August is the holiday month, temperatures are usually kind and days are still fairly long and sunny, it is a time to relax and enjoy the flower garden in it’s full glory. So far August 2020 has been a dry month, therefore, watering is a priority, especially in the kitchen garden. Water butts may be running dry so try and use ‘grey’ water where possible (washing up water etc). Water in the evenings when the temperatures are lower than during the day and try and water thoroughly around the plant base rather than spray the plant!
Now and September are the time for hedge trimming and generally tidying the garden, the grass is still growing but raise the mower height during dry spells, it is good practise to leave the grass longer in dry weather.
Continue to feed all plants in tubs, containers and hanging baskets, if flowering is finishing then a high nitrogen feed will stimulate new growth and then fresh flowers.
Keep on dead heading any flowers that have faded and finished, by regularly doing this more flowers will come. However, if you wish to collect seed then leave the flowers to form those seeds!
Seeds can still be sown this month - herb seeds I sow are Parsley, Woad, Chervil and Marjoram. I also sow a few wild flower seeds now.
The kitchen garden is producing to it’s full potential now, everything is ready all at once, so if you are faced with a glut, try and store vegetables and fruit for the autumn and winter months ahead. With CV19 still doing the rounds, it might be very wise to gather and store as much as you can. Jams, pickles and chutneys are wonderful preserves to have as they last for many months. Many root vegetables can be lifted and stored now.
If the onion tops are turning yellow and bending down to the soil, now is the time to lift them, do this on a sunny day, allow them to dry in the soil, then move them to somewhere cool, dark and dry. They will keep for months. The same applies to potatoes, lift them, dry them in the sun and then store in the dark, preferably in large paper potato sacks.
Here at Green Farm, the Autumn Bliss raspberries are starting to ripen, I pick as they ripen, use what I want then freeze the surplus. They then last right through autumn, winter and spring.
Apples will be starting to ripen now too, pick and handle carefully so as not to bruise them, wrap the apples in paper and store in cardboard boxes.