Sooke garden to-do list: August –The Great Transition

August is the time to plant winter veggie starts, like kale and cabbage, and leafy greens for fall harvest.

By Loretta Fitz

An August to-do list for gardeners in and around Sooke*

• Plant your own or locally purchased winter vegetable starts (e.g., purple sprouting broccoli, kale, cabbage) and protect them with floating row covers.

• Sow leafy greens (lettuce, collards, spinach, pac choi) for fall harvest and hardy greens (corn salad, arugula) for winter/early spring harvest.

• Harvest daily.

• Prune fruit trees to improve sunlight and air circulation, which promote ripening, and to manage overall growth.

• Cut the spent canes of summer-bearing raspberries to the ground. Thin the remaining canes as needed for good air circulation and ease of picking.

• Deadhead dahlias regularly so they will continue blooming well into fall.

• Start collecting seeds from flowers and vegetables that you would like to share or grow again.

And, of course …

Continue to build compost with fruit and vegetable scraps, dried leaves and plant trimmings, seaweed, manure, and as wide a variety of other seed-free ingredients — both brown and green — as you can find. Remember, the compost feeds the soil, and the soil feeds the plants.

Remove weeds as soon as you see them. They deprive nearby plants of water and valuable nutrients.

Take steps to prevent pests and diseases from ruining your plants. Monitor plants vigilantly, keep tools and work areas clean, follow appropriate planting, growing and pruning techniques, and keep dead/diseased plant material out from under fruit trees and out of beds and containers. Companion planting, floating row covers, slug patrols, etc., can be helpful during the main growing season. 

Take time to relax and enjoy the beauty of your garden and the fruits of your labour!

* This list is for general reference only. The timing of many tasks will be affected by weather and related factors. Please be guided not only by local area conditions, but also by conditions within your own gardening microclimate.