The last few months have brought almost continuous hot humid weather with very bright sunshine which may continue through August.Some rain is forecast though for the coming week but another mini heatwave is forecast. All very challenging for gardens.A holiday month for many & it is time to take it easy and relax in your garden having hopefully put in the effort in the proceeding months ! Throughout this year most gardeners will have faced challenging conditions due to the above extreme weather patterns due to climate change. Everything is more advanced than in previous years but one just has to adapt as best one can. Pots & planters will be very dry so do keep an eye on these to prevent drying out & prevent your treasured plants keeling over.
If you feel in the mood start by looking around & seeing what needs tidying up. There are bound to be flowers that need deadheading to encourage additional growth especially roses. Hedges might need a quick trim with a cordless battery operated hedge trimmer - useful lightweight and reasonably priced if you do not already have one.
Some shrubs need more water than others which are drought resistant. If you do not give enough attention to hydrangeas (hydra - Greek for water) they will quickly start to wilt and may be difficult to revive. Make sure you water the roots preferably with a hose and not the leaves. Agapanthas and Nerine Lillies which are late flowering bulbs also need generous watering to make them flower.
In the greenhouse or raised bed area continue to feed tomato plants each week with Liquid Tomato Feed also good for cucumbers and pick out surplus tresses from the tomatoes to encourage better fruiting.Train cucumbers and cut back side shoots. August is a good time of year to take cuttings from perennial plants shrubs or houseplants. The bases can be brushed with rooting powder before placing in trays or Root trainers.This is not a good idea if you are going on holiday or do not have someone to keep up the watering on a regular basis !
Your vegetable garden should be well advanced with several crops being ready for harvesting.Early potatoes should be ready now as runner beans broad beans and cabbage.Pinch out the tips of the climbing shoots of the runner beans once they reach the tip of their supports.Sow lettuce winter cabbage and purple sprouting broccoli.In your fruit cage prune raspberries and gooseberries and tie in new shoots.
Sow crops of fast growing lettuce (some varieties go from seed to cropping in 3-4 weeks),micro greens, herbs & other vegetables and you will be rewarded with tasty fresh produce within weeks rather than scouring the shops for bags of unappealing produce.
Now is the time to sit back & relax this month perhaps on your new garden furniture and hopefully some hot summer days and warm sultry evenings predicted for later in the month which will be over all too soon.
Wishing you contentment & relaxation in your garden this August.
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