Garden Maintenance: AUGUST
Top gardening jobs for August
1. Prune Wisteria.
2. Mow regularly but raise the cutting height
during dry spells.
3. Dead-head flowering plants regularly.
4. Trim
hedges to limit the work needed later in the year.
5. Collect seeds from
favourite plants.
6. Start to think about any repairs sheds/greenhouses
need before the rains come.
7. Lightly prune shrubs after flowering to
keep them neat.
8. Keep ponds and water features topped up.
9. Don't
let plants dry out! New plants especially need a lot of water. Use recycled
rain water whenever possible.
10. Remember garden hygiene; clear fallen
leaves and keep the garden tidy.
Lawn Care
- Although many people like a short lawn; the important thing is an even
cut. Raising the cutting height during dry spells will help the lawn retain
moisture and cope better in the heat.
- Mulching mowers cut the grass up
extra fine leaving the cuttings on the lawn to act as a natural fertiliser
and also helping to retain moisture.
- The lawn may go brown; this is
very common at this time of year. Don't worry too much it will recover when
the rains come. However, this can be prevented for next year by ensuring
that the lawn is well scarified and aerated later in the year.
- The lawn
feed you use should be suitable for the season; having an appropriate
balance of Nitrogen, Phosphates and Potassium. This is probably your last
chance to use a high Nitrogen feed (for lush, green lawn). Autumn/winter
feeds will focus on feeding the roots so they are strong during the winter.
Trees, shrubs and climbers
- Evergreen shrubs such as Hebes and lavenders can be given a light prune
after flowering.
- Prune Wisteria after it has finished flowering. Prune
shrubs such as Pyracantha also after flowering.
- Rambling roses can be
pruned back after flowering.
- Many hedges will also benefit from a light
trim to keep them tidy to avoid a lot of work in the autumn when growing
starts to slow.
- Continue to deadhead shrubs, such as roses, to extend
flowering into early autumn. Spindly specimens that have lost leaves can be
cut back a little further when deadheading, to encourage new growth.
-
Shrubs that flower early in the year such as Camellia and Rhododendron
should be kept well watered even after they have finished flowering; how you
treat them now will affect their blooms next time.
- It's not too late to
increase your stocks of box, Ceanothus, lavender etc by taking cuttings; Do
your friends have any of these that you could take a cutting from?
-
Black spot on roses is very common at this time of year but it's too late to
spray them; simply clear up any fallen leaves to try and limit its spread.
Flowers
- Don't forget to look after your hanging baskets - deadheading faded
flowers, watering and feeding will prolong the display. Containers will also
need a weekly feed.
- In fact, Deadheading bedding plants and other
plants such as Dahlia, rose and Penstemon will prolong the display well into
early autumn.
- BUT don't cut the flowerheads off ornamental grasses as
these will give you something to look at in the winter!
- Remove fading
stems and leaves from Geraniums to encourage new growth. This should not be
a hard prune a little can have a large effect.
- Irises have finished
flowering so now is a good time to increase your stocks by dividing the
rhizomes and planting them elsewhere in your garden.
- Most perennials
can be divided now once they have finished flowering but keep them well
watered until they have established.
- Annuals and perennials only flower
for one or two seasons and then die off. They propagate by dropping seeds.
If you like them why not collect the seeds now and spread them yourself in
the autumn. Good examples are Cerinthe, Calendula, Nigella, Papaver,
Geranium and Aquilegia.
- Most perennial weeds are best dealt with when
they are actively growing because the weed killer relies on the liquid being
taken into the plant (the weed thinking it is being given a drink). This
will ensure that the roots are killed along with the leaves.
- Towards
the end of August sow seeds of hardy annuals directly into borders (visit
your garden centre to see what's available). The seeds will survive the
winter and flower next summer. Of course, you will need a well prepared seed
bed set aside for this purpose so you know what should be growing and what
should not!
Greenhouse and houseplants
- If you have been keeping Cyclamen in the greenhouse these can now be
encouraged to wake up by watering and adding a layer of additional compost.
- If you are lucky enough to see some sun this summer then remember to open
doors and windows on your greenhouse to stop temperatures getting too high
and dampen the floor with a hose pipe to keep humidity levels up.
-
Remember garden hygiene; pests and plant diseases are most common in high
temperatures so regularly clear up fallen leaves and generally keep your
garden tidy.
Ponds
- Remove faded leaves on aquatic and marginal plants cutting back where
necessary.
- Keep an eye on water levels; if going on holiday ask someone
to keep an eye on your pond. A water fountain will help aerate the water.
- Remove blanket weed and duckweed where this is a problem.
Soft Landscaping
- Pressure wash paths and patios to remove moss and algae that could
become slippery in the winter.
- Think about any repairs that are need
for sheds and greenhouses now before the rains start.
- If you get any
dry weather paint fences, sheds etc with a preservative. Check the product
is still legal as many of the old oil-based products are no longer approved;
your gardener will have a list of banned chemicals.
- Can you recycle
more of your garden cuttings? Log and twig piles provide valuable shelter
for wildlife. - Be creative use them to create a features by planting up
with ferns, primroses etc.
Wildlife
- You may see willow or garden warblers, house-martins, swifts and
swallows. A birdbath can be a vital source of drinking water for birds.
Ensure that yours is kept topped up.
- Many bugs are beneficial and
should be encouraged. Without them many flowers would fail to pollinate, set
seed or produce fruit.
- It is the breeding season of Damselflies and
dragonflies. Hoverflies and ladybirds are also in abundance this month.
Hoverflies do not sting although they look a little like wasps - this is
just their defensive camouflage to deter predators. Planting marigolds
around vegetables will attract hoverflies as pest control.
- However,
this is peak bat-watching season as they are active and garden friendly,
eating midges and tiny insects that annoy us!
- Frogs, toads and newts,
are now leaving the pond, usually at times when the ground is damp so be
careful with your lawn mower!
- Unfortunately, this is flying ant season,
when they fly up in the air to mate.
