Summer is waning slowly but the weather is still nice and warm. Now’s the chance to get in the garden and finish up the jobs needed to do before autumn.
We’ve compiled a list of August Gardening Jobs so that you know what you would be doing in the garden this month.
Native Tree Saplings in August
The perfect gift. Whether you’re sending a tree sapling to yourself or someone else, August is a great month to do so. They are still in full leaf and look beautiful when taken out of the box on arrival.
Planting the tree sapling. Our saplings are cell grown and can be planted on arrival. We suggest planting as soon as possible once it has been received.
Pot or ground planting? In the end, all of the trees will need to be planted into the ground. For slow growing varieties, plant in a pot first to be enjoyed in the garden.
Keep it watered. Water freshly planted sapling until it becomes more established. Especially if the weather is warm.
*Please note: Our tree saplings are hardy UK native trees and will not tolerate being kept indoors. Once the tree has arrived, place outside.
Rose Bushes in August
Send a rose bush gift. Rose bushes are like an everlasting bunch of flowers and ideal to send as a gift throughout August. They are still in their flowering period and look stunning.
Planting rose bushes. Once the rose bush has been received it can stay in its pot for a couple of weeks before planting. While you can plant at almost any time of the year it is possible to wait until October, which is a prime time for planting.
*Please note: Our rose bushes are hardy English grown plants and will not tolerate being kept indoors. Upon receipt of the plant, please put outside.
Regular Garden Maintenance in August
Lawn maintenance. Your lawn should still be growing in full force through August and may still need regular mowing. This can be up to once a week.
Conserve water. Use water butts to conserve and recycle as much water as possible for watering plants.
Turn your compost bin. Aerate compost materials by turning
Collect seeds. As trees and plants start producing seeds, collect them as you go.
Watering Trees and Plants in August
Water fruit bushes daily. Producing fruit is thirsty work and most types of fruit will be ripening from now through to October and will need a good supply of water.
Check plants every day. If the weather is still nice and warm then check the soil of your plants daily, especially those ones that are in pots.
August Pruning Tasks
Summer prune apple trees. Give your apple trees a bit of a spruce up over summer, this will encourage better fruiting over the coming years.
Prune leafy grape vines. Prune away some of the leafy growth from your grape vines to allow sunlight through to the ripening fruits.
Trim Lavender. Keep your Lavender plants compact and bushy by trimming them once they’ve finished flowering.
Cut back herbaceous plants. Like with the lavender, cut back any herbs so that you get a fresh flush of foliage that can be harvested before the winter.
Deadhead repeat flowering roses. Prune away spent blooms on your repeat flowering roses to ensure a long and productive blooming season. These include your climbing roses and floribunda roses.
Pruning Trees and Plants in August
Finish pruning stoned fruits. Cherry trees and other stoned fruits should be done with pruning by mid August. Left any later and the trees become susceptible to silverleaf fungus infections.
Finish off bay tree pruning. Finish pruning your bay trees before they enter their dormancy period at the end of summer. You want to make sure that the tree is able to put out new growth after you have pruned and before the winter.
Dealing with Pests in August
Check for aphids. Keep your eyes peeled and check the undersides of leaves for any aphis infestations. Remove by hand or spray with mild soapy water.
What to Plant in August?
Plant a Kiwi Vine. Plant yourself a Kiwi vine so that it can grow and climb across a trellis.
Plant your blueberries. Get some acidic ericaceous compost to plant up your blueberries. They do well in containers out on the patio.
What to Harvest in August?
Early cropping apples. If you’re lucky, some early cropping apple trees will start to have ripening fruits on the branches. Royal Gala Apple Trees are in this list.
Feeding your Plants in August
Ease up on the plant food. As the growing season comes to an end start to ease up on any fertilisers and feeds. This allows for your plants to settle down ready for dormancy.
What’s Looking Good in August?
August Tree of the Month. Our Tree of the Month for August is the beautiful Hazel tree, it’s still looking lovely in August and will start to transform into its autumn colours very soon.
Encouraging Wildlife in August
Feed the birds. Keep the bird feeders topped up and if you have any leftover fruit from your trees you can use this too.
Indoor Gardening tips for August
Get yourself a plant sitter. Planning to go on holiday? Don’t forget about your houseplants or greenhouses. Rope in friends or family members to come and water your plants or grab yourself some self-watering plant pots.
