August

Monthly Tips for August

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PeachesFruit

  • If you must apply a pesticide, spray during the coolest parts of the day and follow label directions closely.
  • Harvesting fruit before peak ripeness helps minimize problems with yellow jackets and sap beetles. Yellowjacket bottle traps are commercially available and can help reduce their infestation of your fruit.
  • Remove and dispose of all rotted or fallen fruits and foliage from trees, vines, and bushes. This will help reduce the amount of disease innoculum and number of insect pests, especially apple maggot, that over-winter and attack your fruit plants next spring.

Dormant lawnLawn

  • In dry periods grasses go dormant but recover when rain returns. Newly seeded or sodded lawns may actually be dead and will need to be reseeded.
  • Mid-August through mid-October is the best time to start new lawns and renovate or overseed existing lawns. We recommend a turf-type tall fescue cultivar at a rate of 4 lbs. of seed per 1,000 sq. ft. of area for overseeding, or 8 lbs. per 1000 sq. ft. for new lawns.
  • If your lawn area contains more than 50% weeds, consider a total lawn renovation. Newly seeded turf must be watered regularly. See (PDF) HG 102, Lawn Establishment, Renovation, and Overseeding.

Fall webworm

Trees and Shrubs

  • Fall webworm (photo right) is a late summer pest is a 1-2 inch long hairy caterpillar that creates large tent-like nests on the ends of branches of various shade trees and shrubs. It is unsightly but causes little damage. They can be left alone or knocked out of the tree with a broom, by a hard water spray, or pruning them out and disposing of them in the trash.
  • Numerous caterpillars, including leafrollers, orange striped oak worm, green-striped maple worms, oak skeletonizers, and sawflies are feeding on various shade trees. No controls are necessary unless feeding is severe. You may also see some large and unusual caterpillars with various colored spines and knobs that have been feeding in trees and are getting ready to pupate. These are mostly giant silk moths and should be left alone.
  • Bagworms are very noticeable and feeding on many trees and shrubs. They are usually not a problem on deciduous plants but should be controlled on evergreens. It is now too late to spray them with a biological control product. Where possible, remove bagworm bags from evergreen trees and shrubs, especially spruces. Throw them into a bag and place in the trash. Do not just drop them to the ground as they will crawl right back up the plant.

More tips from the Home & Garden Information Center

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Lawn and Garden Tips and Tricks for August

Maryland GrowsLeave a comment

For Ornamental Plants:

  • Late August through September is usually a good time to transplant, divide and plant perennials such as daylily, liriope (photo left), and echinacea.  Be sure to keep them well watered during dry periods.
  • Annuals and perennials, like yarrow and salvia, may have grown spindly and are not flowering well. Cut them back to encourage re-bloom. Deadhead the spent blooms of annuals like zinnias and marigolds. This will encourage them to continue blooming more vigorously.
  • Plant hardy mums for fall color this month so they will become well established prior to the winter.

More August ornamental tips

For Lawns:

  • In dry periods grasses go dormant but recover when rain returns. Newly seeded or sodded lawns may actually be dead and will need to be reseeded.
  • Mid-August through mid-October is the best time to start new lawns and renovate or overseed existing lawns. We recommend a turf-type tall fescue cultivar at a rate of 4 lbs. of seed per 1,000 sq. ft. of area for overseeding, or 8 lbs. per 1000 sq. ft. for new lawns.
  • If your lawn area contains more than 50% weeds, consider a total lawn renovation. Newly seeded turf must be watered regularly. See Starting a New Lawn.

More August lawn tips

Outdoor Insects:

  • You may notice the European hornet stripping the bark off shrubs (especially lilac) and trees. This stripping of the bark is usually minor and does no real harm to a shrub or tree. The European hornet is a large yellow and brown hornet (photo) that nests in cavities in trees, stumps, wood piles, sheds, etc. and feeds on insects. Unlike most other wasps and hornets this one is a night flyer.
  • Do not spray pesticides in your garden unless you’ve observed a particularly serious pest and the damage caused by the pest. Follow all label directions. Always select the shortest residual, least toxic insecticide to avoid killing beneficial insects.
  • Avoid mosquito and midge problems by turning over any pots, lids or saucers that might collect water and create a breeding site. Also check clogged house gutters another favorite breeding place for mosquitoes and midges. Many people use corrugated drain pipe attached to downspouts to help move water away from their homes. The corrugations hold water and are a prime place for tiger mosquitoes to breed. To avoid the problem, use a smooth drain pipe or securely attach the corrugated drain pipe to the downspout and cover the open end with a piece of pantyhose secured with a rubber band. This will keep adult female mosquitoes and midges out of the drain pipe.

More August indoor and outdoor insect tips