Check out our latest gardening reminders for August 2020 put together by chairman and horticulturist John Richardson.
1) Prune plum trees when cropping has finished. Cut out all dead and diseased wood. Cut back lateral branches of fan trained plums by a third.
2) Cut back the long whippy growth of Wisteria to within 3 buds of the old wood if they are not required to extend the area covered by the plant.
3) Stop greenhouse tomatoes, and stop outdoor tomatoes when 4 or 5 trusses have set. Remove 50% of the lower foliage and reduce watering to allow fruits to ripen.
4) Pinch back trailing plants such as ivy-leaved pelargoniums that are becoming straggly. Pelargoniums grown as bedding or container plants will root easily from cuttings. Select sturdy shoots about 10cm long, cutting just below a node. Place in a pot of very sandy compost and shade from the sun in a greenhouse or cold frame.
5) Maintain the water level in ponds to prevent stress to fish, plants and other plant life.
6) Give container plants a liquid feed as long release fertilizers may not provide enough boost to keep the plants growing.
7) Collect and dispose of fallen apples showing signs of brown rot. Do not compost them.
8) Cut down to ground level the recently fruited canes of Raspberries. Tie in strong young canes spaced 8-10cm apart. Remove surplus young canes and burn them.
9) Sow spring cabbage early in the month for planting out mid-September.
10) Plant Freesia corms now in large pots to begin flowering in March.
11) Plant spring-flowering crocus and Muscari during the month.
12) Give a high Potash feed (Sulphate of Potash or tomato fertilizer) to plants which will provide a display next year. Water in, if conditions are very dry.
13) Continue deadheading roses and tie in and secure young shoots of climbers. Watch out for Black Spot and Greenfly, spray at once and apply a foliar feed if prolific.
14) Keep annual beds free from weeds and remove faded flowers. Lift bearded Iris every 3 years when they become crowded. Discard old material from the centre of the plant. Cut back foliage of new plants to 20-30cm before planting.
15) Pot up seedlings of self-sown herbaceous plants.
16) Trim Lavenders as the flowers go over, but don’t cut into the last seasons wood as this may prevent future regrowth.
17) As soon as strawberries stop cropping, cut off old leaves about 10cm above the crown. Cut off all runners other than those required to fill gaps. Rake off all old foliage and any straw around the plants, Burn all this rubbish. It is suggested that the plants are dug up after cropping for three years, and virus free new stock is purchased.
18) Make a list of the bulb varieties, quantities and planting locations for planting this autumn.
Posted 30th Jul 12:21pm
