If you are like me then you probably have already received a number of bulb catalogues for fall planted spring flowering bulbs. Now is a great time to prepare and plan for your fall bulb plantings. Take a look at your garden and note any places that need something extra in the spring. Locate areas in particular where you can plant 10 or more bulbs to make a color splash in the spring. Single bulbs planted here and there get lost and won't give much effect. Don't be afraid to try something you have never tried before. Bulbs are a great accent for spring color. Go ahead and make plans now for planting in November.

Fall Web Worms

Fall web worms don't really follow their name. These caterpillars found on many different types of trees in webs started many weeks ago but are increasing in numbers now. If they are high up in trees don't worry about them since they only feed inside the web they make and damage is minor. Fall web worms on small trees can be removed by taking a stick, rake or broom handle and placing it in the web and twirling. The caterpillars inside will be tied up in the web and are easily removed with the web. Destroy by throwing on the ground and jump up and down on them. I suggest wearing shoes. Caterpillar guts are nasty.

Things to do in August:

Spider webs in your trees? At this time of year, more than likely they are fall web worms.

Fall-fruiting ornamentals such as holly, pyracantha, and nandina should be well mulched and watered regularly during hot weather to prevent them from shedding their berries before they mature.

Cool-season vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower, collards, lettuce and spinach can be started from seed this month in flats in a shady location. Moderation is a productive, healthful approach to gardening, especially during the heat and humidity of August. You want time to savor the rewards of your hard work, so if the garden is more than can be managed, plant ground covers on those hard to mow areas and avoid formal pruning of hedges. For those large areas of the vegetable garden, till part of it under and plant a cover crop. This helps keep the soil in place.

Review your landscape at its lushest. What shady areas could use brightening next year using light-colored, white, pink, or pale-blue annuals. Remember, dark colors are hard to distinguish in the shade and should be planted with lighter colors around or behind them, providing a contrast so they can be seen more readily.

By the end of the month treat the lawn for grubs, especially if you had lots of Japanese beetles.

Whenever you apply pesticides, adhere strictly to the directions on the package, do not spray when temperatures are over 85 degrees F or when the wind is up.

Pecan Weevils

In August following a heavy rainfall (over one inch) adult pecan weevils will be emerging from the soil and flying up into pecan trees or crawling up the trunk. These are the insects that cause bad pecans since they lay eggs in developing green pecans that hatch as pecans mature, the larva feed on the pecans and then bore a small hole through the shell to exit and fall to the ground. To reduce the population of pecan weevils you can apply liquid Sevin to the ground under pecan trees following a heavy rainfall in August. You can also loosely tie a sheet of burlap around the trunk with a flap left folded down and monitor it for small beetles with a long snout, these are the pecan weevils. Once detected, spray the trunk and area under the trees to reduce populations.

Fertilization and Pruning Tips

Since fertilizing and pruning force new growth to occur, do not prune or fertilize trees, shrubs, or ground covers after August 15. If you do, new growth will occur that may not harden off before the first heavy frosts of fall.

Do not prune or fertilize trees, shrubs, or ground covers after August 15.

Fall Vegetable Gardening

August is an excellent time to begin preparation for a fall garden. The following vegetables can be seeded or transplanted beginning in August: (Just a few varieties listed, many others available.)

Vegetable:;	Varieties:
Beets	Ruby Queen, Early Wonder
Broccoli	DeCicco, Green Comet, Premium Crop, Green Duke
Cabbage	Round Dutch, Early Jersey Wakefield, Red Acre
Cauliflower	Early Snowball "A"
Cucumbers	Carolina, Calypso, Liberty, County Fair '83 (pickling)
Cucumbers	Poinsett, Sweet Slice, Marketmore, Salad Bush (slicing)
Kale	Green Curled Scotch, Siberian, Vates
Kohlrabi	White Vienna, Grand Duke Hybrid
Leaf Lettuce	Grand Rapids, Salad Bowl, Buttercrunch
Head Lettuce	Great Lakes, Ithica
Radishes	Early Scarlet Globe, Cherry Belle
Spinach	Hybrid 7, Dark Green Bloomsdale
Summer Squash	Seneca Prolific, Zucchini Elite, Sun Drops
Turnips	Purple Top, White Globe, Just Right

Potassium fertilization of warm season grasses:

Potassium is very important for warm season grasses grown in our area. Potassium helps with stress tolerance from drought and cold. Since potassium leaches from the soil rather quickly, apply one pound of actual potassium per 1000 square feet to bermuda, centipede, St. Augustine and zoysia lawns in August. This can be accomplished by using one of the following fertilizers at the amount listed:

Fertilizer:	Rate: (per 1,000 square feet)
0-0-60	1.6 pounds
0-0-22	5 Pounds
0-0-50	2 Pounds

Plants Seldom Damaged by Deer:

Botanical Name:	Common Name:
Buddleia davidii	Butterfly bush
Buxus spp.	Boxwood
Cornus florida	Flowering Dogwood
Forsythia spp.	Forsythia
Myrica cerifera	Waxmyrtle
Ligustrum spp.	Privet
Vinca minor	Periwinkle
Wisteria floribunda	Japanese Wisteria
Ilex opaca	American Holly
Syringa vugaris	Lilac
Kalmia latifolia	Mountain Laurel

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Recommendations for the use of chemicals are included in this publication as a convenience to the reader. The use of brand names and any mention or listing of commercial products or service does not imply endorsement by the North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service nor discrimination against similar products or services not mentioned. Individuals who use chemicals are responsible for ensuring that the intended use complies with current information about usage and examine a current product label before applying any chemical. For assistance, contact an agent of the North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service.