My vegetable garden is in full production … it is amazing to see the variety of fresh produce we are enjoying and appreciating. Every year some garden vegetables do great and others seem to struggle. This year the struggle category includes all my melon vines. A bacterial wilt hit them when they were loaded with immature fruit, and many of them are in the process of dying or have died. I get that entire vine out of the garden so I’m not taking a chance of a repeat problem next year.
When the onion tops fall over, the onion is finished growing for the season. It is important to get those onions pulled and out of the garden before the tops are totally dry to prevent neck rot. I spread mine in a single layer on a sheet of cardboard in the garage and let the tops dry totally before cutting them off. Then I clean them off and store them in mesh bags so they have good air circulation. The variety I grow is Candy, and they are good storage onions.
Also, when potato vines are dead, it is time to get those tubers dug. Don’t expose the new potatoes to sunlight or they will turn green, and that part of the potato becomes mildly toxic. The skin of new potatoes is very tender, so don’t scrub them or their storage life will be dramatically shortened. I just hose mine off a couple of times, let them dry, and then put them in tubs in the basement.
August is the best time to move or divide peonies. The foliage of fern leaf peonies is yellowing or has died, indicating that they are finished growing for the season. Lift the entire clump and wash the soil from the roots. Then you can see how to untangle the tubers to divide them.
When you replant, be sure the new eye for next year’s growth is no deeper than one inch below the surface and plant them in a sunny area. Planted too deep or in shade will result in poor or no flowers.