What to do in the Garden - August

THERE’S PLENTY TO DO THIS SUMMER - Lets GET GARDENING…

What on earth can be left to do in the garden in August? Surely just a sit down with a long icy drink and the occasional pick of tomatoes and runner beans? Between sips we can help you stay fit and busy in your garden this August.

There is a long list of things that could use your attention but the TOP 3 I would recommend are as follows:

CUTTING BACK

• Cut back alchemilla and hardy geraniums to encourage more growth

• Wisteria – summer pruning. It will have grown massively this summer. Cut off the long whippy growth and any horizontal growth at the base. This stops growth into stonework, drainpipes or anywhere else it isn’t wanted. It is important to prune in August and Feb to ensure a succession of annual flowers.

• Other Pruning - Early August is the last chance to prune Weigela, Philadelphus, Choisya, and Wisteria

• Tomatoes Pinch out the top growing point of your tomatoes plant – and keep pinching this out as it grows - The goal is to stop the planting growing and producing yet more leaves and to divert its energy into fruiting. Regular watering and feeding to ensure a good crop of sweet tasting tomatoes.

• Lavender 'Hidcote' - Trim lavender into a neat shape after the flowers are spent. Do not trim into old wood. If you prefer to keep the drying blooms on your lavender trim in early spring instead. Don’t trim French lavender (Lavender stoechas) just dead head throughout the summer

• All flowering plants - Dead head to prevent your plants going to seed. Once a plant has flowered and set seed, it will slow down and stop flowering unless prevented by regular dead heading.

• Perennials - Cut back tired foliage on perennials. Most perennials can be chopped back in autumn, but a few would do with an earlier haircut in August. Which ones though? Hardy geraniums (cranesbills), Nepeta (Cat Mint), Alchemilla (Lady's Mantle) are great to cut back and you’ll probably find the fresh new growth showing already in its centre. Your rejuvenated plant might or might not flower again depending on the conditions but it will grow fresh, good looking new foliage.

• Autumn cut back notes – don’t chop back the evergreen perennials - epimediums, euphorbias and hellebores. And only give light pruning to penstemons in autumn, leave some of the old stems (about 2/3 to protect the crown from frost.

SEED COLLECTION

• Collect seed from foxgloves and other early-summer perennials e.g. poppies. Place the flower head into a paper bag, shake to collect seed – label your bag! Check online and work our when you are going to plant these – write this on the bag too.

WATER & FEED

• Keep watering and feeding flowers and vegetables especially containers.

• Feed and Water next year's flowers - Camellias and Rhododendrons are forming their flower buds ready for next spring's display. Water throughout August to ensure they make plenty of buds. Feed these ericaceous shrubs in August and September using a proprietary ericaceous feed.

• Container Plants Feed container plants with high-potash liquid fertiliser to prolong flowering

• Houseplants can be fed every 10-14 days. Water as required by each plant species. Most houseplants except fuzzy leaved ones, succulents and cacti enjoy being misted. Many houseplants are from tropical and rainforest environments where humidity is high. You can sit plants on a tray of water and pebbles to increase humidity in this very dry month.
  

GROWING & SOWING

• Strawberries - Peg down strawberry runners into a pot next to the mother plant. When its rooted after couple of weeks cut it to separate.

• Salad - There is time to sow quick growing salad crops such as Lettuce, Rocket and radish.

• Dead heading flowers is essential to prolong flowering well into September as the later flowers come to their peak.

• Cuttings - This is also an ideal time to take cuttings from Pelargoniums (bedding geraniums) and raise plants for free for next year.

• Broad Beans TOP TIP In late July/early August, when the broad bean plant has finished, cut down the stem close to around 6 inches (15cm) near a growing point and give it a feed. If you are lucky it will grow and produce a second smaller crop of fresh broad beans

ROSES

• Black spot on Roses - As the summer goes on the Roses become more prone to black spot. It makes the leaves turn yellow and spotty, some leaves will fall to the ground. Burn your diseased leaves – don’t put them in the compost and spray your plant with 'Roseclear'. This controls the main rose diseases such as rose black spot, powdery mildew and rust. It protects plants from further infestations of aphids and diseases. Recommended spraying interval is 3 - 4 weeks between applications.

• For an natural pest & mildew control alternative we have SB Invigorator . SB Plant Invigorator, sprayed regularly during active growth to helps control rose diseases in general such as greenfly, white fly & mildew. It also provides a foliar feed to your garden roses giving the leaves a glossy appearance. Natural non chemical, bee friendly product, use regularly on your roses and any other pest prone plant including edibles!

HARVESTING & STORING

• Spuds Maincrop potatoes can be harvested once they have flowered and should be ready to harvest in August/Sept. You can leave them in the ground for a while after the top growth has died back. Potatoes already harvested/still being picked are usually the earlies and salad potatoes which will keep fine in the fridge. Maincrops are harvested later and it is essential that they are stored somewhere dry and dark. It is most important when they are put into storage that the potatoes are 100% dry and light is excluded. Hessian sacks are good for storing Potatoes.

• Onions, Garlic and Shallots could be ready by the end of August. When the leaves go brown, bend them over then pick a dry spell to harvest carefully. Rest on soil to dry out before storage. If its wet (chance would be a fine thing) you could dry your onions and shallots in a conservatory or greenhouse. Once dried completely they are to be stored in a light, dry environment (not the kitchen) in a net or platted to keep for up to 12 months.
  
  MISCELLANEOUS!

• Carrots Earth up any carrots poking out of the sold with a little soil or compost to prevent them getting green instead of orange tops (known a "green shoulders") when exposed to the light.