After the last slooooow few months, August is here now and things are going to get reeeeally really busy in the garden.

You’ve still got a couple of weeks, like two, to get your garden beds ready before it’s time to start putting seeds and transplants in the ground.  If your garden is looking anything like mine, there’s a lot of work to be done.  The leaf mulch I put down has kept weeds at bay, so that’s not a problem (hope you’ve mulched your garden too).  But there are plants that need to be yanked out and the soil needs enriching.

I have another BIG chore – one that you may have too and not even know it yet… root intrusion from neighboring trees, shrubs, and other plants.

All of my vegetable planting area is raised beds (boxed in by wooden boards)  Seems the trees growing in my yard (large Chinaberry and ear trees mostly) are very opportunistic – yours probably are too.  They perpetually grow their roots under the raised beds and then up into the nice garden soil!!!!  AAarrrggghhhh……..!!!!!

The only way to prevent this from happening is to enclose the bottoms of the raised beds.  We’ve done this on four of the 4′x8′ ones (dug them out to a 12″ depth, lined them, including the bottom and up the sides to the top of the boards, with 4mil construction plastic, then filled them in again)  Works wonderfully, no erroneous roots in those beds.  There’s the added advantage of moisture retention too.  Hardly ever have to water those four beds.  Would really like to do this in the other 16 beds, BUT, digging the beds out just about half kills us, very hard work, and in this heat… just ain’t gonna happen.

Here is what you can start planting later this month:

Cool Weather Plants

• Broccoli
• Celery
• Collards
• Onions – multiplying and bunching

Warm Weather Plants

• Beans – pole
• Corn
• Eggplant
• Southern peas – crowder, black-eyed, yard long…
• Peppers
• Pumpkin
• Summer squash
• Winter squash
• Watermelon

Your yard and patio is full of microclimates (warmer and cooler spots) and I encourage you to experiment – nothing to loose and lots to gain.  And besides, it’s great fun.