Northwest Region

• Water in the early morning to avoid any evaporation. Water the soil rather than the plants to avoid disease. Let the soil surface dry out before watering again.
• Fertilize your lawn early this month for the last time before fall.
• Ensure that your lawn is getting an inch of rainwater per week—or, water more frequently.
• Apply a layer of mulch in your gardens to conserve moisture and reduce weeds.
• Stake tall plants, such as delphinium, lupine, and tomatoes.
• Plant beets, bush beans, carrots, cauliflower, broccoli, lettuce, kale, and peas to provide fall and winter crops.
• Plant potatoes. Mound up soil around their base to create a small hill.
• Add compost or cow manure to rhubarb an asparagus beds. Water deeply.
• Check your plants for diseases or insects and treat when necessary. (See our Pest pages.)
• Water tomatoes very evenly and apply a 2-inch layer of mulch. This may help to avoid early and late blight. Prune for air circulation and remove damaged leaves. Treat with fungicide if needed.
• Keep your annuals and perennials blooming by removing all of the dead flowers.
• Continue harvesting fruit, vegetables, and herbs to encourage more growth.
• Do not fertilize your trees and shrubs after mid-July because the new growth will not harden off in time to avoid any winter damage.
• Be sure to keep weeding; weeds will compete with your plants to use up nutrients and water.