AUGUST
In hot dry periods it is essential to keep up regular watering – otherwise, in addition to the obvious damage to plants, there can be knock-on effects, such as blossom end rot in tomatoes, splitting of root crops and flower abortion in runner beans.
Make sure that plants in containers are getting enough water – even if it rains, the foliage often deflects the rain away from the container.
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Items outlined in brown are still relevant in September
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comprehensive advice
for this month from the RHS
Trim back lavender plants
when the flowers have faded, to keep them compact and stop them sprawling.
Make sure you don't cut back into the old wood, unless it already shows signs of new shoots, as this is unlikely to produce new growth.
Remove blanket weed & duckweed. Clearing out fallen leaves and debris regularly will help to keep down algal growth.
if you want large specimen blooms: remove the side buds at the top of each stem leaving the one main central bud to develop.For longer stems for cutting, also remove the buds from one or more leaf axils down the stem, depending on the variety.
always keep the soil/compost moist, otherwise flower bud formation for next year can be inhibited.
Use collected rainwater, as our tapwater is too alkaline. However, if rainwater runs our, using tap water for a short time is preferable to letting the plants dry out.
Move pots out of hot sun into shade.
but it is too late for fungicide sprays to be effective.Collect up & burn fallen leaves to help contain the spread of the disease.
(cabbage, kale, broccoli, sprouts etc.) can quickly strip the foliage, so keep their parent butterflies at bay, as shown in this video. Netting will also protect the plants against pigeons.
Cut back the whippy shoots of this year’s growth to 5 or 6 leaves.
See exactly how to do it in this RHS video.
Now is the time that prepared hyacinths, narcissus, amaryllis and other bulbs can be planted in bowls to flower for ChristmasFeed weekly with a high potash formula, such as tomato or “fruit & flower” feed, which, with dead-heading, will encourage them to keep on flowering into autumn.
Wildlife in the garden
Big Butterfly Count
Final day Sunday 9th August
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Photo Competition
Sussex Wildlife Trust
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Which bird song is that?
Click to find out from the
RSPB's Bird Song Identifier
Asian Hornet
Keep an eye out for this intruder with a deadly threat to our bees
Click any day below for a more detailed weather forecast, also looking further ahead
