Year-round gardening: Colorado's harvest season is here

It has been said, “The heat of August produces nature’s candy. There’s nothing tastier than a vine-ripened August tomato.”

Whoever said it, boy, did they ever get that right. Let the harvest begin! Now is the time to look around and appreciate all of your hard work … and then finish up chores.

Vegetables

• Plant spinach and lettuce midmonth for a fall harvest.

• Harvest cucumbers intended for slicing when they are 6 to 8 inches.

• Onions are ready to harvest when their green tops fall over. Lift the bulbs and brush off loose soil. Transfer them to a protected area like a shed or covered porch. Lay them out in a single layer on a surface that permits ventilation top and bottom. An old screen propped up by bricks along the edge can work. Proper “curing” can take two to three weeks. Do not store any onions that are still wet. When the outer skins have turned papery, place them in a mesh-type bag and place them in a dark and cool place.

• Peppers can be harvested anytime they achieve the desired size.

• Water tomatoes regularly until late August. After that, fruit will ripen more quickly when water is withheld.

Lawn

• Fertilize between now and mid-September.

• Mow as often as needed to maintain a height of 2 ½ to 3 inches.

Garden

• Newly planted perennials, trees and shrubs need consistent watering to help the roots grow strong enough to survive the winter.

• Fertilize roses for the last time around Aug. 15. Fertilizing later might stimulate new sucker growth that could damage the plant if there is an early frost.

• Divide spring-blooming perennials if they need it. If there was a noticeable decrease in blooms or they stopped blooming altogether, this could be a sign that it’s time to divide. Also, if a plant is crowding out neighboring plants it might need to be transplanted to a larger space. Some plants that benefit from dividing in late summer are daylilies, hosta, coral bells, coreopsis, garden phlox and speedwell.

• Watch for powdery mildew, a fungal disease that appears as patches of white or gray powdery “stuff.” It will most likely attack where plants are crowded and kept damp. Some susceptible plants are garden phlox, bee balm, Virginia creeper vine and roses. In the vegetable family, squash and cucumbers can succumb to powdery mildew. To avoid the disease, avoid overhead watering where these plants grow and space plants farther apart to encourage good air circulation.

Lastly, keep an eye out for plant sales. Usually, this time of year plants can be as much as 50% off. With the money you save you can stop for an ice cream cone or just pop another Sweet 100 in your mouth!