Gardening Tips for August

Perennials:

• Cut back herbs to encourage a boost of new leaves that you can harvest before the winter.
• Dead-head and cut back faded perennials to keep borders looking tidy and to prevent them from setting seed.
• Trim lavender after they have flowered to keep them compact and dense.
• Start to dead-head and gently prune climbing roses.
• Keep clematis and rhododendrons well watered to ensure next year’s buds develop well.

Fruit and vegetables

Apples:
When ready to harvest apples should come off easily when lifted and twisted, if they don’t come away without being pulled then leave them a bit longer.

Sweetcorn:
Sweetcorn is generally ready to pick 20 days after the first silk appears. The silk will have also turned brown. Using a fingernail pierce a kernel to check the colour of the sap inside – if it is milky then the cobs are ready, if it isn’t milky leave them for a few more days.

Tomatoes:
Feed tomatoes to encourage good fruit growth, remove lower leaves to help air circulation and to prevent disease.

Lawn Care:

• As the weather starts to cool down start to think about applying an autumn lawn feed that is rich with a high phosphate content. Phosphate encourages strong root and shoot development that will help strengthen the grass during cold winter months.
• Never apply a high nitrogen feed during the autumn months, as nitrogen is used to encourage lush green growth and this could be severely damaged by frost.
• Mow/strim wild flower meadows to help disperse seeds that will later grow on.
• Begin to prepare an area and start to sow wild flower meadow seeds.

Natalie Spencer
Plant Centre Manager