Got slugs? This is a great time of year to go after these garden pests

Surprise! August is a good month for slug hunting. The hot dry weather means your slug population will migrate to the coolness near house foundations, under groundcovers and wherever there is moisture from watering a lawn or garden.

Make this the month you set out slug bait or do regular slug patrols after a rare day of rain. Controlling slugs and snails during the “A” months of April and August is the most efficient way to keep the population under control. There are several pet safe slug baits available such as “Sluggo” and “Worry Free” that do an excellent job of protecting plants.

Tip: Do not put the bait on the plants. Follow the label directions and scatter it near slug-infested areas.

Q. Is this a good time to divide iris? I notice my beautiful iris bed has been having fewer blooms each year and I have never divided the plants. — J. Email

A. Yes! August is a great month to divide bearded iris. Lift the clumps from the ground with a shovel then use a spade or knife to cut the clumps into fourths, saving the outer rhizomes that are young and discarding the center of the clump. Snip off any foliage down to 1-inch tufts of leaves. Replant immediately into loosened soil but do not plant too deep. Iris plants are like peonies. Both of these perennials flower best if the eye or growth sprout is just below the surface of the soil.

Q. Raspberries. When to prune. — W.T. Email

A. Prune June-bearing raspberry plants as soon as the canes turn brown and are done producing. Cut them all the way to the ground.

There are also “everbearing” raspberries that keep bearing fruit most of the summer. These should be pruned in late August by cutting the canes in half that have already given you summer berries.

This is a good time to weed around the plants and apply a fresh mulch to seal in moisture.

Q. I would like some ideas for fall flowers for cutting. I do not like dahlias! — P.T., Tacoma

A. Fall is for harvesting more than just dahlias. Sunflowers, asters, tall sedums such as “Autumn Joy,’ the dark foliage and purple blooms of sedum “madrone,” hardy fuchsias, mums, salvias and sage are all peak bloomers in late summer and fall.

The easy way to determine what will bloom in your garden during a specific time of year is to visit a nursery or take a walk in a beautiful neighborhood. In Western Washington, we are blessed with great weather in August and September and so these are the months of outdoor living. You can fill your home and garden with bountiful blooms, just select perennials, annuals and shrubs that flower later in the season.

Marianne Binetti has a degree in horticulture from Washington State University and is the author of several books. Reach her at binettigarden.com.

This story was originally published August 27, 2022 at 5:30 AM with the headline "Got slugs? This is a great time of year to go after these garden pests."