The August Doldrums.

originally published in the Davis Enterprise 07/28/05

The doldrums are the area of the Pacific around the equator where the prevailing winds are often calm. Sailing ships barely move until the trade winds return. So there can be days and days of dank, hot stillness and inactivity.  For the bleak description, try Coleridge's Rime of the Ancient Mariner. For a less depressing version of the doldrums, just reread Norton Juster's The Phantom Tollbooth. Either would be fine in a hammock in the shade.

There are two difficult times of year for color in the garden. January is a challenge because it is cold, rainy, or foggy. This year we had a total of 4 sunny days in January! It takes a special plant to bloom under those conditions.

The other challenging time is right now: the 6 - 8 week period from late July into mid-September. The spring and early summer blooming perennials are done, flopping over, setting seed, and generally looking chaotic. The fall flowers such as mums are still gearing up. And generally we've had some spells of really hot weather that has been stressful to gardens and gardeners alike.

What to do in the garden in August?

There are a few maintenance practices that can make your garden more pleasing right now.

Lawn Problems?

There's not much to do about the burnt spots caused by dogs. Mowing your grass at least two inches high, and keeping it well-fertilized in the spring and fall, will help the overall appearance.

When the grass is underwatered, it is dull green and the lawn doesn't spring back up when you walk across it. Usually stress is more visible on the edges and corners, where the sprinklers don't cover as well, or on mounds or slopes due to the water running off.

Our standard recommendation is to apply one inch of water two times a week. You can measure with tuna cans or equivalent high-tech cylindrical devices to see how long that takes with your sprnklers. You may be surprised! It's often 35 - 40 minutes; over an hour with impulse (Rainbird) types. 

What if the water runs off in just a few minutes? With heavier soils typical of West or North Davis it may be necessary to split each into two or more waterings on a single day, or even over a couple of days. Just get two inches a week on as best you can, and avoid watering daily.

If your soil has been compacted by traffic, you can aerate it with a mechanical device that removes a plug of soil. Garden personality Jerry Baker, whose nonsense is often featured on KVIE (don't get me started!) suggests walking on the grass in golf shoes to 'aerate' the lawn? Doesn't work: the cleats just make compacted holes. Rent a sod corer ('lawn aerator') to do the job right. And then rake some compost over the surface to percolate down into the holes to make even more of a difference.

Disease problems in turf have diminished in recent years as tall and dwarf fescues have become more popular; the natural disease resistance of these varieties is part of their appeal. But those are often combined with bluegrass in the sod farms to improve the color and to 'knit' the sod better. After a year or so the bluegrass gets fusarium blight and begins to die out, leading to a mottled pattern of brown grass among the green. Just rake out the dead parts and overseed with more fescue in the fall and all will be well.

A customer recently reported his lawn was 'disappearing', and indeed it was! He had a major infestation of cutworms, which are caterpillars that eat the grass plants at ground level. A small number is not a concern, but occasionally we get a localized large outbreak. Often birds will take care of this! If they aren't eating fast enough, there is an organic spray that is specifically for caterpillars.

White grubs are much less common here than in the midwestern and eastern states, but we do sometimes see the brown patches that they cause. They are the larva of various beetles and they feed on the roots, so the grass looks as though it needs water. But the difference is that the pattern of 'dryness' is erratic, and if you tug on the grass it pulls right up (you often find the fat little grubs curled up in the soil). Beneficial nematodes can be applied in the form of a soil drench.

What to plant now?

--Coreopsis and Gaillardia have similar daisy-like flowers in shades of yellow, orange, red, and both will tend to reseed. Again, new hybrids are more compact than the older types.

--Echinacea purpurea, the Purple coneflower, flowers for several weeks and each blossom gradually unfolds over a number of days. [Shown at left, and fully open at right]

--Japanese anemone, Anemone x hybrida (aka A. japonica) has flowers that resemble single roses on tall stems through August and September. It prefers partial shade and spreads steadily.

--Rudbeckia hirta, the Black-eyed Susan, now comes in an array of patterns and most varieties are shorter, more manageable garden plants than the original species. [Shown below]

--Yarrow (Achillea species) have soft, ferny foliage and large clusters of tiny blooms which attract beneficial insects to the garden.

--What's that pink flowering bulb you see around farm houses this month? Naked ladies are always nice in the garden! Planted in the fall, Amaryllis belladonna is a bulb with pink flowers up on bare stems (hence the name).

Planting in August is perfectly fine! Just check the new plants each day, though they typically only need water every 2 - 3 days for the first couple of weeks. Do your garden activities in the morning or early evening, and drink plenty of water. And then curl up in the shade with a good book during the heat of midday.

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