August has arrived, marking the last month of summer and the time of cool sunrises. In ancient calendars, August is referred to as “the bread-salt month” or “the thickener.” Indeed, it is a bountiful time of year. Farmers are delighted by the ripe fields, fruits, and vegetables, with watermelons filled with sunshine and melons exuding their sweet aroma…
August truly brings the blessed days of summer.
So, how and when should we harvest from the garden?
It’s important to distinguish between the stages of ripeness for apples and pears: the harvestable stage and the consumer stage (edible). Signs of harvestable ripeness include the cessation of fruit growth, yellowing, the emergence of aroma, and the easy separation of the stem from the fruit. Consumer ripeness is when the fruits develop the characteristic flavor, aroma, and juiciness of their variety.
Fruits picked too early tend to have low sugar content, weak aroma, and poor storage capabilities.
Sometimes, gardeners worry about premature fruit drop. To prevent this, trees can be sprayed with a special solution. The dosage is 10 mg per 10 liters of water, and it should be applied no earlier than three weeks before harvest.
It’s also time for summer budding of trees that were prepared for this back in spring.
The sweet harvest has come to an end— all the strawberries have been picked. What’s next? It’s time to prepare for next year’s harvest. If the soil lacks moisture, water the plants (one bucket of water for two plants). Mound the bushes, especially around the “horns,” being careful not to cover the buds. Fertilize them with ammonium nitrate—1-2 grams per bush, superphosphate—2-3 grams, and potassium salt—1-2 grams.
You can substitute commercial fertilizers with local options. For example, replace nitrate with bird droppings (1 part droppings diluted in 10 parts water) or manure tea (1 part diluted in 4-5 parts water). Pour one bucket of the solution over three linear meters of the trench.
In August, new berry patches are established by planting rooted strawberry rosettes. In this case, some crowding is acceptable—up to 10 centimeters between plants in a row. From the crowded rows, plants can be taken in spring for replanting in less dense areas. Avoid planting old strawberry bushes, as they are typically low-yielding or completely barren.
There’s also work to be done in the raspberry patch. Summer pruning of vigorous varieties is necessary. Generally, raspberries are pinched or trimmed twice during the growing season. The first time is in spring when the stems reach 25-27 inches in height, and the second time involves shortening the stems by 4-6 inches as growth slows in early August. This double pruning of the raspberry tops enhances winter hardiness and can increase yields by up to 20 percent.
Gardeners continue their battle against pests and diseases affecting fruit crops. Fallen, infested fruit should be collected and destroyed immediately. Caterpillars of the hawk moth and the shooting star should be gathered. On gooseberry bushes, any berries damaged by the fungus should be collected and burned. To eliminate second-generation sawflies, cherry, plum, and bush plants should be sprayed with chlorophos (0.8-1 gram per liter of water) after harvesting.
This is far from a complete list of urgent tasks in the summer garden.