Bold Deer & Crafty Chipmunks: The August Ridgefield Garden Challenge

RIDGEFIELD, CT — Last month's rainstorms led to the worst flooding in the Northeast since Hurricane Irene. The beginning of August hasn't offered much hope we'll be drying out anytime soon.

Lisa Chuma, a member of The Ridgefield Garden Club, says the constant cloudbursts have helped local horticulturalists keep on top of their watering. Too often, our approach to watering is just superficial.

"It needs to happen at the root level, not just a spraying of leaves," Chuma said.

That's never more true than ever during the summer's hottest month, when the heat can cause moisture to evaporate before the plant can use it.

August is all about maintenance. In addition to weeding, gardeners should take time during the last month of summer to deadhead their flowers.

"If a plant is past its bloom and it's starting to look a little like worse for the wear, then give it a good haircut," Chuma said. "It will reinvigorate it, and get a second bloom of flowers."

August can be frantic for vegetable gardeners who should be harvesting daily, Chuma said. "At least once a day. I don't want to allow vegetables to get too big, because then they start to go to seed and just aren't quite as good."

The longer you leave your veggies in the dirt, the more susceptible they are to pests.

"Different things, chipmunks or whatever, get into your garden and then all of a sudden take advantage of a nice big ripe zucchini that's ready to be picked. And maybe you left it there one extra day. And the next thing you know, it's got some bite marks in it," Chuma said.

For the same reason, gardeners need to especially stay on top of their weeding during August, because the invasive plants "steal moisture from your flowers and vegetables."

More invasive still are the fauna. Chuma says that deer get bolder in August, and must be managed.

"I've noticed they start coming out a little bit more," Chuma said. "Maybe they've cleaned out the forests or they're tired of it, and they want something new in their buffet."

Chuma recommends gardeners don't skimp on the deer repellent. There are two types: odor, and taste-based, and both can be pretty foul. The first may contain nicotine, ammonia, lime sulfur and creosote, and are just as noxious and off-putting to humans as the deer. The second often contain garlic, hot sauce and rotten eggs, and are no day at the beach for humans either.

Re-spray once every 7-10 days, and more frequently if you are experiencing a lot of rain. You can expect the deer presence in your garden to increase later in the month, as we edge closer to fall, Chuma said.

Remember not to spray your vegetables. In the gardener's war against deer, the zucchini are on their own.