Doon Gardening Society Monthly News Letter – AUGUST
The month of August is in and with it the monsoons at full swing. Dehra Dun has had good rains during the last week of July and it is expected that the rains would continue well into mid August. Rains are expected throughout August and first fortnight of September. So the water problems are over. If you have plants under shade, you still have to apply water daily or as required.
August gardening tasks and projects that you can do to help keep your garden looking it are best for the rest of this season.
Watering the garden
With the rains at their best you would not require any watering for the outdoor plants. However house plants under shade and indoors would require frequent watering on as required basis.
Plant activities
1-Devide the bulbs of Bearded iris, Dahlia, Gerbera and Ginger lily and re-plant these.
2-Put in the Gladiolus bulbs.
3-Take cuttings of Geraniums and plant these indoors.
4-If you have not yet planted the Chrysanthemums; this is the last time to do so.
5- Cutting of hedges, climbers, creepers, ornamental pot plants and shrubs should be planted during August.
Sow the seeds of the following winter flowers:
Asperula | Aster | Dahlia | Daisy |
Dianthus | Foxgloves | Hollyhocks | Hypericum |
Marigold | Pansy | Petunia | Phlox |
Poppy | Ranunculus (Seeds & bulbs) | Salvia | Sweet pea |
Verbena | Wall flowers | Sweet William | Telcomaria |
Vegetables seeds for the winter crop should be sown as given below:
Brinjal | Cabbage | Capsicum | Cauliflower |
Onions | Radish | Lettuce | Tomato |
General Activities
- Add some manure to the compost heap and water thoroughly.
- Pull weeds religiously, before they re-seed.
- Feed and disbud dahlias.
-Put a light dusting of bone meal around roses and rake into top of soil to give strength and vigor for overwintering.
-Continue to dead head (remove dead flowers) your annuals to encourage continued blooming.
-If your annuals have died off, pull them out and add them to the compost pile.
-You can get a second bloom from faded annuals by cutting them back by one half their heights, and then fertilize them with a liquid 5-10-10 fertilizer.
-Roses will need to be fertilised each month through the summer. In colder areas, allow shrub roses to ripen by discontinuing feeding them at the end of the month.
-Fertilise container gardens regularly with a liquid all purpose plant food.
-Chrysanthemums should be lightly fertilised every two weeks. Discontinue pinching your mums in mid month so they will be able to develop flower buds for the fall. To promote 'trophy size' flowers, allow only one or two main shoots to develop. Remove all side buds as they begin to develop.
-To produce the largest Dahlia flowers (especially 'Dinner plate' Dahlias), the main stems should be kept free of side shoots, allowing only the main terminal bud to develop. Be sure to provide adequate support to prevent wind damage.
-If your annuals have died off, pull them out and add them to the compost pile.
-You can get a second bloom from faded annuals by cutting them back by one half their heights, and then fertilize them with a liquid 5-10-10 fertilizer.
-Roses will need to be fertilised each month through the summer. In colder areas, allow shrub roses to ripen by discontinuing feeding them at the end of the month.
-Fertilise container gardens regularly with a liquid all purpose plant food.
-Chrysanthemums should be lightly fertilised every two weeks. Discontinue pinching your mums in mid month so they will be able to develop flower buds for the fall. To promote 'trophy size' flowers, allow only one or two main shoots to develop. Remove all side buds as they begin to develop.
-To produce the largest Dahlia flowers (especially 'Dinner plate' Dahlias), the main stems should be kept free of side shoots, allowing only the main terminal bud to develop. Be sure to provide adequate support to prevent wind damage.
The mango season is over; do not neglect your mango plants. Dig 1 feet deep and 2-3 feet basins around each plant Sun it for a week or so and then add 2-3 tea spoons of Phorate (Thimet) 10 G or Carbofuran and mix well with the soil. After 2-3 days apply Chlorpyriphos (CCP) 20 EC 20 ml in 2 liter water.
Apply fertilizers, based on the tree age as under:
Age of the tree (Years) | FYM (Kg) | Urea (Gm) | Superphosphate (Gm) | Muriate of Potash (Gm) |
1 - 3 | 10 -20 | 100 | 200 | 150 |
4 - 6 | 25 - 35 | 200 | 800 | 600 |
7 - 9 | 40 - 50 | 300 | 1400 | 1000 |
10 and above | 50 | 400 | 2000 | 1500 |
After the application of fertilizers, apply water and the fill the basin with the earth.
Excess rain water should be drained from the basins of all the fruit plant and beds.
This is the time to plant the grafted Litchi, Mango, Guava, Citrus, Grapes and Phalsa plants.
Contrary to popular belief, a brown lawn isn't necessarily a dead lawn. Grasses go dormant in times of drought, but will quickly return to life with the monsoon rains. If a lush green lawn is important to you, and you don't mind mowing, water it regularly, and deeply. If a water shortage is expected, or you hate tending to grass, you may choose to just let your lawn go dormant, and water it as seldom as once a month.
Raise the cutting height of the mower. Taller grass cools the roots and helps to keep the moisture in the soil longer.
Raise the cutting height of the mower. Taller grass cools the roots and helps to keep the moisture in the soil longer.
Avoid using fertilisers in hot, dry weather.
Plant protection
Continue to watch for insect or disease damage and take the necessary steps to control the problem.
Feed your house plants with 1/2 the recommended strength of a good soluble house plant fertiliser while they are actively growing.
Continue to watch for insect or disease damage and take the necessary steps to control the problem.
Feed your house plants with 1/2 the recommended strength of a good soluble house plant fertiliser while they are actively growing.
Odds and ends
Be alert to slug and snail damage. These creatures will be hiding during the heat of the day, but will come out of hiding in the cool morning and evening hours or after a rain. Seek and destroy ALL slugs and their eggs.
Keep the weeds pulled, before they have a chance to flower and go to seed again. Otherwise, you will be fighting newly germinated weed seed for the next several years.
Change the water in your bird bath regularly, and keep it filled. Standing water may become a breeding ground for mosquito larvae.
Continue to watch for insect or disease damage throughout the garden, and take the necessary steps to control the problem.
Keep the weeds pulled, before they have a chance to flower and go to seed again. Otherwise, you will be fighting newly germinated weed seed for the next several years.
Change the water in your bird bath regularly, and keep it filled. Standing water may become a breeding ground for mosquito larvae.
Continue to watch for insect or disease damage throughout the garden, and take the necessary steps to control the problem.
Regards and happy gardening
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