AUGUST
AUGUST is time to HYDRATE, HARVEST, PLANT and PRUNE.
CHECKLIST OF KEY TASKS FOR AUGUST:
PATIOS & BORDERS
Remove fading flowers from perennials and do not let them seed.
Lavendars should be trimmed now.
Plant hydrangeas in soils that stay moist or mulch generously.
TREES & SHRUBS
Roses tend to succumb to attack from blackspot, mildew and rust at this end of the summer.
Removal and burning of badly infected leaves is the best way to stop these being carried over from this season to next.
PLANTING & PRUNING
Reliable hardy annuals and biennials can still be sown.
Californian poppies should be sown directly into a well prepared seed bed in full sun where they are to flower.
Brompton stock, forget-me-not and sweet williams are best sown in a row to be transplanted to the flower border in autumn.
They will provide masses of colour in spring and early summer next year.
Take cuttings of fuchsias, pelargoniums and other tender plants now.
See the advice from the RHS on taking cuttings:
https://www.rhs.org.uk/Advice/profile?pid=638#section-3
Select healthy shoot tips, preferably without flowers and root them on your window sill.
Prune climbing and rambling roses, if not done last month.
Prune Wisteria now. See the advice from the RHS on pruning Wisteria:
https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile?pid=242
BULBS
Plant snowdrop bulbs just as soon as you can.
They can be difficult to get going but by planting really early they establish much more readily.
The longer they are out of the ground the more dormant they become and difficult to re-awaken.
Autumn flowering crocus should be planted as soon as possible, as they will flower this October.
Narcissi and daffodils make better plants if planted really early because they start to form new roots straight away.
Hyacinths prepared for forcing are due in at the end of August. Get ready to pot some for inexpensive Christmas gifts.
FRUIT GARDEN
Prune fruit trees that have fruits containing stones rather than pips now.
Plums, cherries, apricots, peaches and nectarines are best pruned during the summer when they are less likely to
get infected with the incurable Silver Leaf disease.
Plant strawberry runners. Those planted now will produce the earliest crops next year.
Prune out the canes of summer fruiting raspberries that have finished cropping.
If your apples suffer from spots of corky dead tissue use calcium as a foliar feed to combat it.
VEGETABLE GARDEN
Cabbage, cauliflower, sprouts and other brassicas get a multitude of pests at this time of year.
Use mesh netting to protect vegetable crops against flying pests, it is particularly effective against carrot, root fly, cabbage root fly and caterpillars.
Turnips and winter salads can be planted in gaps in the vegetable garden.
Sow seed of autumn onion now for the earliest crop of next year.
Keep picking runner beans and courgettes regularly. If you don't they will stop growing more.
Dig up your potatoes, dry and store undamaged tubers in a dark frost-free place for winter.
Late maincrop and winter salad potatoes will need a little longer in the ground and may put on a lot of tuber growth in the next few weeks.
First early and most second earlies will be ready to lift now.
LAWNS, HEDGES & PATHS
Check lawns for 'chafer grub' damage now; look for yellowing patches and, if pulled gently, areas will come away easily with little or no roots; sometimes the first signs are magpies, jackdaws and badgers making holes to get at the grubs.
Cut the lawn edges regularly.
If floppy plants make cutting close to the borders difficult, it could be worth laying a line of decorative paving for them to lie on.
Weeds on drives and paths may need treating again now.
Let the grass on your lawn grow longer to help it get through dry periods better without having to use as much water to keep it looking green.
Raise the mower blades to about 2 inches and cut the lawn less often.
With all the recent wet weather again this year, poor drainage on the lawn may cause moss to grow.
Spike the lawn to ease compaction, fill the resulting holes with coarse sand to aid drainage.
THE GREENHOUSE
Remove the leading shoot when your greenhouse tomatoes have set five trusses of fruit.
This will encourage all the fruit to ripen before late autumn.
Regular feeding with a tomato feed will help and also makes the fruit tastier.
Take cuttings of border pinks [Dianthus] this month; they root easily, even in a glass of water, and it is a plant that benefits from being regularly rejuvenated by replanting regularly.
Check greenhouses for whitefly; they are a little bigger than midges and will fly up in clouds if you disturb them.
INDOOR PLANTS
Mist over the tops of houseplants regularly.
Clean houseplant leaves with leaf shine.
Group plants together, the display will look better, but more importantly, they grow better together as a group.
Feed indoor plants monthly; but make sure the root ball is wet first.
Water carefully; it is better to let plants dry out between waterings and then give a thorough soak than a small amount regularly.
SOIL
Creeping thistles, nettles and brambles may be difficult to control, so try to remove them when you first see them.
It's not too late to mulch your beds and borders to control weeds. Use chipped bark.
PONDS
Thin out oxygenating weed, floating plants and plants growing on the pond margins now.
Aim to have no more than half the water covered by plants.
Don't remove more, because fish and other pond wildlife will need the shade and shelter that these plants provide.
Try to take out dead leaves of plants such as water lilies to avoid them rotting in the bottom of the pond.
Top up the water level if it gets low.
WILDLIFE
Remember to keep providing water at this time of year, for hedgehogs and birds.
AUGUST GARDEN CHORES
CHECKLIST OF KEY TASKS FOR AUGUST:
- Ensure plants have enough water.
- Take cuttings of tender plants.
- Dead-head faded flowers and collect seeds.
- Prune climbing and rambling roses and wisteria.
- Plant snowdrops and daffodils now.
