Northern California August Checklist: Taste Fruit, Plant for Fall, Maintain

PLAN AHEAD

Taste Fruit

Visit Andy's Orchard in Morgan Hill this month to sample 60+ ripe nectarines, peaches, plums, pluots. Tastings include flavor/texture instruction and guided orchard walk (10 a.m. Aug 1, 2009 and 9; $15; reservations recommended; 1615 Half Rd.; 408/782-7600).

PLANT NOW

Late-Summer to Fall Color

Perennials for late-season color in lower elevations: aster, chrysanthemum, coreopsis, daylily, gaillardia, gaura, Japanese anemone, lavatera, Nemesia fruticans, rudbeckia, Russian sage, sage (Salvia guaranitica), summer phlox, verbena.

Shade Trees

Plant on southwest side of house for cooling shade. Use deciduous for summer shade/winter sun. Zones 7–9, 14–17: Chinese hackberry, Chinese pistache, flowering pear, Japanese pagoda tree, 'Raywood' ash, red oak. Zones 1, 2: American hornbeam, Eastern redbud, honey locust, Japanese pagoda tree, little-leaf linden, 'Marshall' seedless green ash.

Grow Bearded Irises

For spring display, Lesley Painter of Napa Country Iris Garden (707/255-7880) suggests ruffled pink 'Happenstance', white-and-lavender 'Painted Lady Lavender', purple-black 'Spades', red-brown 'Valentino'. Order by Aug 15.

Plant Saffron

Saffron crocus (Crocus sativus)—pricey spice from easy-to-grow corms. Plant late this month or next; harvest ~5 weeks later by plucking three orange-red stigmas from each lilac-purple flower. Order from White Flower Farm (800/503-9624), shipping early September.

Start Root Vegetables

Sow seeds for fall/winter harvest. Jared Clark of Soil Born Farms (916/363-9685) recommends 'Chioggia', 'Golden', 'Red Ace' beets; 'Scarlet Nantes', 'Sugarsnax 54' carrots; 'Purple Top' turnips. First week of August, start fast-maturing potatoes ('French Fingerling', 'Russian Banana') for Christmas crop.

MAINTENANCE

Care for Flowers

Keep warm-season annuals blooming through summer into fall: water and fertilize regularly with fish emulsion; remove spent flowers before they set seed.

Cut Back Hydrangeas

Zones 7–9, 14–17: Most bloom on previous year's growth (exceptions: 'All Summer Beauty', Endless Summer bloom on new growth). Prune right after blooms fade to shape and avoid cutting next year's buds. Cut bloomed stems to 12″. For fewer, larger flowers next spring, cut some stems to base.

Prepare Beds

Before fall planting, amend soil with compost and soil conditioner. Worm castings are worth the price—pure or mixed with compost. Start a worm bin now for spring castings. Supplies at Peaceful Valley Farm & Garden Supply (888/784-1722) or Sonoma Valley Worm Farm (800/447-6996).

Prune Cane Berries

Cut to ground canes of single-crop blackberries/raspberries that finished fruiting. Thin new growth, keeping strongest canes (5–8 per blackberry, 8–12 per raspberry). Prune ever-bearing after fall harvest.

Water Citrus

Potted trees: water at least weekly in summer heat. Mature citrus in ground can go longer. Check soil moisture at root level (18+ in) with meter; keep soil on dry side of moist (surface needn't be damp). Water deeply and slowly when needed.

Grow Colorful Carrots

Move over, orange! Plant carrots in purple, cream, yellow. In Sunset's Menlo Park test garden, 'Yellowstone', 'Purple Haze', 'White Satin' excelled in color and taste. Prep sunny bed by removing stones/clods 1 ft deep for smooth, straight carrots; sow directly, keep soil evenly moist. Thin to 1.5″ apart when seedlings are a few inches tall. Maturity in 65–75 days; check size earlier for baby carrots. Seeds from Johnny's Selected Seeds (877/564-6697).