Gardening is a labor of love. But this month, we get to sit back and savor the fruits of our labor. That may be a handful of bush beans, three artichokes from a gloriously decorative plant, endless beautiful bouquets, or fifty pounds of potatoes. Whatever you’ve produced, your mind will begin to collect data about what worked and what went awry this summer.

As your mind wanders down that analytical path over an icy glass of lemonade, you know you’re addicted to gardening. Welcome to Gardeners’ Anonymous, where we’re constantly seeking better ways to grow our food, flowers, and lawns. Mother Nature always keeps us guessing, but we can follow scientific principles to guide us along the way. Let’s look at how your observations during harvest can guide future years.

In August, it may be difficult to keep up with what your garden is producing. Checking both fruiting and flowering plants at least every other day is a good idea. If you must leave for a week, have someone do this for you. Otherwise, anticipate what will ripen and rot while you are gone and be aggressive in pre-harvesting before you leave. Rotting vegetation invites disease and harbors invasive pests.

Most vegetables and many flowers will continue to produce if they are picked promptly. It’s important to remove ripe fruits to make room for air and sun to circulate so new ones can grow. Dead leaves and stems are inevitable as vegetables and flowers go through their life cycle. These should be trimmed and removed regularly. As long as they are attached, the plant will try to nourish them, drawing resources away from young developing foliage and fruit. Make sure to leave plenty of foliage—this is where the plant photosynthesizes food from the sun. Remove dead leaves, dropped berries, and any other decaying matter from around your plants.

Bark mulch is good around flowers but should never be used around edible plants. If it is treated with chemicals, those can be absorbed by the fruits.

Selective harvesting can prolong the productive life of some plants.

• Kale will survive the winter months—often several years—if the outer, lower leaves are continually harvested.
• Some leafy lettuce can be cut in a similar fashion. Cutting through the central leaves to prevent bolting will help the plant continue to send up new tender shoots.
• Artichoke plants can produce for several years if stems are cut a couple of inches below the globes.
• Broccoli produces new flowerets after others have been harvested just below their first junctures.

Some crops need reseeding. If you’ve been pulling up your lettuce by the roots or have planted head lettuce, you’ll need to resow every two to three weeks to ensure a steady supply. Other veggies in this category include carrots, beets, turnips, and parsnips.

Knowing when to pick vegetables is like being in the grocery store—but better! Gardening spoils you for riper, tastier vegetables. It’s often difficult to ripen a tomato in the Pacific Northwest because there just isn’t enough sunshine. (But this year might be different!)

In typical Northwest years, special strains of tomatoes with a short life cycle, such as Early Girl, are preferred. Yet when a tomato is truly ripe, you’ll know by the feel and smell—richer than anything from a grocery store. Other vegetables follow the same principle. Pick them at their peak rather than letting them ripen on the counter.

There are some exceptions to this rule. Winter squash and beans for drying need to stay on their vines to harden off. They sit on their dried-up vines, which may look rather forlorn. Leave them until their skin hardens—until it doesn’t give way to your fingernail. However, pay attention to weather forecasts. These crops should be harvested before the rains set in since damp conditions could damage them. If necessary, bring them inside to finish the hardening-off process.

How did your garden fare?

• Were there enough artichokes?
• Did your grandkids eat all your strawberries before you got any?
• Too many potatoes?
• The beets never came up at all?
• Perhaps the parsnip greens shaded the pepper plants?

Grab your gardening notebook with a section for every month and start making notes. Write your observations about the weather, the plant strains you used, and how they worked for you.

What would work better?

• Perhaps switch the position of the parsnips and peppers so both get sun?
• Try different beet seeds?
• Make a note to reseed lettuce earlier next year?
• Consider partnering with a Community Garden or directly with a Food Bank to donate excess food production—or even plant an extra row for them?

Usually, there is a good and obvious reason why your garden didn’t produce as expected. Sometimes, the connections you don’t make immediately become clear over time when you record them. Next year, look at your notebook and compare what happened in the same month in earlier years. This will help you modify your approach as needed.

Was it a particularly bad year? You’ve done everything according to the books, consulted experts, and followed seed packet instructions—but still no success? A warm spell in the winter and an early spring can send mixed signals to some plants, leaving them confused.

Don’t neglect the most important element of your garden: the soil. Take a soil sample. A soil test will report what is needed to improve your soil. Responsible use of soil amendments benefits both your garden and the environment.

For information about performing soil tests and where to send them, contact the Master Gardener (MG) hotline: (425) 357-6010.