August, like Janus, the two faced Roman god, is always looking forward and backward. This is the month we must be vigilant in our gardens so we can enjoy the fruits of our labor as long as possible. We must also evaluate what we did well and not so well, so we can plan for the next months and the next year.

Walking through the garden every day is one of the most pleasurable and important habits of a good gardener. Check how everything is doing. Look at how things are growing. Are they crowded? Is the ground too dry? Why didn't that shasta daisy bloom? What happened to the clematis? It is also an ideal time to pluck the weeds before they get a foothold. I usually tour my garden with disposable latex gloves in my pocket and a garden bag because I know that I will not be able to resist pulling out the weeds as I go along. At the same time, I am always evaluating what I have planted. I also stop and look at flowers and leaves for any signs of problems, yellowing, wilting, unwelcome visitors. The vigilant gardener can nip problems in the bud, forgive the pun, before they become disasters. The following is a partial list of things to watch for at this time of year:

1. In the vegetable garden look for blossom end rot on tomatoes. Water evenly and use mulch to correct this problem.
2. Check your squashes, pumpkins, gourds and cucumbers for squash vine borer. Vines will look wilted and then collapse. Use a pocket knife to slit the stem to try and destroy larva, then press back together and cover with soil. The plant may or may not recover. Destroy crop residues and rotate planting site for next year since these winter over in the soil.
3. Slugs and snails. The slug has "ug " in its name for a reason. It attacks vegetable gardens, flowers and anything else in its vegetarian diet. Signs of slug problems are chewed holes in leaves, stems, flowers and fruit. Seedlings may be totally destroyed. Slugs and snails enjoy moisture and humidity and are most active at night, leaving a slime trail for you in the morning. Destroying slugs by luring them into puddles of beer is entertaining for some, but there are several products available to use to destroy them. Deadline and Slugbait are two products are on the market. Deadline kills slugs on the spot but might be a problem around children and pets. Slugbait kills them after ingestion and is marketed as safe to use around children and pets. Please use any products with extreme caution and according to directions.
4. Be on the lookout for aphids and hornworms causing damage on tomatoes. Use a recommended insecticide for aphids and remove hornworms by hand.
5. Japanese beetles on roses, grapes and linden trees are a big problem in this area. These are the adult form of the grubs that have been living in the soil all year. In July, females lay their eggs in the soil. Eggs hatch about 2 weeks later and first stage grubs feed on grass roots for most of August. This is the time to use biological and chemical insecticides.

For expert advice on these and other garden pests contact Cornell Cooperative Extension at (631) 727-4126. There is an insect and plant disease diagnostic lab at Bayard Cutting Arboretum in Oakdale (631) 581-4223. Suffolk County residents can send or bring in soil samples for pH testing @ $2.50 per sample, or plant problem diagnosis, and insect and tick sample identification @ $5.00 per sample . All sample results will be mailed within two weeks.

Planning and evaluating are also important. Two wonderful tools for this are the notebook and the camera. Take pictures of all parts of the garden on the same day each month. Put them in a notebook with notations about what worked well and what might be changed. If you have ideas about next year, include them here. Try to visit other professional and amateur gardens and pay attention to what pleases you. Take pictures here also and note the names of the plants that you liked. If you don't know what they are, you have a better chance of finding out with a picture in hand. When it comes time to plan for next year, you have a running account and pictures to remind you of some of the positives and negatives of this year. This is the month that those wonderful catalogues of bulbs start arriving. It's never too early to start dreaming about next spring!

Happy Gardening!!!!

Gardens by Judy,
e-mail: gardensbyjudy@townedigest.com
Garden and landscape evaluations, personalized garden services, creative garden plans, containers planted on site to your specifications.

About the author: Judy is a certified Master Gardener with Cornell Cooperative Extension who loves sharing the joys of gardening with others. She helps garden hobbyists solve their problems and is happy to provide information and suggestions about garden planning and maintenance.

Gardens by Judy prides itself in helping the home owner and garden enthusiast plan and maintain that special garden. Judy works cooperatively with the gardener. She evaluates each garden visited and consults with the gardener about his/her goals. She helps in the design of new gardens and in the re-creation and improvement of present gardens. Judy also creates beautiful container gardens to enhance decks, porches and landscapes.