Gardening Tips for August
Well, I hope the weather has settled down. Late frosts, a mini heatwave and then quite a lot of rain – some of the plants haven’t known how to behave!
Deadheading, feeding and watering are most important now to keep a good display going. If you grow camellias, rhododendrons and azaleas, try to use rainwater to keep them watered and give them an occasional ericaceous feed. This will help new buds to form and stop them falling off. If baskets and tubs dry out completely, they need to stand in a tub of water overnight, or water will just run straight through. Mildew can often appear at this time of year and this is often caused by dryness.
Cut hardy geraniums back after fl owering and they will produce fresh foliage and possibly a second fl ush of fl owers. Seed heads can be left on grasses and some plants to give winter interest. They look quite striking if covered in frost, or dare I say it, snow! Large bearded irises can grow into large clumps with a gap in the middle. Dig them up, discard the centre and replant the outer pieces on the surface in a hot sunny place. If you fi nd dahlias being damaged by earwigs, place a small plant or yoghurt pot fi lled with straw or newspaper on a cane and shake the insects out each day. Climbing and rambling roses can be pruned now if they have fi nished fl owering and tie in the new shoots. If your plants suffer from blackspot, it is too late to spray, but try to gather up any leaves and bin or burn them – but don’t add them to your compost heap.
Take cuttings of half hardy plants such as pelargoniums and fuchsias. Several short, non- fl owering shoots can be put around the edge of a pot. Use sandy compost for pelargoniums and don’t cover them, but use a more open compost (add vermiculate) for fuchsias and cover these. Don’t let them get too hot
and they will root quickly. You can also take cuttings of plants such as penstemon and erysimums (perennial wallfl owers)
Fuchsia using side shoots.
If you are growing tomatoes, they need regular watering to prevent plants splitting and the same applies to root vegetables. Pinch out the growing tips of tomatoes to stop fl owers and encourage the fruit to ripen. Tidy up strawberries by removing old foliage and pot up some of the new runners to replace older plants next year. Remove the old canes on summer fruiting raspberries, the autumn ones will soon be taking over. Apples and pears should be summer pruned now.
Don’t forget the Broadstone Horticultural Society Show on August 12th, from 1-4 pm in the War Memorial Hall, Tudor Rd, Broadstone (see What’s On on pg74). A fantastic display of fruit, vegetables and fl owers, fl oral art, cookery, photography and craft. Cream teas, cakes, plants, a tombola and raffl e as well.
The new season of talks begins on September 12th, also in the War Memorial Hall, with a talk about ‘Mediterranean Gardening at Home and abroad.’ Why not come along and get new ideas for your garden.
Denise Hill Broadstone in Bloom
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