The Almanac
Average temperature: High 92, Low 73
Rainfall: 6.25 inches
1. Moon phases
Last quarter: Aug. 5
New moon: Aug. 12
First quarter: Aug. 19
Full moon: Aug. 28
2. Moon sign planting dates
Above-ground crops: 13, 14, 18, 19, 23, 24
Below-ground crops: 1, 2, 5, 6, 9, 10, 28, 29
Control weeds and pests: 7, 8, 25, 26, 27
Prune trees and shrubs: 3, 4, 11, 12, 20, 21, 22, 30, 31
Time to plant
3. Vegetables: Cantaloupe, collard, corn, cucumber, eggplant, lima bean, okra, pepper, pumpkin, snap bean, southern pea, squash, tomato and watermelon
4. Flowers: Angelonia, begonia, black-eyed Susan vine, blue daze, butterfly weed, bush daisy, cat’s whiskers, chrysanthemums, coleus, coreopsis, crossandra, fire spike, gaura, golden globe, heliconia, jacobinia, impatiens, lantana, marigold, melampodium, moon flower, pentas, periwinkle, porter weed, portulaca, purslane, salvia, Stokes aster, sunflower, torenia and zinnia
5. Herbs:Anise, basil, bay laurel, chive, dill, ginger, lemon balm, Mexican tarragon, mint, oregano, rosemary, sage, sweet marjoram and thyme
6. Bulbs: African iris, agapanthus, amaryllis, bulbine, canna, crinum, day lily, gladiolus, gloriosa lily, kaffir lily, Louisiana iris, society garlic, rain lily and walking iris
Vegetable and fruit care
7. A new, warm season garden starts this month; plant most crops around mid-August.
8. It’s not too late to start tomato, pepper and eggplant transplants from seed, but hurry,
9. Fertilize new seedlings every other week with a half-strength fertilizer solution.
10. Plant your garden in a sunny site with a nearby water source.
11. Remove summer weeds, till the ground and test the soil acidity to adjust if needed.
12. Enrich soils and old planting sites with garden soils, organic matter and composted manure.
13. If gardens are not planted until fall there’s still time for a soil solarization treatment.
14. Seeds of melons and pumpkins must be planted during early August.
15. Where possible plant nematode-resistant tomato and other vegetable varieties.
16. Open wide, 8-inch or deeper holes in nematode-infested sites and fill with fresh pest-free soil.
17. Many gardeners like to grow vegetables in large containers filled with a good potting soil.
18. Give tomatoes an extra large container and keep moist to prevent blossom-end rot.
19. Start early to train tomatoes and many vining crops to stakes or trellises.
20. Stake peppers or contain them in medium-sized wire rings.
21. Groom and feed herbs monthly; shelter container-grown herbs from the daily rains.
22. Clean containers between crops and add fresh potting soil.
23. Vegetables that survived the summer may continue into fall; keep moist and fertilize.
24. Plant flowers that attract pollinators among the vegetables to obtain better fruit set.
25. Mulch new plantings to conserve water and promote better plant growth.
26. Pineapple fruits are ready when fragrant and turning a yellow to orange color.
27. Feed bananas and figs monthly but lightly; keep moist and mulched.
28. Give grape, apple and peach plantings a summer feeding.
29. Feed citrus with one-quarter pound of citrus fertilizer per inch of trunk circumference.
30. Apply a minor nutrient spray and insecticide to citrus at each flush of new growth.
Lawn care
31. Previously dry turf has a new green look, but check for common summer problems.
32. Dense shade causes lawns to thin which is normal.
33. Lawns in shade may decline due to rot problems; contact a lawn spray service to control.
34. Declining yellow grass may be take-all root rot; if allowed try to regreen with liquid fertilizer.
35. Expanding yellow spots in St. Augustine grass may be due to chinch bugs; treat as needed.
36. Chewed grass blades can result from caterpillars; ask for a natural control at garden centers.
37. Lawns may begin to look yellow green; where permitted apply iron or minor nutrients.
38. Check local regulations as some prohibit feeding lawns during the summer.
39. Fill bare areas with sod, plugs or seed to take advantage of the good growing weather.
40. Wait until fall to sod shady areas to prevent decline due to excessive moisture.
41. New lawns are susceptible to fungal leaf spots; apply a fungicide to help reduce decline.
42. Mow frequently at the proper height and keep the blades sharp to prevent jagged ends.
43. Allowing your lawn to wilt a little between waterings helps deepen the root system.
44. Spot control weeds that are filling bare spots and over growing the good grass.
45. Consider another ground cover for hard to maintain and problem turf areas
Landscape care
46. Summer is a good time to add new plants to the landscape as rains help with watering.
47. Select plants that grow to the proper height for your site to prevent excessive pruning.
48. Make sure root balls are moist at planting and create berms at the edge to catch water.
49. Summer rains can help water new plantings; check daily to make sure the soil remains moist.
50. Really tough bedding plants include, bush daisy, coleus, pentas, torenia and classic zinnias.
51. Invite pollinators to visit with butterfly weed, coreopsis, pentas, Porter weed and salvias.
52. Trim hydrangeas when old flower heads begin to decline.
53. Give poinsettias and chrysanthemums there last pruning by the end of the month.
54. Orange spots on plumeria leaves are caused by a rust disease; use a rust-control fungicide.
55. Leaf spots affect many shrubs; have them diagnosed and apply a control if needed.
56. Keep shrubs healthy: where permitted apply a summer feeding of a slow-release fertilizer.
57. Landscape plantings make lots of growth during summer; prune to keep in bounds.
58. Weeds grow out of control during summer; remove to prevent seeding and more weeds.
59. Renew mulch layers to control weeds: keep them back a few inches from stems and trunks.
60. Summer rains can cause container plants to decline; check for proper drainage.
61. Replace annuals and perennials with heat-tolerant selections.
62. Continue to feed flower beds where permitted to encourage growth and repeat blooms.
63. Palms are best fertilized with products made for their needs and contain minor nutrients.
64. Keep palms healthy; only remove the dead fronds and old flower heads.
65. Palms are being affected by several diseases; sterilize pruners between palms.
66. Don’t let vines climb trees and shrubs; train them to arbors and trellises.
67. Pruning time is over for azaleas, camellias and gardenias that are forming flowers buds.
68. Edge walkways and drives to keep the landscape attractive.
69. Container gardens make attractive accents to grow in the problem landscape spots.
70. Feed container gardens frequently; use a liquid fertilizer or slow-release product as labeled.
71. Add foliage plants to the shady gardens during the warmer months.
72. Yellowing and leaf drop of crape myrtles is often due to a fungus but usually ignored.
73. Caladiums may start to decline by month’s end, which is normal.
74. Divide bromeliads, orchids, day lilies and other landscape perennials.
75. Feed water lilies and bog plantings monthly.
Foliage and houseplant care
76. Mealy bugs and scale insects are causing plants to decline; control with insecticidal soaps.
77. Trim foliage plants to encourage dense new growth.
78. Transplant root-bound foliage plants.
79. Make cuttings of your favorite plants.
80. Feed house plants monthly.
81. Feed foliage plants on the patio or porch every other week or use a slow-release fertilizer.
82. Wash off dust and pests with soapy water.
83. Move light-starved plants outdoors to a shady location.
84. Add new plants to the indoor collection.
85. Move orchids and bromeliads outdoors to a shady site when they finish flowering.
Tom MacCubbin is an urban horticulturist emeritus with the University of Florida Cooperative Extension Service. Write him: Orlando Sentinel, P.O. Box 2833, Orlando, FL. 32802. Email: TomMac1996@aol.com.