Gardening is not as pleasant in the August heat, so during this month, I’m looking for a way to keep myself in a gardening frame of mind. For instance, I’m pondering what I’d like to plant when the sweltering heat subsides, usually mid-October.
Early mornings or late afternoons find me walking the perimeter of my flower beds, noting what survived or performed well this year. Thank goodness many plants provide late-summer blooms to keep our flower beds from looking too bare after the flush of spring and early summer.
DON’T DEADHEAD; LET ANNUALS RESEED
Although my beds are filled with annuals, many of these plants will reseed themselves if flowers are allowed to dry on the stem. Deadheading throughout the summer will encourage a new flush of blooms, but in late summer, I choose to leave blooms to dry. In fall or early spring, I am rewarded with an abundance of “babies” that can be moved to a new location, filling in open areas where a plant may thrive and provide enjoyment next season.
PROPAGATION: GROW NEW PLANTS FROM CUTTINGS
August is also a good month to propagate plants, which means growing a new plant using a parent plant. Many shrubs and herbaceous plants can be successfully propagated now. Some plants will root in water; others do better in soil.
- Cut stems on a 45-degree angle, 6 to 8 inches long from this year’s growth. Place in a wide-mouth container, changing the water every few days to discourage algae growth. When roots get about one-quarter inch long, move cuttings to a rooting mix or sand.
- If rooting in soil or sand, remove the lower leaves, leaving at least one or two nodes. The nodes are where new roots will emerge. Dip each cutting in water, then in a rooting hormone. Use a pencil to make a hole in the soil; placing the cutting in the hole and gently tamping down soil. Mist cuttings and cover with a top or plastic to help retain moisture.
- Plants that do well propagating include aucuba, boxwood, Chinese evergreen, chlorophytum, coleus, croton, dieffenbachia, dracaena, English ivy, firespike, gardenia, impatiens, philodendron and Swedish ivy.
There are many others I could include in this list, so you may want to try your hand at propagating plants you would especially like to have more of. You might also ask a friend or neighbor for a few cuttings if they are growing a plant you might want.
