Gardening Chores - August

August:

August is the height of summer, making consistent watering essential. Try to use grey water when possible as water butts could be running low, especially if it has been a dry summer. August is typically holiday time, so make sure you arrange some cover whilst you are away, or consider water storing granules. Remember to prune wisteria and summer-flowering shrubs after they've finished blooming.

In the Flower Garden

Cut back your lavender after it has finished flowering to encourage new, compact growth.
Keep your hanging baskets and containers looking good by dead-heading, watering, and feeding regularly.
Remove rose suckers from the base of your plants and remove any faded flowers to encourage a second flush of blooms.
You can take cuttings from fuchsias, salvias, pelargoniums, and verbenas to create new plants for next year.
Prune your Wisteria and shrubs after they have finished flowering.
You can also propagate new shrubs by taking hardwood or root cuttings.
Rambling roses can also be pruned after they have finished flowering.
Deadhead your shrubs to encourage blooms to last into early autumn.
Keep camellias, rhododendrons, and other shrubs well-watered throughout the month.
Take cuttings from 'shrubby' herbs to grow new plants.

The Vegetable Plot & Orchard

Regularly water your vegetables during dry spells to prevent splitting.
Remove weeds from your vegetable plot.
Protect early fruit blossom on top fruit trees like apricots, nectarines, and peaches from frost.
Lift marrows off the ground to prevent discolouration and rotting.
Thin out any late-sown root vegetables to give them space to grow.
Pinch out the tops of runner beans to encourage bushier growth and a better yield.
Pick your beans regularly to encourage more pods to form.
Cut off the tops of your tomato plants to encourage the remaining fruits to swell and ripen.

Fruit Garden

Prune restricted fruit trees
Prune back apricots, peaches, and nectarines after they have fruited.
Water berry fruit bushes to ensure plump, juicy fruits.
Support any fruit trees that are over-laden with fruit to prevent branches from snapping.

Lawns & Hedges

Mow your lawn weekly to keep it looking neat and tidy.
If your lawn is looking a bit tired, use a high-phosphate feed to strengthen the grass roots.

Pest & Weed Control

Late in the month is a good time to apply biological controls for vine weevils to rhododendrons, camellias, and fuchsias.
Check for aphids and black spot on your roses and treat them immediately.
Keep an eye out for powdery mildew and treat it if required.
Look out for potato and tomato blight, which can spread rapidly in warm, damp weather.

In the Greenhouse

Shade your greenhouse to prevent plants from being scorched and to keep it cool.
Check for aphids and blackfly and deal with them to prevent them from taking over.

General Garden Maintenance

You can give your hedge a final trim before winter.
Keep up the maintenance of your garden sheds, fences, and furniture, which is ideal to do in dry weather.
Turn garden waste into compost, adding an accelerator and turning it regularly to speed up the process.