Is August and September too late to plant a garden? How can you conserve water during drought season while still ensuring plants and the lawn stay healthy? What steps can you take now to prepare for fall planting season? And for professional landscapers and municipalities, what water-smart strategies can you deploy while maintaining the beauty of all the public spaces that community members enjoy? 

There are still many weeks of prime planting time left — and lots of weeding to do during these dog days, as well. The plant health steps you take now can actually cut down on the rote task of plucking unwanted chickweed and crabgrass out of beds, gardens, and the lawn, along with setting you up for a successful autumn.

Read on for our helpful late summer planting, lawn, and garden healthcare guide. We’ll answer all of these questions.

Is It too late to plant a garden
How do you define garden? There are indoor kitchen “gardens” you can fill with herbs such as basil, marjoram, chives sand sage and you can start them outdoors in a planter and move them indoors through winter to keep the harvest going during the cold season. And it’s not too late to tuck some veggies into well-prepared soil, namely fast-growing cucumbers and snap beans that thrive during hot, sunny days. 

>>Pro Soil Moist Tip: Give your garden edibles a boost with NitroGreen 100% water-soluble fertilizer that is organic and can be used on all plants and vegetables, a win-win. This fertilizer has the highest nitrogen available in the industry, which is an element essential for plant growth and establishment. No harsh ingredients, OMRI-approved and versatility as a water or dry solution makes NitroGreen a simple way to start a late-summer garden.

How can you conserve water during drought season while still ensuring plants and the lawn stay healthy?
There’s always a tricky balance when the heat turns up and some municipalities enforce water restrictions. This summer across the nation has been one marked by multiple storms, devastating wildfires, tornados, hurricanes and not the typical weather we might have read about in the Farmer’s Almanac a half-dozen years ago. It’s difficult to know what to expect. So, since we can’t control the unexpected, focus on what you can manage: giving plants the best chance to weather any storm with SoilMoist Plus, a 7-7-7 synthetic acrylic water-storing polymer blended with an eight- to nine-month timed release 7-7-7 fertilizer. Also, remember to select drought-tolerant plants and use mulch as a simple way to conserve water and prevent weed pressure.

>>Pro Soil Moist Tip: What 7-7-7 means is that you are getting a time-released fertilizer and water-storing product that lasts for three to five years and can reduce irrigation frequency by up to 50%. The fertilizer sticks around for about nine months, which is multiples over a typical tree, shrub and lawn care program that does not use SoilMoist. (Landscapers who do use our products attest to customer satisfaction.) 

What steps can you take now to prepare for fall planting season?
Late summer is an ideal time to divide and replant perennials that took on lives of their own, hit the garden center to pickup perennials on sale you can tuck into the soil that will bloom next season and for many ever after, and take a look at vibrant picks like hydrangeas, daylilies, ornamental grasses, and shrubs native to your region. We also recommend connecting with your local university extension service or searching their online native plant resources to choose the right plant for the right place.

>>Pro Soil Moist Tip: If landscape border plants have bowed their flowery heads for the season, infuse the space with some late-summer and early-fall color with chrysanthemums and keep them thriving through the late fall. Here’s how: After you remove the spring/summer annuals, churn up the soil and work in some Plant Thrive. This beneficial microbial material is a proven soil amendment that improves plant growth conditions for all plants, vegetables, flowers, and trees. Bonus, it’s easy to apply.

For professional landscapers and municipalities, what water-smart strategies can you deploy while maintaining the beauty of all the public spaces that community members enjoy?
Summer is winding down, but in most regions, outdoors activities continue and we’re on the brink of fall festivities. The makers of Soil Moist, JRM Chemical Inc., offer a comprehensive line of professional products designed for landscape professionals and municipalities, recognizing the demands of maintaining public spaces filled with annuals and perennials, community gardens, appreciated turf spaces for leisure and sports, and the quintessential hanging baskets that residents love.

>>Pro Soil Moist Tip: We’re your partner in maintaining beautiful spaces in a mindful, sustainable manner with innovative products for professionals that please clients and municipalities.

What’s in store for August and September?
How about “storing” more water so you can save time, money, and resources? JRM has a legacy of treading lightly on the environment as a longtime innovator in landscape and nursery solutions that are good for the earth and beneficial for plants. Tell us how you use Soil Moist products at home or in your business — and send us a picture of your pollinator garden project.