Sally Scalera For FLORIDA TODAY

Published July 26, 2024

With the hot temperatures hanging around through August, dividing your projects and working outside in the early morning and/or evening hours is still a good idea. If you want to grow some vegetables this fall, now is the time to prepare for it! Here are some ideas of things to do this month.

* Remove all spent vegetable plants by cutting them off at ground level. This will protect the soil from disturbance and leave the root system in the ground for the soil microbes to feed on. Add some worm castings over the entire garden area to enrich and cover the soil if needed. When planting, inoculate the hole with earthworm castings and a granular mycorrhizal mixture if you haven’t already established the soil food web throughout your garden and yard! For bean and pea plants, inoculate them with the correct nitrogen-fixing bacteria. 

If you want to add a hedge to your yard, consider planting a keystone species, such as Walter's viburnum, to support migratory birds.  Hedges that are 3 to 8 feet tall provide cover and nesting locations, and they can be pruned by hand once a year.

* This month the following vegetables can be planted: beans; carrots; eggplant; endive/escarole; okra; bunching onions (green and shallots); peppers; Southern peas; squash; and tomatoes.

* The vegetable seeds that can be sown this month for planting in September are arugula, beans, beets, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, Chinese cabbage, collards, cucumbers (after September; the next month for planting cucumbers is January), eggplant, endive/escarole, kale, lettuce, mustard, peppers, spinach, squash, Swiss chard, tomatoes and turnips.

* To help the lawn tolerate drought (which I don’t believe we are out of yet), spray it weekly (or as often as possible) with liquid seaweed or kelp. Both seaweed and kelp supply trace elements and growth hormones, which research has shown help plants handle environmental stresses. For the lawn, apply the liquid seaweed using a hose-end sprayer.  For edible (and ornamental plants experiencing insect pest and/or disease problems), a hand pump-up sprayer works well to apply a fine mist to both sides of the foliage. Inoculate the lawn with beneficial bacteria and mycorrhizae to benefit the lawn and the entire yard. As the soil microbial populations grow, they will find the roots of the other plants growing throughout the landscape. For more information, email the UF/IFAS Extension Brevard County Master Gardeners at if-svc-BrevardMG1@ifas.ufl.edu.

* A common practice that can harm both St. Augustine and Bahia is mowing the grass too short! The recommended height to mow both St. Augustine and Bahia is at a height of three to four inches. That does not mean mowing the grass when it is three to four inches tall, but having the grass blades measure three to four inches after mowing. Taller blades are much better for the turf, so four inches is a great height to aim for. The longer leaf blades will carry on more photosynthesis and longer roots will be produced to gather more nutrients, including water.

* If you want to add a hedge to your yard, consider planting one of our keystone species to support migratory birds.  Hedges that are 3 to 8 feet tall provide cover and nesting locations, and they can be pruned by hand once a year if you prefer a more natural look or maintain a formal look, pruning two to three times a year. 

* In addition to supporting migratory birds, it would also be great to support our native solitary bees, which are needed to ensure our native flowering plants continue producing seeds. Choose various flowers so nectar and pollen will be available throughout the year, and plant them together in clumps or drifts. Leave the soil bare throughout the center so the ground-dwelling bees can dig their burrows and raise their young. Place mulch around the outer edge of the plant bed to help suppress weeds and give the area a neat appearance.

The best flowers to plant include goldenrod, Solidago spp. (five native species), sunflower, Helianthus spp. (three native species), false goldenaster, Heterotheca subaxillaris, goldenaster, Chrysopsis spp. (six native species)., tickseed, Coreopsis spp. (two native species), silkgrass, Pityopsis graminifolia, coneflower, Rudbeckia hirta, old field aster, Symphyotrichum spp. (two native species), and climbing aster, Ampelaster carolinianus.

* For ideas of flowers to plant in a sunny spot, consider coleus, impatiens, marigolds, celosia, Melampodium, gazania, gaillardia, cosmos, purslane, sunflower, and salvia, just to name a few.

* Some herbs that can be planted now are anise hyssop, African blue basil, culinary bay (Laurus nobilis), borage, chives (onion or garlic), dill, fennel, ginger, lemon balm, lemon verbena, Mexican tarragon (we can’t grow French tarragon), mints (large variety of scents and flavors to choose from), oregano, parsley, pineapple sage, sage, salad burnet, sweet basil (many cultivars to choose from), sweet marjoram, rosemary, and thyme.

* Bulbs, for sunny areas, that can be planted now include caladiums (some cultivars), African iris (Morea spp.), Aztec lily (Sprekelia formosissima), Snowflake (Leucojum spp.), Spider lily (Hymenocallis sp.) and Watsonia.

* Bulbs for partially shady areas include our native rain lily (Zephyranthes spp.), amaryllis, white butterfly ginger (Hedychium coronarium), caladiums (many cultivars), Calla (Zantedeschia spp.), Narcissus, and Shell ginger (Alpinia zerumbet).

* For ideas of colorful plants for a shady spot, consider impatiens, crossandra, coleus, and angelwing begonias.

The Brevard County Farmers Market is open at Wickham Park in Melbourne from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. Thursdays, at the pavilion. This market was created to provide consumers an opportunity to purchase from local growers and producers, and is operated through a joint partnership between Brevard County Parks & Recreation and  the UF/IFAS Extension in Cocoa.

* Check out some of the fresh produce and delicious edibles that will be available at our Brevard County Farmers Market in August, including fresh herbs, microgreens, shoots, wheatgrass, and microgreen growing kits.  Vegetables that will be available are tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, squash, and potatoes. In addition, there will be fresh bread, hummus, honey, mushrooms, seasoning blends, beef jerky, fresh salsas, candied jalapenos, sweet relish, cupcakes & other sweets, homemade jams, apple butter, and jellies, and a variety of homemade nut butter. If you enjoy pork, the will also be locally raised pork available. For pasta lovers, freshly made pasta, sauces, cheese, and other delicious Italian items will be available.

On the second Thursday of every month, Deep Roots Meat comes with their Florida-grown, grass-fed Angus beef, pork, and chicken straight from their farm. The Brevard County Farmers Market is held in the Wickham Park Pavilion every Thursday from 3 to 6 p.m. You can also use your SNAP/EBT benefits at the market. Simply swipe your EBT card at the SNAP/EBT booth and receive tokens that can be exchanged for SNAP-eligible items. To learn more about this program, visit feedingflorida.org/food-access/fresh-access-bucks/how-fab-works. To stay current with the most current information, follow the Brevard County Farmers Market Facebook page: facebook.com/brevardcountyfarmersmarket/.

Sally Scalera is an urban horticulture agent and master gardener coordinator for the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agriculture Science.

Read the full article here: https://www.floridatoday.com/story/life/2024/07/26/august-gardening-tips-its-time-to-plan-plant-that-fall-veggie-crop/74522020007/