The orchard in August has two environments. Extreme heat on one side and the occasional summer storm. Even so, we must still control irrigation because storms are punctual and heat is still the protagonist. It is also a month of harvests and towards the end of the month we will begin to sow autumn products. Let’s see them step by step.
Index
ORCHARD WEATHER IN AUGUST
A month that we could symbolically divide into two. The first 10 or 15 days are usually like the second half of July: a suffocating heat that leaves no puppet with a head. The last fortnight will depend on the years, but you usually see summer storms that calm that heat and usually lower the monthly averages in addition to the rain, because it gets dark earlier and the sun warms a little less than a month and a half ago. In the hot coastal climates it is hardly noticeable but in the continental areas in late August there are usually lower records that then recover in September with the appreciated summer of San Miguel.
HIGHLIGHTS OF THE ORCHARD IN AUGUST
IRRIGATION CHARACTERISTICS
Be the protagonist of this month again. We continue to have days with extremely high temperatures and dehydration of the crops is assured without effective and efficient irrigation. If summer storms occur in the next few days we must also control the irrigation so as not to saturate the soil. The watering thing raining is not that it is the best way to save resources.
The mulch that has helped us so much in the rest of the year, we emphasize its use in hot months, which together with irrigation, will be the best way to help maintain soil moisture.
Be careful with the plants that we leave at home if we go on vacation. This trick can help you a lot.
ATTENTION TO THE SPEED OF GROWTH OF THE ORCHARD IN AUGUST
With the high temperatures and long days, the final development of many of the crops that we have in the garden is exaggeratedly fast. You will have to keep an eye on it almost daily because it is very possible that you will have to collect something almost every day!
We could also include this point in the month of July, although as the massive collections of almost everything we have planted tend to be more in August than in July, we believe it is more important to mention it in this month.
THE IDEAL VACATION
Holidays are another element or setback in the garden. Everyone has to take a well-deserved break and August is usually the preferred month. The problem is that the garden does not rest and the vegetables continue to grow and grow . A few years ago you asked your neighbor or a family member to water your plants.
Now you are going to have to tell him to harvest your garden! And if you realize it, watering the plants does not report anything to the neighbor, but there is no better way to thank the services provided than by giving them a wonderful basket with everything collected, don’t you think? It is quite possible that you will be interested and try to do yours.
THE SOWINGS OF AUGUST
During the first days we will be busy with the harvests but we have to prepare the ground for the autumn crops.
At this time we can sow in the open air or directly, onions, cabbages and everything that we can sow throughout the year such as lettuce, radishes or chard.
+ Growing lettuce in the garden
As for transplants , it’s time to start transplanting cauliflower and broccoli for fall.
THE AUGUST HARVESTS
Absolutely almost everything . Less alachofa, celery, broccoli, asparagus and four other things we have everything to enjoy the garden. All nightshades (pepper, tomato, eggplant) and cucurbits (melon, watermelon, cucumber, zucchini). If in July we highlighted melon and watermelon as the star fruit, in August they take on even more prominence because they are the kings of this month .
CONTROLLING THE ADVENTITIOUS
Before we have commented that the growth speed of your crops during this month is very accelerated. The downside of this is that it is not just your crops. The adventitia also grow as fast or more if possible.
We will have to be careful to do a manual weeding from time to time to avoid invasions! If we go on vacation for a few days, we cannot schedule this task as irrigation, so you will have to use family and / or neighbors again if you want to keep it in order. If not, when you return from your rest days you will have to spend a little morning removing the accumulated.
The padding will help control excessive growth of these inevitable companions of the garden.