By Delta Informal Gardeners
The August Gardening Checklist for East Contra Costa County helps gardeners keep vegetables, flowers, trees, and landscapes healthy during the hottest part of summer. August is also the perfect time to prepare your garden for a productive fall growing season.
Use this checklist to keep your landscape healthy while preparing for cooler weather.
🌞 August Gardening Checklist: Water Wisely
August heat places significant stress on plants.
✔ Water deeply rather than frequently to encourage deeper roots.
✔ Water early in the morning to reduce evaporation.
✔ Check drip irrigation systems for clogged emitters or leaks.
✔ Adjust irrigation schedules based on the weather.
✔ Water container plants more frequently since they dry out quickly.
🌱 Maintain Healthy Soil
Healthy soil helps plants withstand summer heat.
✔ Add compost around vegetables and ornamentals.
✔ Maintain 2–4 inches of mulch to conserve moisture.
✔ Avoid excessive cultivation that disturbs soil structure.
✔ Continue feeding the soil with organic matter rather than relying only on fertilizers.
🍅 Harvest Regularly
Many summer crops continue producing.
Harvest:
- Tomatoes
- Peppers
- Eggplant
- Cucumbers
- Squash
- Beans
- Melons
Frequent harvesting encourages continued production.
🌸 Care for Flowers
Deadhead spent flowers to encourage continued blooming.
Good August performers include:
- Zinnias
- Marigolds
- Cosmos
- Sunflowers
- Salvias
Watch hanging baskets and containers carefully during hot weather.
🌳 Trees and Shrubs
Young trees remain vulnerable to heat stress.
✔ Water deeply every one to two weeks.
✔ Check tree stakes and ties.
✔ Maintain mulch around the root zone while keeping it away from the trunk.
✔ Delay major pruning until cooler weather.
🌿 Lawn Care
Lawns often become stressed during August.
✔ Raise mower height slightly.
✔ Leave grass clippings on the lawn.
✔ Water deeply and infrequently.
✔ Avoid heavy fertilizing during periods of extreme heat.
🐝 Support Pollinators
Keep bees and butterflies active during summer.
✔ Refill bird baths and pollinator water stations.
✔ Leave some flowers blooming.
✔ Avoid spraying pesticides when pollinators are active.
✔ Plant late-summer bloomers if space allows.
🐛 Watch for Garden Pests
Inspect plants weekly for:
- Spider mites
- Aphids
- Whiteflies
- Tomato hornworms
- Powdery mildew
Early detection often prevents larger problems.
🌱 August Gardening Checklist: Prepare for Fall Planting
Late August is the perfect time to begin preparing for fall planting.
Consider:
- Broccoli
- Cabbage
- Cauliflower
- Kale
- Lettuce
- Spinach
- Carrots
- Beets
Prepare beds now by adding compost and checking irrigation.
DIG Garden Tip of the Month
Don’t let August heat fool you into overwatering or overfertilizing.
Many plants wilt during the hottest part of the day even when soil moisture is adequate. Before watering or fertilizing, check the soil a few inches below the surface. Healthy soil, proper mulch, and consistent irrigation are usually the best remedies for summer stress.
Coming Soon in the DIG Garden Education Series
As summer begins to wind down, it’s time to prepare for the next growing season.
Our next article:
Preparing Your Garden for Fall Planting
We’ll discuss:
- Improving garden beds with compost
- When to start cool-season vegetables
- Choosing crops for autumn harvests
- Extending the growing season
- Building healthier soil over winter
We hope this August Gardening Checklist helps you keep your East Contra Costa County garden healthy through the summer while preparing for a successful fall season.