- Pot hyacinth bulbs for Christmas.
- Plant winter vegetables.
- Prune stone-containing fruit trees.
- Plant strawberry runners.
- Prune raspberry canes.
PATIOS & BORDERS
Remove fading flowers from perennials and do not let them seed.
Lavendars should be trimmed now.
Plant hydrangeas in soils that stay moist or mulch generously.
TREES & SHRUBS
Roses tend to succumb to attack from blackspot, mildew and rust at this end of the summer.
Removal and burning of badly infected leaves is the best way to stop these being carried over from this season to next.
PLANTING & PRUNING
Reliable hardy annuals and biennials can still be sown.
Californian poppies should be sown directly into a well prepared seed bed in full sun where they are to flower.
Brompton stock, forget-me-not and sweet williams are best sown in a row to be transplanted to the flower border in autumn.
They will provide masses of colour in spring and early summer next year.
Take cuttings of fuchsias, pelargoniums and other tender plants now.
See the advice from the RHS on taking cuttings:
https://www.rhs.org.uk/Advice/profile?pid=638#section-3
Select healthy shoot tips, preferably without flowers and root them on your window sill.
Prune climbing and rambling roses, if not done last month.
Prune Wisteria now. See the advice from the RHS on pruning Wisteria:
https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile?pid=242
BULBS
Plant snowdrop bulbs just as soon as you can.
They can be difficult to get going but by planting really early they establish much more readily.
The longer they are out of the ground the more dormant they become and difficult to re-awaken.
Autumn flowering crocus should be planted as soon as possible, as they will flower this October.
Narcissi and daffodils make better plants if planted really early because they start to form new roots straight away.
Hyacinths prepared for forcing are due in at the end of August. Get ready to pot some for inexpensive Christmas gifts.
FRUIT GARDEN
Prune fruit trees that have fruits containing stones rather than pips now.
Plums, cherries, apricots, peaches and nectarines are best pruned during the summer when they are less likely to
get infected with the incurable Silver Leaf disease.
Plant strawberry runners. Those planted now will produce the earliest crops next year.
Prune out the canes of summer fruiting raspberries that have finished cropping.
If your apples suffer from spots of corky dead tissue use calcium as a foliar feed to combat it.
VEGETABLE GARDEN
Cabbage, cauliflower, sprouts and other brassicas get a multitude of pests at this time of year.
Use mesh netting to protect vegetable crops against flying pests, it is particularly effective against carrot, root fly, cabbage root fly and caterpillars.
Turnips and winter salads can be planted in gaps in the vegetable garden.
Sow seed of autumn onion now for the earliest crop of next year.
Keep picking runner beans and courgettes regularly. If you don't they will stop growing more.
Dig up your potatoes, dry and store undamaged tubers in a dark frost-free place for winter.
Late maincrop and winter salad potatoes will need a little longer in the ground and may put on a lot of tuber growth in the next few weeks.
First early and most second earlies will be ready to lift now.
LAWNS, HEDGES & PATHS
Check lawns for 'chafer grub' damage now; look for yellowing patches and, if pulled gently, areas will come away easily with little or no roots; sometimes the first signs are magpies, jackdaws and badgers making holes to get at the grubs.
Cut the lawn edges regularly.
If floppy plants make cutting close to the borders difficult, it could be worth laying a line of decorative paving for them to lie on.
Weeds on drives and paths may need treating again now.
Let the grass on your lawn grow longer to help it get through dry periods better without having to use as much water to keep it looking green.
Raise the mower blades to about 2 inches and cut the lawn less often.
With all the recent wet weather again this year, poor drainage on the lawn may cause moss to grow.
Spike the lawn to ease compaction, fill the resulting holes with coarse sand to aid drainage.
THE GREENHOUSE
Remove the leading shoot when your greenhouse tomatoes have set five trusses of fruit.
This will encourage all the fruit to ripen before late autumn.
Regular feeding with a tomato feed will help and also makes the fruit tastier.
Take cuttings of border pinks [Dianthus] this month; they root easily, even in a glass of water, and it is a plant that benefits from being regularly rejuvenated by replanting regularly.
Check greenhouses for whitefly; they are a little bigger than midges and will fly up in clouds if you disturb them.
INDOOR PLANTS
Mist over the tops of houseplants regularly.
Clean houseplant leaves with leaf shine.
Group plants together, the display will look better, but more importantly, they grow better together as a group.
Feed indoor plants monthly; but make sure the root ball is wet first.
Water carefully; it is better to let plants dry out between waterings and then give a thorough soak than a small amount regularly.
SOIL
Creeping thistles, nettles and brambles may be difficult to control, so try to remove them when you first see them.
It's not too late to mulch your beds and borders to control weeds. Use chipped bark.
PONDS
Thin out oxygenating weed, floating plants and plants growing on the pond margins now.
Aim to have no more than half the water covered by plants.
Don't remove more, because fish and other pond wildlife will need the shade and shelter that these plants provide.
Try to take out dead leaves of plants such as water lilies to avoid them rotting in the bottom of the pond.
Top up the water level if it gets low.
WILDLIFE
Remember to keep providing water at this time of year, for hedgehogs and birds.
AUGUST GARDEN CHORES
- Turn your compost heap over and water it thoroughly if it appears dry.
- Cover the top with an old carpet to keep in the heat generated by all the micro-organisms that will be breaking your garden prunings and grass.
- Top up the water level in ponds and birdbaths if it gets low.
- Remember to leave some untidy areas for wildlife.