Here are your recommended tasks for August.

Scout for spotted lanternfly adults and adjust treatment methods if needed.

Scout for Japanese beetle grubs in lawns. Treat with a season-long grub control product if populations are high. Collect Japanese beetles in a jar of soapy water in the early morning.

Water, water, water, especially during periods of drought. Water recently-planted trees and shrubs weekly until they are established. Water container grown plants daily.

Water tomato plants consistently. Uneven soil moisture may result in the dreaded blossom end rot on the tomato fruit.

Harvest tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, squash, beans and other vegetables to keep the plants producing.

Potatoes can be dug as soon as the tops die. Let potatoes sit on top of the soil for two or three hours to dry, then place in burlap or mesh bags and store in a dark, cool place.

Pick lima beans while still green.

Late beets should be thinned.

Sow cool season crops such as peas, lettuce, spinach, radishes, beets, broccoli and kale.

Gather and dry herbs and flowers at their peak in a cool, airy and shady place. Cut herbs just before the flowers open.

Remove spent flowers from perennials and annuals to encourage reblooming.

Divide and replant clumps of bearded iris so that they have time to form new roots and flower buds before the onset of cold weather.

Divide peonies in late August through September. Do not bury buds more than one-inch beneath the soil surface.

Purchase and plant spring-flowering bulbs such as daffodils, allium, tulips, crocus, and hyacinths.

Raise the cutting height on your lawn mower to three inches to keep grass longer during hot weather.

Keep birdbaths filled with water during hot weather.

Check for powdery mildew on peonies, phlox, bee balm and other plants.

Remove severely-damaged foliage and discard in the trash.

Check evergreens for spider mite damage. Look for yellowing or speckled needles.

If using a chemical treatment for insect pests, protect pollinators by spraying during a time of day when bees and butterflies are least active and only during dry, still weather.

Blossom end rot: What’s happening to my vegetables? You’ve waited for that perfect tomato or pepper. Then, a black, sunken spot appears on the bottom of the fruit.

Blossom end rot affects fruit of peppers, tomatoes, eggplant, and, to a lesser degree, squash and melons.

The damage is dark lesions or sunken areas on the bottom, or blossom end, of the fruit. It is caused from calcium deficiency in the part of the fruit farthest from the stem. Wide fluctuations in available water are usually the cause since this affects the plant’s ability to absorb calcium from the soil.

To try to prevent blossom end rot, irrigate plants regularly and mulch to preserve soil moisture. Look for plant varieties that are resistant to blossom end rot.

Good, healthy eating: Heirloom tomatoes come in varied size, color, texture, shape and taste and are healthy to eat.

Research supports that foods high in lycopene may help to reduce the risk for prostate, digestive and pancreatic cancers.

Tomato products are responsible for more than 80 percent of the lycopene in the United States diet.

Radishes are a good source of antioxidants and contain Vitamin C.

Cucumbers have a unique set of antioxidants, including flavonoids, lignans and triterpenes. They not only protect cells but also lessen inflammation linked to arthritis and other long-term conditions.

“Growing Green” is contributed by Diane Dorn, Lehigh County Extension Office Staff, and Master Gardeners. Information: Lehigh County Extension Office, 610-391-9840; Northampton County Extension Office, 610-813-6613.