Only a few weeks remain until the end of summer. That is why right now it is important not only to harvest vegetables and fruit, but also to prepare the soil for the next season and lay the foundation for the future harvest. UNN reports more details on what needs to be done in the garden before the end of summer.
Details
First of all, all vegetables that are still growing in the beds need to be harvested on time. At the end of summer, many crops require regular harvesting. This is especially true of cucumbers, which should be picked every 1–2 days. If overripe fruits are left on the bushes, the plant will direct its energy toward ripening the seeds rather than forming new ovaries.
Tomatoes, peppers, zucchini, potatoes, carrots, beets, early cabbage varieties, onions, and garlic are also being harvested. By the end of August, watermelons, melons, and grapes will be ripening. When harvesting, it is important to sort the produce immediately. All damaged, rotten, or diseased vegetables and fruit must be separated from the healthy ones, because a single spoiled fruit can become a source of fungal diseases and shorten the storage life of the entire harvest.
Do not leave empty beds
After early potatoes are dug up or other early crops are harvested, part of the plot remains vacant. By the end of summer, such beds can still produce an additional harvest.
Radishes, daikon, dill, parsley, spinach, lettuce, and other greens with a short ripening period are suitable for August sowing. Before sowing, it is worth restoring the soil’s fertility by adding compost or humus and a small amount of wood ash. In addition, as the days gradually become shorter, it is better to choose well-lit areas for new plantings. It is also equally important to maintain stable soil moisture, especially while the seeds are germinating.
Protect plants from August diseases
The final weeks of summer often bring sharp temperature fluctuations between day and night. This is especially true in August. During this period, the risk of late blight developing on tomatoes, potatoes, peppers, and eggplants increases significantly. The first warning signs may be brown spots on the leaves or dark lesions on the fruit. Therefore, to reduce the risks, gardeners recommend watering plants at the roots and avoiding getting water on the leaves. At the beginning of August, special attention should also be paid to biological protection products. Folk methods are also used, including garlic infusions, whey, and wood ash.
Watering
At the end of summer, different crops require different approaches to watering. Cucumbers remain among the biggest consumers of water. Regular watering helps prevent bitterness from developing in the fruit. It is better to use warm, settled water for them and water less frequently but more abundantly. Eggplants also need sufficient moisture, especially during fruiting. Carrots, however, should be watered so that the water penetrates to the entire depth at which the root crop is forming. Onions and garlic, by contrast, are no longer watered at the end of the season, because stopping irrigation several weeks before harvesting promotes ripening and better storage of the bulbs.
Fertilizing
Plants still need nutrients, but the approach to fertilizing changes. Excess fertilizer can stimulate the growth of green mass instead of fruit formation or preparation for winter. In the garden, organic fertilizers are recommended, used in moderation. For fruit trees and berry bushes, phosphorus-potassium fertilizers are more suitable at the end of summer, as they help plants strengthen their root systems and prepare for the cold. Nitrogen fertilizers should be used cautiously during this period or avoided altogether so as not to stimulate the growth of young shoots that may not survive the winter.
Take care of the coming season now
The end of summer is a good time not only to care for the current harvest but also to prepare the plot for the following year. Green manure crops, such as phacelia or lupine, can be sown in cleared beds, as they help improve soil structure, enrich it with nutrients, and reduce the risk of disease spread. Meanwhile, in the garden, it is worth carrying out sanitary pruning of trees and shrubs, removing dry and damaged branches, collecting all diseased fruit, and preparing sites for future planting of seedlings. Summer passes quickly, so most tasks should not be postponed, since the success of the next season will depend on how carefully gardeners tend to their plots at the end of summer.