If a tree, shrub, or perennial seems to be wholesome and is rising usually, there’s no want for added fertilizer this time of 12 months. However, in case you’re seeing chlorotic (yellowing) leaves and off coloration (and drought stress isn’t the problem), they might profit from a lift.
A focused spherical of fertilizing in August helps sure crops missing vitamins as they put together to go into winter. It fosters repeat flowering in shrubs that present coloration in fall. It advantages annuals that proceed to develop and produce, notably with a closing flush as temperatures reasonable in the direction of fall.
Potted tropicals, too, can obtain additional vitamins now, together with houseplants spending summer season outside earlier than making the transition again inside to overwinter. Successional rounds of greens and newly planted crops get an natural therapy for constant manufacturing. Lotus and waterlilies obtain their final spherical this month whereas water temperatures stay gentle.
By late summer season, excessive warmth, drought, or different climate fluctuations play a task in plant vigor and in addition in whether or not or to not fertilize. For a lot of, we cease fertilizing now to keep away from selling new development that’s inclined to winter harm. Crops are winding down a season of lively rising and producing, relying in your local weather, as they put together for winter.
Check out this checklist of crops to fertilize in August to find out what to feed and what to skip.
August Fertilizer Notes
In late summer season, we need to keep away from fertilizing warmth or drought-stressed specimens. They gained’t profit from the added vitamins, which can stress them additional. Most crops, together with perennials, don’t require late summer season fertilizer, however these in lean soils or exhibiting chlorotic (yellowing) leaves get a lift earlier than chilly climate.
Earlier than you fertilize crops in August, remember your first anticipated frost date, and permit at the least six to eight weeks earlier than including slow-release vitamins. We need to keep away from encouraging new development as crops gradual and transfer towards winter dormancy.
Gradual-release fertilizers distribute vitamins steadily over the course of about two months. Common granulars break down in about one month, whereas crops take in liquid feeds rapidly to spur development.
Understanding the kind of fertilizer and its software price helps keep away from an extra of nitrogen late within the season. An excessive amount of nitrogen results in weak development and elevated susceptibility to pests, ailments, and chilly harm.
Average temperatures and common moisture are the very best situations for roots to soak up vitamins. A soil check this time of 12 months is a good suggestion to measure nutrient ranges and any modification wants. Fall is prime for amending soils, giving them time for absorption earlier than the spring.
Reblooming Flowering Shrubs
Whereas spring-flowering shrubs have already set their buds for subsequent 12 months, people who present a flush of flowers within the fall could profit from a lift in vitamins. August is the jumping-off level for a closing software of fertilizer to crops like reblooming roses, hydrangeas, and azaleas.
Hardy shrubs can take fertilizing now if they appear unhealthy and you believe you studied a nutrient deficiency. However, there’s no want to spice up people who look good and gained’t be exhibiting one other spherical of flowers.
Single-season roses, for instance, don’t want fertilizing now. For people who rebloom, fertilizing these crops in August could spur them to a showier late-season show whereas supporting complete well being earlier than winter.
For reblooming roses, go for a specialised rose fertilizer with phosphorus to advertise blooming. Seaweed and alfalfa extracts are low-grade natural choices for ongoing assist. Foliar feeds, too, with their fast absorption, can promote a fall flush of flowers.
For showy rosehips that provide winter curiosity and forage for birds and wildlife, cease fertilizing, deadheading, and pruning roses by late August and September to permit blooms to set hips and put together for winter.
For hydrangeas and azaleas that repeat flower late within the season, contemplate a phosphorus-rich fertilizer or one tailor-made to acid-loving flowering shrubs for bloom assist.
Take care to not overfertilize, as an excessive amount of nitrogen produces fast, weak development with much less flowering. Cease fertilizing by early autumn because the shrubs cease actively rising and put together for dormancy. For fall-planted flowering shrubs, wait till spring to fertilize for the rising season.
Heat-Season Turf
Our grassy garden advantages from common fertilizer all through the rising season. An everyday month-to-month upkeep schedule in response to grass kind and local weather brings the lushest blades.
Turf falls broadly into warm-season and cool-season sorts, with warm-season grasses rising in zones 7 and above. Frequent sorts embrace Bermuda, St. Augustine, centipede, and zoysia. Cool-season grasses thrive in zones 6 and decrease, with Kentucky bluegrass, perennial ryegrass, and tall and wonderful fescues as widespread species.
Heat-season grasses enter winter dormancy with the onset of frost and chilly temperatures. Fertilize these crops in August within the first half of the month, or six to eight weeks earlier than the anticipated first frost.
A final dose now provides new development an opportunity to harden off earlier than chilly climate. Even in frost-free zones the place grass stays inexperienced all 12 months, making use of fertilizer now brings prolonged seasonal nourishment.
