August Gardening Tips

July’s weather can be summed up in one word this year: disappointing. Our gardens have been battered by heavy downpours, struggled under thick cloud and sulked through frequent, damp days. This combination has left plants listless and struggling to bloom to their very best, causing challenges with pests such as slugs and a battle against fungal diseases. However, we hold onto our hopes for August and those hot, balmy summer days we expect from the summer months. So, let’s stay positive and try these tips for getting our gardens back on track.

August is a month that is popular for going away for a holiday and as mentioned in my blog last month, plans will be needed to maintain your plot during your absence.

Get holiday ready – If you’re going away in August, try to organise watering in your absence. Timers for sprinklers can be useful but don’t offer the same level of control as an irrigation system or hose. Ask a friend, relative, or neighbour to help – then don’t forget to return the favour!
Top up your water features – If we do get a prolonged dry spell, keep an eye on the level of water in ponds as the water can evaporate at an alarming rate. Oxygen levels in the water will also become low in still, hot weather so top up the pond regularly. Spraying water onto the surface can increase the oxygen levels, which is important if you are keeping fish, but benefits all aquatic life too.
Continue to water and feed containers – If you have plants in pots and other containers, watering may have to be done several times a day when the weather is very hot. Feed at least once a week with a high potash fertiliser to encourage the plants to bloom well into autumn.
Look out for pests – At Nicholsons, we encourage an organic approach to managing pests in our gardens and the damp summer we are experiencing is certainly encouraging pests, such as slugs. Nature is our first line of defence. Birds, ground beetles, hedgehogs and frogs all eat slugs so encourage them into your garden. Put a piece of slate or wood in the flower border for slugs to hide under as they like dark, cool, moist hiding places. The slate or wood can then be turned over, exposing the slugs to any birds in the vicinity. Beer traps can also be very effective.
Trim lavender lightly – Remove the old flower spikes with a pair of shears, cutting off the old flower spikes and about 2.5cm of the leafy growth at the tips of the shoots. This will encourage side shoots to grow, keeping the plant bushy and compact.
Prune rambling roses after they have flowered. These roses produce flowers on wood from the previous year. All side shoots that have flowered can be pruned back to one or two buds from the main stem. Older shoots can be pruned to the ground to encourage new shoots. New strong growth can be tied in to replace the removed shoots.
Propagate clematis by layering – Select a shoot growing near the base of the plant and lay it on the ground. Cut part way through the stem at a leaf joint to encourage the formation of roots and then peg the leaf joint to the surface of the soil using wire hoops. After a few weeks, roots will begin to form, and new growth will appear from the leaf joint.
Cut back collapsed perennials – In wet weather, a lot of taller growing perennials such as Achilleas tend to flop over and smother other plants. Trim them back to smaller plants. This will allow the covered plants to recover and flower and the cut back plants may also grow again and flower in the autumn.
Cut back hardy geraniums – If you haven’t done this already, now is a good time to cut back geraniums to make them look neater. They will produce new growth and may flower again come autumn. Feed them and make sure they are well watered to encourage growth.
Harvest onions – When the foliage collapses, the onions are ready for harvest. Choose a dry day and gently ease the onions out of the soil to break the roots’ hold. Leave the onions on the surface to dry thoroughly before they are stored. If the weather is wet, dry them out in a shed or greenhouse.
Collect seeds from hardy annuals – Seeds can be collected from most hardy annuals. Harvest the seeds on a dry sunny day into paper bags. Tip them onto a sheet of paper to sort through the seeds and select the cleanest, healthiest ones. Store the seeds in clearly labelled paper envelopes and place them in a cool, dry place (your future self will thank you for it).

If you have any further questions or would like some assistance with your garden, then visit our Nicholsons Garden Maintenance webpage.