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What to do in the garden – Third Week of August

Generally

The third week of August, I cry “where has the month gone?” Well I’m a happy bunny today because yesterday I visited my allotment plot. Yes I have an allotment plot. The weeds are only knee-high! To follow my meandering on my allotment click here.

In the meantime here is what you should be doing this week in the garden:-

  • Prepare soil ready for sowing a lawn or laying turf during September and October
  • Top up water levels in pebble fountains and pools
  • Deal with problem lawn weeds, digging them out or applying herbicide
  • Order spring-flowering bulbs to plant this autumn
  • Deadhead border plants, unless you want to collect their seeds
  • Spray gladioli to prevent thrips damage to leaves and flowers
  • Pick herbs and everlasting flowers for drying
  • Buy or build compost bins to help recycle all your kitchen and garden waste
  • Collect seeds and ripe seed pods from favourite flowers and vegetables

In The Flower Garden

  • Save seedfrom ornamental annual quaking grass and many other garden plants
  • Water camellias regularly as drought can cause the buds to drop next spring
  • Summer prune wisteria, shortening long sideshoots back to five or six leaves
  • Deadhead roses, unless you want them to form autumn hips
  • Trim lavender immediately after flowering to maintain its shape, but avoid cutting back too far into old wood
  • Hoe weeds regularly to prevent seedlings establishing
  • Trim conifer hedges, evergreen hedges and topiary
  • Deadhead dahlias to encourage further blooms to form
  • Cut down perennials past their prime
  • Sow hardy annuals, like poached egg plant, for early flowers next year

The Greenhouse

  • Feed tomatoesin growing bags and pots with a liquid high-potash fertiliser
  • Plant nerines, lachenalia and veltheimia bulbs in pots
  • Take leaf cuttings from begonias, Cape primroses and African violets
  • Sow winter lettuces in pots
  • Pot up clumps of chives to use in winter. Cut down the leaves to stimulate new growth
  • Order garlic ready for planting in autumn
  • Water pot cyclamen saved from last year to start them back into growth
  • Buy prepared hyacinth bulbs and plant as soon as possible so you get flowers for Christmas
  • Plant pots of ‘Paper White’ narcissus for indoor displays
  • Remove lower leaves from cordon-trained tomatoes up to the bottom truss, to let light and air reach the fruits

The Fruit and Vegetable Garden aka My Allotment

  • Harvest young marrows but leave some to fully ripen for storage and winter use
  • Trim leaves from strawberries that have finished fruiting
  • Plant out rooted strawberry runners into new beds
  • Pick early varieties of apple as they ripen including ‘Discovery’, ‘Laxton’s Epicure’ and ‘George Cave’
  • Sow parsley in pots for winter and spring use
  • Thin out heavy crops of plums to prevent branches snapping
  • Hang wasp traps in fruit trees
  • Pinch out the tops of outdoor tomatoes, as further flowers are unlikely to produce ripe fruits

What to do in the garden – Third Week of August

Generally

The third week of August, I cry “where has the month gone?” Well I’m a happy bunny today because yesterday I visited my allotment plot. Yes I have an allotment plot. The weeds are only knee-high! To follow my meandering on my allotment click here.

In the meantime here is what you should be doing this week in the garden:-

  • Prepare soil ready for sowing a lawn or laying turf during September and October
  • Top up water levels in pebble fountains and pools
  • Deal with problem lawn weeds, digging them out or applying herbicide
  • Order spring-flowering bulbs to plant this autumn
  • Deadhead border plants, unless you want to collect their seeds
  • Spray gladioli to prevent thrips damage to leaves and flowers
  • Pick herbs and everlasting flowers for drying
  • Buy or build compost bins to help recycle all your kitchen and garden waste
  • Collect seeds and ripe seed pods from favourite flowers and vegetables

In The Flower Garden

  • Save seedfrom ornamental annual quaking grass and many other garden plants
  • Water camellias regularly as drought can cause the buds to drop next spring
  • Summer prune wisteria, shortening long sideshoots back to five or six leaves
  • Deadhead roses, unless you want them to form autumn hips
  • Trim lavender immediately after flowering to maintain its shape, but avoid cutting back too far into old wood
  • Hoe weeds regularly to prevent seedlings establishing
  • Trim conifer hedges, evergreen hedges and topiary
  • Deadhead dahlias to encourage further blooms to form
  • Cut down perennials past their prime
  • Sow hardy annuals, like poached egg plant, for early flowers next year

The Greenhouse

  • Feed tomatoesin growing bags and pots with a liquid high-potash fertiliser
  • Plant nerines, lachenalia and veltheimia bulbs in pots
  • Take leaf cuttings from begonias, Cape primroses and African violets
  • Sow winter lettuces in pots
  • Pot up clumps of chives to use in winter. Cut down the leaves to stimulate new growth
  • Order garlic ready for planting in autumn
  • Water pot cyclamen saved from last year to start them back into growth
  • Buy prepared hyacinth bulbs and plant as soon as possible so you get flowers for Christmas
  • Plant pots of ‘Paper White’ narcissus for indoor displays
  • Remove lower leaves from cordon-trained tomatoes up to the bottom truss, to let light and air reach the fruits

The Fruit and Vegetable Garden aka My Allotment

  • Harvest young marrows but leave some to fully ripen for storage and winter use
  • Trim leaves from strawberries that have finished fruiting
  • Plant out rooted strawberry runners into new beds
  • Pick early varieties of apple as they ripen including ‘Discovery’, ‘Laxton’s Epicure’ and ‘George Cave’
  • Sow parsley in pots for winter and spring use
  • Thin out heavy crops of plums to prevent branches snapping
  • Hang wasp traps in fruit trees
  • Pinch out the tops of outdoor tomatoes, as further flowers are unlikely to produce ripe fruits

What to do in the garden – Third Week of August

Generally

The third week of August, I cry “where has the month gone?” Well I’m a happy bunny today because yesterday I visited my allotment plot. Yes I have an allotment plot. The weeds are only knee-high! To follow my meandering on my allotment click here.

