People might not be eager to work in their gardens in August, especially because the weather is hot and the dew point is high. Plus, spending the last days of summer at the beach or pool may seem more appealing. However, late summer is a great time to focus on certain gardening tasks.

Deadheading.

Many plants look better with wilted flowers removed, and some, such as lilies and roses, benefit from removing spent blooms to prevent unnecessary energy from being drawn away from the roots or bulbs. Research your plants to learn which can benefit from late-summer deadheading to keep them thriving.

Weeding.

Weeds can become problematic if left unchecked. Regularly remove garden weeds.

Keep an eye out for pests.

According to Garden Smart, caterpillars and beetles may start chewing on garden plants by late summer, and aphids might still be an issue. Handpick insects from vegetables and ornamental flowers or use safe sprays to treat these problems.

Plant cool-weather vegetables.

Many plants thrive when planted in late summer, including turnips, beets, carrots, kale, chard, mustard greens, and peas. You can start converting your summer garden, or part of it, into a fall and winter garden.

Consider succession planting.

Growing vegetables like beans or peas may be more successful if you sow new seeds every seven to 10 days to extend the harvest

Harvest what’s ready.

Pick vegetables that are ripe and remove any plants that have finished their growing cycle.

Convert planter boxes and containers. This is a good time to transition summer annuals in containers and planter boxes to those that thrive in fall, such as mums, asters, pansies, and goldenrod.