August Gardening Calendar - Colorado State University Extension Tri River Area Mesa Delta Montrose Ouray Counties

Sunday	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday
Week 1
The Dial-a-Garden Message (970 244-1706) provides additional gardening information on a weekly basis. Treatments for the Codling Moth should continue. Neglecting to treat properly will result in wormy apples and pears.	Boxelder trees can be attacked by a long-horn beetle. Holes in the trunk of the tree indicate a need to treat.	Fertilizer applied to lawns this month may increase disease problems. Review the information on the Late-Season Technique of fertilizing lawns. Yellow concentric rings on tomato fruit is caused by the Tomato Spotted Wilt Virus. This has become a perennial problem. Thrips spread this disease.	High populations of Squash Bugs should be expected. Summer and winter squash plants should be checked and sprayed if eggs, adults or young squash bugs are noted. Sprays should be applied to the underside of the leaves and debris at the base of plants. Crushing eggs and hand-picking nymphs and adults is also recommended.	The base of peach, apricot, nectarine, plum and almond trees (and shrubs) need to be treated to control the Peach Tree Borer. This insect attacks fruit bearing and ornamental varieties of these trees. Follow the direction when mixing these materials with water. Further information is available in Service in Action Sheet 2.804.	Eggs of the White Grub [AKA June Beetle] eggs have hatched and young grubs are feeding on the roots of grass. This is the best time to apply an insecticide to control this pest. Check with your local nursery or garden center for a soil-applied insecticide registered for use on this insect.	Fall Webworms will soon appear in the tops of cottonwood trees. This is the insect that forms large tents that remain in the trees all winter. The caterpillars strip the leaves in the vicinity of their tents. In most cases a commercial pesticide applicator will need to be hired in order to reach the tops of large trees. The biological pesticide Bacillus thuringiensis - `kurstaki' or ` aizawai' is recommended.
Week 2
Blossom end rot will continue to plague gardeners growing tomatoes. Mulching the plants and keeping the soil uniformly moist helps. Tomatoes that are not setting fruit may be suffering from high temperatures. Shading the plants helps, as does a layer of mulch and maintaining uniform soil moisture.	Leaf hopper feeding damage will continue on Grapes. Black spots on developing grape berries are the excrement and sooty mold colonies on the honeydew excreted by the leafhopper. Sprays may be needed if the damage is severe. Treating after harvesting early grapes such as Himrod is recommended.	The feeding activity of the Raspberry Cane Borer causes wilting and death of canes. Check for this insect inside wilted canes about 9 inches above the ground. Cut and burn all infected canes.	White Flies may be in abundance on vegetables if infested transplants were used. Blackberries should not be harvested unless they pull easily from the stem. The thornless variety Dirksen does well in our area.	Spots on impatiens may be due to Impatiens Necrotic Spot Virus. This disease is spread by thrips. Many flowers and vegetables are susceptible. Pull and compost all infected plants.	Blackberries and Raspberries should not be allowed to dry out. Cover the soil with mulch and keep the soil uniformly moist to a depth of nine inches to prevent leaf scorch.	Geraniums, petunias and other flowers with holes in the leaves and flower buds, may be infested with the Geranium Bud Worm. Sprays to control this pest include Sevin, Talstar and the `aizawai' and `kurstaki' strain of Bacillus thuringiensis.
Week 3
The second generation of the Elm Leaf Beetle will damage leaves. Treatments will be needed to prevent further damage.	Yellow Jacket nest size and nuisance problems will greatly increase over the next month.			First year grape vines should receive no additional fertilizer this month. Cut back on the frequency of watering to allow for improved winter hardiness.	Powdery mildew has already been a problem on Lilac bushes located in shady areas. Zinnia and other flowers become more susceptible as the evenings get cooler. Powdery mildew is more prevalent when cool nights follow warm days.
Week 4
Cluster Flies begin to move into buildings seeking overwintering shelter. Seal buildings to avoid later problems.			Early Blight will be a problem on tomato plants. The lower leaves are the first to be infected. A light application of nitrogen fertilizer helps keep these leaves healthy and less susceptible to blight.		Annual flowers will benefit from continued light applications of fertilizer. Water the soil before applying the fertilizer to help avoid the burning of roots.
Week 5
Reduce the frequency of water of fruit trees to permit winter hardiness. Avoid the application of fertilizer on fruit trees at this time.		The end of August and first part of September is an excellent time to seed a new lawn. Soil preparation is a must no matter what time of year the lawn is planted.		Continue to maintain the cutting height for your cool-season grasses at two and one-half to three inches. Mow often enough so that no more than one-third of the blade is removed at each mowing.		Begin to reduce the frequency of lawn watering. The depth of water penetration into the soil should continue to be about nine inches.