenished in only a individual twelvemonth of no control or ineffective control . Did you ever wonder about the stemma of that quondam gardening saw , “ One twelvemonth of seeding makes seven years of weed ? ” Think of that weed seed banking company in the garden hold off to bourgeon !

August is a conversion month : the vegetable garden is moving from late spring and summer crop to cool conditions or come down crops . The nurseryman who fails to imbed a fall garden is often missing out on a remarkable mature time of year . Here in central Virginia , we can harvest fresh produce well into the crepuscle and often into other wintertime . No matter how ragged the summer garden looking at , a fall garden offers us not only a 2d grow season , but also a second probability to plant those early springtime crops that fail in the summer oestrus . August in central Virginia is unquestionably come down planting season . Timely planting is the key to success .

The keep up planting chart was make by using theVirginia Cooperative Extension Publication 426 - 334 , “ Vegetable Planting guide and Recommended Planting Dates . ”

More Gardening Tips and Tasks For August :

structure , and tot up worthful nutrients . Cover crop can be sown between rows of fall vegetables a month or less before expected harvesting . The cover crops will get a head pop out and will not interfere with vegetable plant life growth . Polygonum fagopyrum will be killed by frost but can be sow as a covering fire harvest up to 6 - 8 weeks before a pour down hoar , usually about the 3rdor 4thweek in October . For more information on   the attribute of growing buckwheat check out the“Buckwheat”article in our August 2016 issue ofThe Garden Shed .

During the hot dog days of August , one of the last matter a veg gardener need to think about is institute more crops . But look forward to the fall garden which offers the satisfaction of a prolonged harvest of fresh vegetables , nest egg in solid food price , and create full exercise of your horticulture space and growing time of year .

Thanks for visiting us inThe Garden Shed . We look forrad to your visit next calendar month .

root :

“ Why So Many Mary Jane ? The Weed Seed Bank , ” Colorado State University Publication 2113,http://planttalk.colostate.edu / topics / weeds - cultural - problems/2113 - many - weeds - weed - seed - bank/

“ Vegetable Planting Guide and Recommended Dates , ” Virginia Cooperative Extension Publication 426 - 334,https://pubs.ext.vt.edu / subject / dam / pubs_ext_vt_edu/426/426 - 331/426 - 331_pdf.pdf

“ August Monthly Tip Sheets -Vegetables,”https://albemarle.ext.vt.edu / programs / gardening - natural - resources.html

“ Weed Management on Organic Farms,”http://content.ces.ncsu.edu / weed - management - on - organic - farms , Center For Environmental Farming Systems , North Carolina State University