The Yard Almanac · Zone 8a · Upstate South Carolina
Zone 8a summer yard care: lawn and garden to-dos
Summer in Zone 8a is about protecting what you have through the heat and humidity, not pushing new growth. Water and mowing height do most of the work.
Lawn
- Mow fescue tall, 3.5 to 4 inches, so the roots stay shaded and the soil holds moisture.
- Water one inch early in the morning, in one long soak rather than several shallow ones.
- Skip nitrogen on fescue; it is dormant-stressed and feeding it now invites disease.
- Feed warm-season turf lightly if it is actively growing.
Beds and borders
- Deadhead spent blooms to keep annuals and perennials flowering.
- Sidedress tomatoes and peppers, and sow a second round of bush beans for a September pick.
- Watch for fungal disease in the humidity; water at the roots, not the leaves.
Plan ahead
- Mark mid-September for the fescue overseed while the soil is still warm and the nights cool.
- Order spring-planted bulbs now, while the good varieties are still in stock.
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