Gardener’s To-Do List for August

August To-Do List for Zone 9

• Prune back tomatoes and peppers to stimulate new growth and continued production.
• Shade lettuce, chard, tomatoes, peppers, melons, and eggplants from intense sun.
• For prize-winning winter squash and pumpkins, pinch off any female flowers and young fruit that develop from now on.
• Fertilize heavy feeders—such as corn, cukes, lettuce, squash, and onions—using a dilute solution of fish fertilizer, once a week.
• Harvest annual statice, strawflowers, and ageratum, and then dry them in a cool, airy place.
• Plant annual candytuft (Iberis umbellata) and marigolds for fall color.
• Plant calendulas, stocks (Matthiola incana), bachelor's buttons (Centaurea cyanus), and forget-me-nots (Myosotis sylvatica) for early spring color.