Be sure to keep a very thick blanket of mulch, compost or fallen leaves under mature avocadoes at all times. Avocadoes need a cool root-run for good health.

Irrigate as needed to keep the soil moist, but not wet.

Still an ok month for planting avocados, but don't delay long. Being sub-tropical plants, avocados prefer to be planted during the long warm part of the year.

Continue to keep azaleas well irrigated now that the weather is warm.

A great month to dig, transplant and divide. They should be dug and divided about every four years (every two or three for aggressive re-blooming varieties).

If you are growing any of the new "repeat-blooming" varieties they may cycle again any time. Keep feeding these re-bloomers aggressively. Older "once-blooming" varieties should have feeding reduced in half. Any organic fertilizer labeled for roses (by not with insecticides) will do fine.

(See also Bearded Iris and Tuberous Begonias)

Even in the hot temperatures of August there are bulbs blooming now in Orange County. These include Amaryllis belladonna, eucomis (Pineapple lily), hymenocallis, some true lilies, urginia (Giant Squill) and tuberose.

Fancy leaved caladiums are still doing great now. Keep them well watered and fertilized and in indirect, but bright light.

Plant fall blooming Colchicum and lycoris now, if you can find them in nurseries.

Except for a few late-blooming varieties, you will probably be finished with your camellia fertilizing for the year. The first of three feedings to your camellia should have been applied about 4-6 weeks after it finished blooming. The second feeding is 4-6 weeks after the first and the final feeding is 4-6 weeks later again.

Japanese camellias are about done with their "growth" cycle for the year and are now entering the period in which they set buds for next spring. Do not prune.

Sasanqua camellias have also finished their "growth" cycle for the year and are also setting buds for next spring. Do not prune.

Continue to keep camellias well irrigated now that the weather is warm.

Citrus should have healthy green leaves right now.

Continue fertilizing. Use fertilizer rich in trace minerals like iron, zinc, manganese and copper. These are well represented in organic fertilizers like Dr. Earth.

Be especially attentive to irrigations now that the weather is warm. The best application method is probably by flooding the root basin and letting it soak in once or twice. Do not use sprinklers, especially if they wet the trunk of the tree.

Clematis prefer cool roots, especially during the summer months. Do all you can, especially during this month and next, to keep them sheltered from the heat.

To insulate the roots, maintain a thick 3-4 inch layer of organic mulch over them at all times, especially now.

In the warm summer weather be sure to apply more frequent irrigations.

Monitor soil moisture and irrigate as needed. Flooding the soil beneath these trees or using a drip system are both excellent methods. Avoid the use of sprinklers and do not regularly wet the trunk, which causes certain diseases.

If you want to reduce or limit the overall size of any of these trees the correct time to prune them is immediately following the fruit harvest, which may be now. Pruning in winter is important for the purpose of fruit production and tree structure. However, winter pruning will not limit the size of a tree; summer pruning will.

Plants should still be blooming, although a bit less than a couple of months ago.

Keep fertilizing regularly with a balanced fertilizer or one slightly higher in phosphorus, to promote more flowering.

Proper watering is key this time of the year, especially those in hanging baskets. Water early in the morning or in the evening and check soil moisture every day.

During especially dry, hot or windy weather misting the foliage is very beneficial. If the soil is moist, be careful not to soak it again or will encourage root diseases.

Groom the plant periodically by removing dead flowers and any seedpods.

If your plants look gangly and unsightly try pruning them lightly. If you keep feeding them heavily they will put on new growth and give you a nice fall bloom.

Feed them well through the summer months. Use a fertilizer with trace minerals, such as organic types and alternate with an acidic formula to keep the pH down.

If the leaves are showing signs of green veins with yellow areas between the veins, especially on the new growth, they need additional iron.

Gardenias are shallow rooted and dry out quickly. A thick layer of organic mulch over the roots helps moderate the soil temperatures and retain moisture. Avoid cultivating or allowing other plants to grow under or in competition with their roots.

Cool season groundcovers are showing heat stress. Keep them irrigated and mulched to help them through these warm months.

You can still get a decent harvest of basil if you get it planted right away. Keep pinching the flowers off as they develop. Flowers not only reduce the quantity and size of the foliage, but change the flavor.

