Garden Detective: August chores

Although the garden is in full swing, it's hardly on autopilot. Weeds are the biggest troublemakers of the month, and it's important to keep on top of them: They're not only messy-looking, but they rob your prized plants of water and nutrients. Plus, they multiply like rabbits. If you pull them up as soon as you spot them, the chore shouldn't be too laborious, and you'll thank yourself next spring. Here's a chore for every day of August to help you reap what you sowed.

1. Remember to keep the mower blades set no lower than 3 inches. Grass blades need some length to keep photosynthesizing.

2. Plant lettuce, radishes, spinach, peas and other cool-season crops for a fall harvest.

3. Don't let zucchini grow too large; they're more tender and taste better when they're smaller.

4. It's safe to start relocating evergreens. Just be sure to dig up as much of the roots as possible.

5. Pluck weeds as you see them.

6. If cabbage heads are split, bring them indoors right away. Otherwise, they'll become inedible.

7. Give hybrid tea roses a dose of liquid seaweed to guard against heat wilt.

8. Allow tomatoes to remain on the vine until fully ripe.

9. Pick herbs just after the morning dew has dried -- around 10 a.m. -- for the best flavor.

10. Rinse stevia, basil, parsley and mint leaves and spread in a single layer on paper towels. Allow to dry for a day and then freeze in zippered plastic bags.

11. Monitor container moisture levels at least once a day; potted plants need more water than garden plants.

12. It's time to divide spring bloomers like Japanese and Siberian iris.

13. Harvest beets when 2 inches wide. Roast them in foil and saute the greens, and you'll get two side dishes from one plant.

14. Move potted tropicals and vacationing houseplants into the shade to transition them for a move indoors later this month.

15. When onion tops flop over, it's time to harvest them. Allow to cure in the sun for a few days before using.

16. If you haven't sprayed roses, you can use their hips to make tea and jam.

17. Water the lawn deeply when needed instead of sprinkling lightly every day. Aim for two inches per week, including rainfall.

18. Divide and transplant peonies, but not deeply. Eyes should be no more than an inch or two beneath the soil.

19. Remove fallen fruit from around trees.

20. Transplant spring-flowering bulbs and tubers you want to relocate.

21. Time to renovate the lawn! Remove dead patches, aerate, apply compost and seed. Water deeply just once, then sprinkle twice a day.

22. No volcano mulching! Check that mulch isn't covering plant crowns, and move it three inches away from tree and shrub trunks.

23. Divide crowded daylilies.

24. Replace spent annuals with pansies. They'll bloom through fall and reappear next spring.

25. Collect seeds from daylilies, Cleomes, rose campions and other podding plants. Store in a paper envelope in the fridge, away from fruit, until spring.

26. Join me at 7 p.m. for the Great Long Island Tomato Challenge at Newsday (235 Pinelawn Rd., Melville). Bring your biggest tomato and you might be crowned king or queen.

27. Shop end-of-season sales for great deals on perennials. Just be sure they're healthy; they may have been languishing at the nursery since spring.

28. Start placing your spring bulb orders; the best ones sell out quickly.

29. Pull up vegetable plants as they fade, and start a compost pile.

30. Move houseplants and potted tropicals indoors for the off-season.

31. Re-edge beds to tidy up the garden's appearance.