Search

Jobs to do in the Garden in August

The long days and warm temperatures continue throughout August and there’s plenty of important jobs to be done in the garden. Make sure to take time to keep on top of deadheading, weeding and topping up crops with liquid feeds

– Deter slugs and snails by using gravel or coarse grit around your plants or by applying a targeted slug killer.

– Stay vigilant for aphids, mealybugs, mites, psyllids, and scale insects. Use a pesticide if you detect any infestations. Sticky traps hung around the greenhouse can catch flying pests and help determine if further action is needed.

– Protect blackberries, raspberries, and loganberries from birds and squirrels using bird netting. You can also use netting to shield fruit trees or sections of fruit trees as needed.

– Deadhead bedding plants, perennials, shrubs, and container plants every few days to encourage more blooms. Feed them now with Liquid Tomato Food. Trim back early summer perennials like hardy geraniums and delphiniums after flowering to promote a second bloom. Cut just above a leaf to keep them looking their best and to maintain a tidy appearance in your garden beds.

– Prune rambling and climbing roses in August once they have finished flowering. Check to see if they are repeat-flowering varieties before pruning, as these should be left alone. After the first bloom, feed roses with Fish, Blood & Bone to keep them healthy and prevent diseases like rust, black spot, or mildew.

– Regularly inspect plants for signs of powdery mildew, which appears as white, powdery patches on the leaves. Remove affected plant parts, dispose of them in household waste or burn them, and spray with a mixture of bicarbonate of soda and water with a small amount of dish soap as an emulsifier. Check plants frequently and repeat every two weeks if necessary.

– If perennial weeds such as ground elder or bindweed are a problem on your patio or driveway, spray them with weedkiller. Glyphosate is most effective in summer when weeds have a larger surface area for absorption. Do not trim the weeds before applying, and choose a dry day to prevent harming desired plants.

– Once fruit begins to develop on aubergine, cucumber, pepper, sweetcorn, and tomato plants, feed them with a high-potash fertilizer like Liquid Tomato Food every two weeks. Harvest frequently to encourage more fruit production. Sweetcorn is ready to harvest when you can pop a kernel with your thumbnail, and the juice is milky.

– Continue to water the greenhouse floor every morning during hot weather to increase humidity. Open vents and doors for airflow, and use shade netting to keep plants cool. Close doors and vents at night to retain warmth, but remember to reopen them in the morning to prevent overheating.

– To tackle weeds or moss on your lawn, use a selective lawn weedkiller. Repair any holes by filling them with grass seed.

– Turn your compost heap monthly to improve aeration and speed up decomposition. A compost activator can accelerate the process and enhance compost quality.

– Keep an eye on cabbages for cabbage white butterfly eggs on the undersides of leaves. Squash any eggs you find, and consider using cabbage collars or butterfly netting to prevent future egg-laying.

– Feed late-flowering plants such as asters, echinaceas, and gladioli with a high-potassium fertilizer like Sulphate of Potash. This will help produce brighter and more vibrant blooms.

– If you’re planning a holiday, consider setting up a capillary matting or drip irrigation system to ensure plants receive enough water while you’re away.

Check out our products...
About Elixir Gardens

For over 30 years Elixir Garden Supplies have been providing gardeners with all the essentials they need to achieve growing.

Our online store makes sure that all our customers have access to the information they need to make the right decisions when choosing the products they need for their gardens. We know from experience that gardening means many different things to our customers. Whether you have a balcony, patio, lawn or allotment, Elixir Gardens are proud to supply both amateur and professional gardeners alike.

We regularly use our many years of experience to developed our exclusive formulations in specialist fertilisers. Many of these have stood the test of time and have become firm favourites with amateurs and professionals alike.  In fact our knowledge of fertilisers, feeds and garden care is well known within gardening circles. But don’t just take our word for it, why not check out the thousands of fantastic reviews on Trust Pilot.

Our Categories
Navigation

About Elixir Gardens

With over 35 years’ experience in Gardening and Horticulture here at Elixir Garden Supplies we pride ourselves on offering quality gardening essentials with the knowledge of how to use them and sold at the best possible prices.

Call Now Button