Most of the flowering should be about done.

Old flowers can be attractive as they change color and give a unique appearance.

The first week of the month is about your last good chance to remove any flowers that have faded. Pruning before then will still give the plant enough time to produce some new growth (which is where the flowers will be next season). Prune as far as half way down the stem below the faded flower.

Only prune stems that have flowered this season, leave all other stems alone since they will flower on their tips next season.

Remember, cool-season lawns (fescue/Marathon, ryegrass, bluegrass) should be mowed about a half an inch higher in the warm months than in the cool months.

It's too late to attempt to plant cool-season lawns; wait for another month or two.

Continue feeding warm-season lawns into the fall months.

Through the warm summer months reduce the dosage of fertilizer by half to cool-season lawns. Too much fertilizer during warm weather will encourage diseases.

(See also Bearded Iris, Bulbs/Rhizomes/Tubers, Fuchsias and Tuberous Begonias)

Most of your time in the perennial garden now will be occupied with general cleaning, trimming, lots of deadheading and mostly enjoying your garden. The summer heat will take its toll on some plants while a few will grow even stronger.

If planting this month, be sure to keep them well watered. Avoid buying overgrown or root bound plants, as they will be harder to establish.

Keep fertilizing. The frequency and amount depends upon the formulation you're using. If you have been building healthy soil, fertilizing will be much reduced.

Removing old flowers regularly helps to produce more new flowers. This is especially important now, as many of these are attempting to set seeds.

Irrigating your perennials now is important. The heat of summer is bearing down on these plants and the plants will respond well to careful irrigations.

If you don't already have it, this would be the month to buy a copy of Bob Smaus' famous book on southern California gardening, "52 Weeks in The California Garden". It begins with the month of September and is a month-by-month dialogue of the activities of a local garden.

This is still a terrific time to attend educational garden seminars or meetings. Excellent programs are available and most are free, require no memberships and no reservations.

Keep making notes in your journal, especially about water, plants are coming into bloom and going out of bloom. These notes will be useful in future years.

Click here for our Lectures & Events Schedule

Although they may still be blooming, the heat of this and next month are taking a bit of a toll on roses, especially in inland gardens.

A moderate summer pruning will help revive your roses and will encourage a big fall bloom. Early in the month is the best time to do this pruning. Remove about 1/3 of the plant and crossing or awkward growth. Be sure to fertilize after pruning.

If you haven't already, check the mulch layer under the roses and add as needed.

Disease should not be much of an issue now, except along the immediate coast.

Rose slugs are still a problem, but should be less than last month.

Do not use soil-applied fertilizers combined with systemic insecticide. These are very disruptive to soil life (beneficial microorganisms, bacteria, mycorrhizal fungi, earthworms, etc.). Many rosarians also believe they reduce the vigor of the rose.

Roses are heavy feeders; continue regular fertilizing. Granular, balanced, organic fertilizers work especially well for roses and most encourage beneficial soil life.

Keep deadheading roses as they fade.

Stay on the lookout for pests. Rose Slug problems may be less, but spider mites like the warm, dry summer temperatures.

Irrigations should be frequent and deep in the warm summer weather.

(See also the information under Azaleas, Camellias, Gardenias, Hydrangeas and others)

In areas near to brush and wild spaces this is the time to reduce your fuel in the event of a fire. Remove shrubbery and weeds near the house. This fall, consider planting fire resistant groundcover and other plants as a buffer against fires.

A garden begins with the soil. Investing in the soil, managing the soil and protecting the soil are the foundation of a garden. Healthy soil is living and breathing, teaming with earthworms, microorganisms, beneficial fungi, bacteria, microbes and other invisible life.

A thick layer of organic mulch, averaging about two inches, should be maintained on top of the soil just about year-round. Add additional mulch as needed to maintain this level.

A thick mulch layer will cool root systems from hot summer temperatures, reduce irrigations as much as half, reduce weeds, and improve soil life and soil quality.

We do not suggest high analysis fertilizers in a garden, especially phosphorus. Avoid synthetic versions with formulations like, 10-55-10, 10-30-10, etc. We don't suggest the popular 15-30-15 formula. These formulations will inhibit or even destroy much of the soil life that is vital to a healthy sustainable soil.

