Open today 9:00 - 17:00
Open today 9:00 - 17:00
August is a busy month for harvesting, watering and keeping summer displays flowering, while late-summer pruning and sowing begin to prepare the garden for the months ahead. Dry weather can put containers and newly planted plants under pressure, and warm soil still provides opportunities to sow crops for autumn.
Remove faded flowers from dahlias, cosmos, bedding plants and repeat-flowering roses to encourage more blooms into autumn. Leave some flower heads if you want hips or seeds for collecting or wildlife.
Remove dead or badly deteriorating foliage from herbaceous perennials that have finished for the year. Leave healthy growth and seed heads that will continue to provide structure, food or shelter later in the season.
Camellias and rhododendrons form flower buds for the following year during late summer, so prolonged dryness at this stage can affect next spring’s display. Water thoroughly during dry spells, particularly plants growing in containers or sheltered positions.
Late summer is a good time to plant autumn-flowering bulbs such as nerines. Choose the position according to the needs of the plant, as some nerines require a warm, sheltered site and good drainage.
Collect ripe seed from suitable garden plants on a dry day if you want to propagate them for next year. Store fully dry seed in labelled paper envelopes somewhere cool and dry until it is time to sow.
Wisteria receives its main summer prune in July or August. Shorten the long, vigorous shoots produced this year to around five or six leaves from the main framework to control growth and encourage flower bud formation.
Once hardy lavender has finished flowering, remove the spent flower stems and trim back the current season’s growth to keep plants compact. Always leave some green growth on the stems and avoid cutting back into bare old wood.
Rambling roses that flower once can be pruned after their summer display has finished. Remove some of the oldest flowered stems where necessary and tie in strong new growth that will carry future flowers.
Once summer raspberries have finished cropping, cut the canes that have fruited back to ground level. Keep the strong new canes produced this year, as these will carry next year’s crop.
Summer prune cordon and espalier apples and pears once the new shoots begin to turn woody. Bush and standard trees are generally pruned in winter.
Plums, gages, damsons and cherries that need pruning should be tackled while they are still in active growth rather than during winter. August can be suitable once harvesting has finished, although the precise timing depends on the crop and when the fruit ripens.
Pick courgettes, beans, cucumbers and tomatoes regularly to keep plants productive. August is also a key harvest month for blackberries, raspberries, plums and early apples and pears.
Sow quick-growing crops such as rocket, winter lettuce, pak choi, mizuna and radishes for autumn harvests. Keep new sowings moist during dry weather and allow for later sowing in warmer parts of the UK.
Peg down healthy strawberry runners to root, or pot up well-rooted young plants. These can replace older plants or provide additional plants for next year.
Warm, humid conditions can favour late blight on tomatoes and potatoes. Check plants regularly and remove affected material promptly if symptoms appear, particularly during periods of suitable blight weather.
Pots and hanging baskets can dry out rapidly in warm or windy August weather. Check them regularly and water thoroughly when needed rather than relying on a fixed schedule.
Pay particular attention to small pots, hanging baskets and containers positioned against walls or under roof overhangs where rainfall may not reach the compost.
Continue feeding container-grown flowering and fruiting plants while they are actively producing flowers or crops. A high-potassium liquid feed is suitable for many flowering plants and crops such as container-grown tomatoes.
Always follow the recommended rate for the product and plant being fed.
Trees and shrubs planted within the past year may still need extra water during prolonged dry spells. Water thoroughly so moisture reaches the root zone rather than giving frequent light sprinklings.
Continue mowing while grass is growing, but raise the cutting height during hot, dry periods. If growth stops, stop mowing until conditions improve. Established lawns should recover naturally when rain returns.
Areas of long grass or summer-flowering meadow can be cut once the plants have finished flowering and shed their seed. Timing will vary according to the plants present and how the area is being managed for wildlife.
Remove weeds before they shed seed, particularly in vegetable plots, containers and newly planted borders. Hoeing is most effective in dry conditions, when uprooted annual weeds can quickly shrivel on the soil surface.
Keep bird baths and other shallow water sources clean and topped up during warm, dry weather. Change drinking and bathing water regularly, and provide an easy way for insects and other small wildlife to get out of shallow containers.
Check pond levels during prolonged dry weather and top up when necessary, ideally using collected rainwater. Make sure wildlife can enter and leave the pond safely as water levels change.
Not every faded flower needs to be removed. Allow selected plants to develop seed heads to provide food for birds later in the year and leave useful habitat and structure as summer moves into autumn.
Visit us in Kington. You can find plants, seeds, bulbs, feeds and garden care products for your August gardening jobs, along with practical advice for looking after your garden as summer progresses.
