August Tasks
Prime harvest time in the garden! It is what we alll have been waiting for: enjoying the bounty! It’s can be a busy month, but one that you will be thankful you took the extra time to store, process, freeze your produce for the Fall and Winter months.
Here are some of the tasks for August:
Direct sow:
Carrots
Kale (can also start these indoors too)
Turnips
Radishes
Lettuces
Spinach
Arugula
Pak choi (and other asian greens)
Green onions
Swiss chard
Transplant out:
Brassicas seedlings that are around 6 weeks can be transplanted out. Make sure they get plenty of water and a shade cloth if it gets really hot. Use bone meal in the bottom of the holes to ensure good root, flower and fruit growth.
Create shade! The sun is hot and the soil is dry. Shade is incredibly important for new transplants and seedlings. This old screen door is shading some leek seedlings I planted out last month.
Shading newly transplanted brassicas under a mesh row cover (to keep out cabbage moths) with burlap on top to provide shade. Hoops are made out of old irrigation lines.
From inside the tunnel you can see it creates a good amount of shade!
Cut back herbs and lavender. The flowers can be pruned off so that fresh leaves can emerge and potentially more flowers!
Deadhead flowers. For new flowers to emerge, make sure to cut off the dead ones.
For basil, make sure to clip off the flowers when you see them to start to emerge. This will prolong their life and keep the basil from going bitter.
Fertilize - ensure to feed your heavy feeders! Mainly the curcubit family at the moment (i.e., squash and cucumbers), as well as tomatoes, corns, brassicas and peppers! I aim to use my own comfrey tea, as it is rich in potassium. Alternatively, using fish fertilizer for nitrogen (leafy growth). I do use bone meal in the bottom of the hole when planting out seedlings (typically just for the heavy feeders) for phosphorous.
Harvest Garlic: Now that the garlic is mostly dry, it is time to cut their necks, roots, peel the first layer of skin and scrub the dirt off for storage. I like to store my garlic roots down in egg cartons individually (some of the big ones don’t always fit — so those ones are upside down). I don’t fully close the carton and sometimes cut the top part off entirely. Store them in a cool dark spot.
Since I had so much time on my hands (*cough*), I decided to fishtail braid some of my garlic. Hardneck garlic can’t be regularly braided like soft necks, but they can be fishtail braided! Here is helpful video that I found if you’d like to try. I didn’t bother with hammering the necks. Very satisfying to have at least a few of these to hang.
Harvest Onions: Once tops have fallen over and start to dry a bit, stop watering so they don’t rot. On a dry sunny day, you can dig them out with a fork and leave them to cure in a shady dry spot for 2-3 days until completely dry.
My onions are starting to flop over. I didn’t do a secondary “haircut” of the onion tops like I did last year as I heard it doesn’t make a difference. In my humble opinion, it definitely does! My bulbs are not quite as large as they were last year because the weight on the tops flopped over prematurely. Next year, my onions will go back to their usual two haircuts.
Harvest Beans: Try it spicy pickled! Or this Green Bean Stir-Fry.
Harvest Cucumbers: got too many? Make a quick pickle or can them. Or you can make this delicious Asian Cucumber Salad.
Harvest Tomatoes: Enjoy them straight off the vine, sliced them, dice them, stew them!
Some Romas waiting to be sun-ripened. I got a delicious recipe lined up for next month for these beauties.
Harvest Zucchini: You only need one or two plants for a reason. These guys are plentiful! The ones that mysteriously appear on neighbour’s doorsteps. A favourite Carbonara pasta recipe.
Our peach tree is three years old! We got a handful of small peaches this year.
Along with the wild blackberries, plums, early apples, and peaches in season, there is plenty to turn these fruit into jams, dried fruit, pies or what have you. Or not! Just enjoy them fresh and savour the summer months.
But tell me below, what are your favourite recipes from your summer produce?!! I’d love to know — and I’m sure others would too! Also, feel free to ask any questions.
** Note: Where I live my hardiness zone is 8a - so quite mild. If you live in a lower zone (Okanagan: 6-7; Southern Alberta 4), you may not be harvesting at a different time.