For cool-season grasses, we’ll normally fertilize between September and October. Cool-climate grasses develop roots within the fall to retailer vitamins for profitable overwintering.
Use a quick-release granular, as there’s normally not sufficient time earlier than soils freeze for slow-release. Nitrogen could construct up within the soil and is pointless each for the turf and the groundwater with a late software.
Nutrient-Missing Evergreens
From conifers to groundcovers, hollies to arborvitae, evergreens that seem worn or much less resilient at summer season’s finish can deal with fertilizer in the event that they expertise a scarcity of diet. Yellowing leaves or needles could seem as vitamins leach from the soil or because the alkalinity rises by late summer season. To reasonable soil pH and add minerals, fertilize these crops in August with a balanced 5-5-5 or 8-8-8 granular.
Our hardiest evergreens are adaptable and develop in a wide range of soil sorts, from sandy and rocky to amended clays. These in lean soils could present essentially the most want for end-of-season assist. Whereas rugged, a measured scattering, labored evenly into the rapid soil, can profit roots earlier than freezing situations.
When you’re hesitant to fertilize however need to add gradual diet, topdress with a layer of compost. The layer of natural materials will help in insulation and moisture retention main into cooler months. Proceed watering backyard crops till frost for essentially the most turgid, water-filled roots, stems, and needles for winter survival.
Annuals
Annuals are the hard-working stars of summer season, doing all of their rising and flowering in a single season. As prolific producers, they’re additionally heavy feeders. Relying on the sort of fertilizer you employ and the annual species, a spherical each 4 to 6 weeks is typical.
To advertise flushing development and budding in August for an additional spherical of coloration, a liquid feed increased in phosphorus promotes quick reflowering. A fast-release granular feed lasts for about one month. In climates with lengthy rising seasons, a gradual launch this month takes the plant via October.
Fertilize heavy-feeders and superlative bloomers like petunia, calibrachoa, and fuchsia now to encourage an prolonged season of coloration. Deadhead this month to advertise future flowering (fairly than directing vitality into seed manufacturing). Don’t deadhead the final set of flowers in case you hope for pure seed drop or assortment.
When you plan to overwinter annuals, tropicals, and tender perennials like begonia, petunia, and fuchsia in a sheltered area, fertilizing now is an efficient final alternative earlier than transitioning them inside. Reduce them again and situate them in a cool, dimly lit room like a storage or basement till spring. Or, transfer them indoors to a cool spot in shiny, oblique mild.
New Crops
When you’ve sown successional rounds of beans, squash, cucumbers, herbs, or different fast-developing warm-season crops, sustain together with your fertilizing protocol via August. Balanced diet sustains end-of-summer yields, which will not be as strong as earlier within the season, however carry an infusion of taste and diet.
The identical applies to vines of mid-to-late summer season sowings of pumpkins and different winter squashes. As they proceed to develop and develop, low-grade natural fertilizers ship direct diet relying on the expansion section. With flowering, switching from a nitrogen-rich base to increased phosphorus promotes fruiting.
As we sow fall crops in August, establishing organically wealthy soils with fertilizer as seedlings develop provides important vitamins. Fish emulsion is an natural supply of nitrogen and bone meal of potassium, as root greens like carrots, radishes, beets, and turnips set up early roots and leafy development.
Tropicals
In gentle situations, fertilize tropical crops in August that you just plan to overwinter or that develop outside year-round in frost-free climates. Houseplants, too, can obtain late-season rounds. Whereas they’re nonetheless actively rising, they’ll take in the diet readily.
A liquid feed each month or so offers straightforward supply. For a lot of potted tropicals, a diluted focus of houseplant fertilizer is ample (usually at one-third or half energy, combined with water).
Cease fertilizing in late summer season/early fall as lively development naturally slows, indoors or out. Scale back watering frequency because the crops take in much less moisture within the cool season. Wait till spring to fertilize once more as new development flushes.
Whereas spring is often the very best time to repot tropicals and houseplants, August continues to be a contender throughout lively development earlier than transitioning the crops inside. When you’re noticing rootbound responses like protruding roots, fast runoff at watering, and drought-stressed leaves, it could be time to repot.
Bump the crops up to a pot one to 2 inches bigger, and refresh the potting combine. A few of our favorites want to be potbound and solely want refreshing each few years.
Aquatic Crops
Whereas water temperatures stay heat (above 60°F or 16°C), August is prime for a final fertilizer cycle for aquatic crops. These lovely lotus and waterlilies that bloomed earlier within the season or at the moment are in peak flower can use closing tabbing with pellets or spikes of their submerged pots.
Hardy water lilies get a closing therapy this month to harden off earlier than winter. Tropical sorts, too, profit in case you plan to raise and retailer the tubers. Diet now promotes strong roots for storing.