August

August in
the Garden
Episode 8
of our new
monthly
gardening
feature
Do the weeks in lock down whiz by or is it
just me that feels this way?
Catalogues for bulbs and winter pansies etc
are dropping on the mat, so I guess it’s time
to have a good read and place an order.
The birds have finished nesting so hedge
clipping is on the to do list. The whole garden
looks so much tidier, whether it’s sharp sides
or voluptuous rounded tops and sides that
please you.
Some of the
clippings can
be used for
cuttings, trim to
a node this is
where the leaves
join the stem,
strip the leaves,
leaving four or
six at the top,
place round the
edge of a 9 cm
pot of fairly gritty
compost, water
well and keep
in a shady spot
keep an eye
on the watering
and they should
root in 6 weeks
or so. Pot on
into individual pots when well rooted. This
method works well with Yew, Lonicera Nitida
and Box. This is works for most soft wood
shrubs.
The vegetable garden is looking scrumptious,
runner beans are almost ready, Swiss
chard, potatoes and carrots, don’t forget to
keep picking courgettes or you’ll end up with
airships. If you have room another sowing of
carrots will take off well as the soil is nice and
warm. So will lettuce and other leaves.
Keep picking cucumbers, tomatoes and
peppers both chilli and sweet as they ripen.
Keep them all well watered. Feeding with
tomorite or liquid seaweed once a week will
extend the crop.
My aubergines are a bit slow, hope they buck
up soon.
Dead head roses and feed with rose food if
you haven’t already done so. The air is so
clear in this area that black spot can be a
problem, pick the leaves off burn or bin them
this will help keep infection limited. I’m not
keen on spraying but these are available at
garden centres.
Don’t forget to snip off any sweet peas that
have gone to seed and pick the flowers regularly.
Dahlias are giving a good display too
and last for ages in a vase. If you want bigger
specimen flowers nip off some buds so that
only one remains per stem.
If your strawberries have finished fruiting they
may be sending out runners. Fill some small
pots with compost and plant the youngsters,
do not sever from the parent until roots are
well established. These can be used to increase
stock or to replace older plants.
Happy Gardening!
The Garden Fanatic