We also suggest that you not use soil-applied systemic fertilizer/insecticide combinations (popular with roses). These are very damaging to soil life.

Use insecticides only when necessary and even then use the least damaging product available. Many of these products also interfere with the invisible soil life.

If you can, begin a compost pile or purchase a compost bin. Leaves, clippings, kitchen scraps, and more can be composted and returned to the garden. Home compost is one of the best ingredients you can add to your soil. The benefits include disease suppression, increased beneficial microorganisms, improved soil structure and texture, nutrient retention and nematode suppression.

(See also the information under Avocados, Citrus, Deciduous Fruit Trees and Subtropical Fruits)

Deep water as needed according to the tree species, its age and the weather.

This is a good month to "leach" the root zone beneath salt-sensitive species like Japanese Maples. Flood irrigate the soil very heavily and repeat it several times until the accumulated salts in the root zone are washed away from the roots.

Many trees may be suckering heavily now. Remove these suckers below ground by pulling them. If you cannot pull them, dig them to the point where they are attached to the tree and cut them flush with the root or trunk, leaving no "stub".

(See also the information under Avocados, Citrus and Subtropical Fruits)

Keep feeding now with a general-purpose organic fertilizer. Most tropicals and sub-tropicals have a higher need for trace minerals like iron, zinc and manganese. Organic fertilizers generally contain these trace minerals and work especially well in the warm soil temperatures present now.

These are growing well and many are in bud or bloom now.

This is still a good month to plant or transplant palms and cycads.

This is a good time to plant these heat lovers. However, they will need to be kept well watered to help them get established.

Potted, blooming plants may still be available in nurseries.

Your plants should be in full bloom.

Most tuberous begonias produce both male (single) and female (double) flowers separately, but on the same plant. Double flowers are much showier and many gardeners pinch off the single (male) flowers as they appear.

Keep feeding regularly. These are heavy feeders, especially in containers. Use a well-balanced fertilizer and periodically mix in acid fertilizer, to keep the pH low.

Keep them well watered, but not soggy, especially during the hot summer months. The surface of the soil should dry slightly between watering.

Pinch off faded flowers regularly and rotate container plants for even growth.

This is your last chance if planting "fall tomatoes". If your spring planted tomatoes are still doing well, leave them in. If not, rather than nurturing the last few fruit, start fresh. The earlier in the month the better. Consider the "fall" varieties now.

Some warm-season vegetables can still be planted, but keep them well watered. At this time of the year quick-maturing or "early" varieties will often be good choices. From transplants try beans, cucumbers, eggplants, lima beans, squash and tomatoes. This is your last chance for corn, which is planted from seed.

If strawberries attempt to grow runners, pinch them off. Keep feeding them and they will continue to bear fruit.

Beets, carrots, chard, radish and possibly turnips can be planted just about year-round. All but chard are planted from seed only. Be extra diligent about keeping the small seeds watered in this hot weather.

Check tomato plants for caterpillars. Hand pick or use the safe/organic BT spray.

Keep tomato plants trained inside their cages or up sakes or obelisks.

Since most annual vegetables are shallow rooted and quick growing, feed them regularly with a well balanced organic fertilizer

Keep the vegetable garden well watered during the hot summer.

Pruning established plants: Established wisterias need considerable pruning each year to encourage flowers and maintain a manageable plant. A good schedule for these three prunings is June, August and December. This will be the second pruning of the year. First, prevent any new growth from twining around itself in a hopeless mass. Next, cut again (as you did in June) all stems to just above the second or third bud above last years resting point. This is easy to spot by noticing the color of the outer layer of the stem/bark.

Training young plants: Continue guiding the long, twining stems carefully in the direction that you want. Prune off any wayward stems completely at their source and eliminate stems that are tangling together. Make sure that the support you are training the plant onto is very strong, as wisterias are extremely heavy plants.

Also on young plants, be sure to provide plenty of water and fertilizer it to encourage quick coverage and deep roots.

It is not unusual to have some random summer and fall flowers on wisterias, especially if you are following the pruning instructions given here. Enjoy them.

Established wisterias need only an occasional deep summer watering and little, if any, fertilizer. However, iron is occasionally needed to correct chlorosis.