Here are some helpful August gardening tips for Eastern North Carolina (Zone 7b–8a) to keep your garden thriving through the late summer heat and prepare for the fall:

🌞 General Garden Maintenance

• Water deeply and early in the day: Aim for 1 inch per week. Water in the morning to prevent disease.
• Mulch to retain moisture: A 2–3 inch layer of mulch will help regulate soil temperature and retain water.
• Weed regularly: Weeds compete for water and nutrients, so stay on top of them.
• Watch for pests and diseases: Look for signs of spider mites, aphids, Japanese beetles, and fungal issues like powdery mildew.

🥦 Vegetable Garden

🌱 Start Your Fall Garden:

August is prime time to start cool-season crops from seed or transplants:

• Direct seed:
  • Carrots
  • Beets
  • Turnips
  • Radishes
  • Collards
• Transplant or start indoors:
  • Broccoli
  • Cauliflower
  • Cabbage
  • Kale
• Succession planting: Keep planting quick crops like bush beans, squash, and cucumbers early in the month.

📆 Tip: Use shade cloth for young seedlings to protect from intense sun.

🌺 Flower Garden

• Deadhead spent blooms to encourage continued flowering.
• Cut back leggy annuals like petunias or coleus to rejuvenate them.
• Sow seeds of fall bloomers like pansies and snapdragons now for fall color.
• Divide and transplant irises and daylilies late in the month.

🌳 Lawns & Landscaping

• Mow high: Keep grass 3–4 inches tall to reduce stress from heat.
• Don’t fertilize warm-season grasses yet: Wait until early September to apply fertilizer.
• Avoid heavy pruning: Pruning now may promote tender growth susceptible to fall frost.
• Inspect trees and shrubs for storm damage from summer thunderstorms and trim only as needed.

🐝 Pollinator Tip

• Keep nectar plants blooming (like zinnias, lantana, and black-eyed Susans) to support bees and butterflies, especially monarchs heading south.