Don’t give up hope on your garden if it is not producing much in August. Just keep watering it as needed, and have a little faith.

Cooler nighttime temperatures are around the corner, which will boost tomatoes, peppers, pole green beans, and eggplants back into production.

All your plants need now is a little TLC, and you might just have a ripe tomato left on your windowsill to enjoy as late as New Year’s Day.



What to plant this month:
Anything planted in August will need constant attention. Maybe you should wait until September? If you want to brave the heat, try these: beans, squash and cucumbers. Several sources recommend planting broccoli, cabbage and cauliflower, but my advice is to wait.

What to watch for:
To Keep or to toss? The garden terms for this dilemma are “determinate” or “indeterminate”. Determinate plants are generally bushy and produce a crop all at one time. Bush green beans are determinate. Patio tomatoes and Roma style tomatoes are determinate, as well. Determinate plants will not produce more fruit, and can therefore be removed from the garden. However, most tomato varieties grown in Texas (cherry, most slicing varieties, and heirlooms) are indeterminate and will reinvigorate following a trim. Pole green beans surprised us in our garden by surviving last year’s brutal summer and then over-whelming us with multitudes of green beans in the fall.

A Little TLC:
Trim dead and yellowed branches off of tomato plants, peppers, eggplants and pole green beans. As a result, the plant might look like it had a bad hair cut, but gardeners will be surprised at how it springs back in October. Also be sure to apply a light amount of organic fertilizer around the root zones and drench the plants at least monthly with an organic compost tea.

Be sure to add compost, a handful of horticultural cornmeal and a handful of dry molasses where you removed plants to reinvigorate healthy soil activity. It's also important to cover that soil with 3-4 inches of mulch in all the areas where the plants are removed. Mulch retains soil moisture, keeps cooler root zones, and provides cover for the beneficial organisms needed to promote healthy, living soil.

Harvesting Tips:
Harvest your vegetables when they are ready. This rule simply cannot be emphasized enough. Your plants will have energy to produce more vegetables and will be healthier as a result of timely harvests. Over-ripe vegetables lead to plant disease and attract insect pests and rodents. Tomatoes can be harvested at the first sign of orange or pink coloring and will ripen and retain flavor unless placed in refrigerator. Harvest squash, okra, cucumbers and beans before they get tough and seedy. A wonderful resource for preserving and freezing your harvest can be found at http://www.pickyourown.org.

Insect Pests:
Watch for tomato horn worms. These are evil, green caterpillars that look like aliens and can strip your plant bare overnight. Stink bugs and flea beetles have been seen on garden plants this time of year as well.

What to enjoy:
This recipe can be completed in advance of your company arriving. When you're ready to entertain, slide some bread onto the grill or into the oven for a couple of minutes. Once toasted, let guests top as their own appetizer.

Rinaldi Family Bruschetta

3-4 medium tomatoes, diced

2 cloves garlic, diced

6-7 Basil leaves, chopped

1 TBSP Olive Oil

Balsamic vinegar to taste (we prefer about 2-3 TBSP, but that might be a lot depending on your taste)

Kosher Salt and Cracked Pepper

Mix ingredients together and use as topping on French or Italian bread.

Slice bread in ½ inch slices and brush olive oil on both sides. (This is great job for kids!)

Grill or broil both sides of slices, place on platter and allow diners to serve themselves with the tomato topping spooned onto the bread.

Resources:
Month by Month Gardening in Texas by Dale Groom and Dan Gill
Dirt Doctor online: http://www.dirtdoctor.com