In the meantime here is what you should be doing this week in the garden:-

  • Prepare soil ready for sowing a lawn or laying turf during September and October
  • Top up water levels in pebble fountains and pools
  • Deal with problem lawn weeds, digging them out or applying herbicide
  • Order spring-flowering bulbs to plant this autumn
  • Deadhead border plants, unless you want to collect their seeds
  • Spray gladioli to prevent thrips damage to leaves and flowers
  • Pick herbs and everlasting flowers for drying
  • Buy or build compost bins to help recycle all your kitchen and garden waste
  • Collect seeds and ripe seed pods from favourite flowers and vegetables

In The Flower Garden

  • Save seedfrom ornamental annual quaking grass and many other garden plants
  • Water camellias regularly as drought can cause the buds to drop next spring
  • Summer prune wisteria, shortening long sideshoots back to five or six leaves
  • Deadhead roses, unless you want them to form autumn hips
  • Trim lavender immediately after flowering to maintain its shape, but avoid cutting back too far into old wood
  • Hoe weeds regularly to prevent seedlings establishing
  • Trim conifer hedges, evergreen hedges and topiary
  • Deadhead dahlias to encourage further blooms to form
  • Cut down perennials past their prime
  • Sow hardy annuals, like poached egg plant, for early flowers next year

The Greenhouse

  • Feed tomatoesin growing bags and pots with a liquid high-potash fertiliser
  • Plant nerines, lachenalia and veltheimia bulbs in pots
  • Take leaf cuttings from begonias, Cape primroses and African violets
  • Sow winter lettuces in pots
  • Pot up clumps of chives to use in winter. Cut down the leaves to stimulate new growth
  • Order garlic ready for planting in autumn
  • Water pot cyclamen saved from last year to start them back into growth
  • Buy prepared hyacinth bulbs and plant as soon as possible so you get flowers for Christmas
  • Plant pots of ‘Paper White’ narcissus for indoor displays
  • Remove lower leaves from cordon-trained tomatoes up to the bottom truss, to let light and air reach the fruits

The Fruit and Vegetable Garden aka My Allotment

  • Harvest young marrows but leave some to fully ripen for storage and winter use
  • Trim leaves from strawberries that have finished fruiting
  • Plant out rooted strawberry runners into new beds
  • Pick early varieties of apple as they ripen including ‘Discovery’, ‘Laxton’s Epicure’ and ‘George Cave’
  • Sow parsley in pots for winter and spring use
  • Thin out heavy crops of plums to prevent branches snapping
  • Hang wasp traps in fruit trees
  • Pinch out the tops of outdoor tomatoes, as further flowers are unlikely to produce ripe fruits

What to do in the garden – Third Week of August

Generally

The third week of August, I cry “where has the month gone?” Well I’m a happy bunny today because yesterday I visited my allotment plot. Yes I have an allotment plot. The weeds are only knee-high! To follow my meandering on my allotment click here.

In the meantime here is what you should be doing this week in the garden:-

  • Prepare soil ready for sowing a lawn or laying turf during September and October
  • Top up water levels in pebble fountains and pools
  • Deal with problem lawn weeds, digging them out or applying herbicide
  • Order spring-flowering bulbs to plant this autumn
  • Deadhead border plants, unless you want to collect their seeds
  • Spray gladioli to prevent thrips damage to leaves and flowers
  • Pick herbs and everlasting flowers for drying
  • Buy or build compost bins to help recycle all your kitchen and garden waste
  • Collect seeds and ripe seed pods from favourite flowers and vegetables

In The Flower Garden

  • Save seedfrom ornamental annual quaking grass and many other garden plants
  • Water camellias regularly as drought can cause the buds to drop next spring
  • Summer prune wisteria, shortening long sideshoots back to five or six leaves
  • Deadhead roses, unless you want them to form autumn hips
  • Trim lavender immediately after flowering to maintain its shape, but avoid cutting back too far into old wood
  • Hoe weeds regularly to prevent seedlings establishing
  • Trim conifer hedges, evergreen hedges and topiary
  • Deadhead dahlias to encourage further blooms to form
  • Cut down perennials past their prime
  • Sow hardy annuals, like poached egg plant, for early flowers next year

The Greenhouse

  • Feed tomatoesin growing bags and pots with a liquid high-potash fertiliser
  • Plant nerines, lachenalia and veltheimia bulbs in pots
  • Take leaf cuttings from begonias, Cape primroses and African violets
  • Sow winter lettuces in pots
  • Pot up clumps of chives to use in winter. Cut down the leaves to stimulate new growth
  • Order garlic ready for planting in autumn
  • Water pot cyclamen saved from last year to start them back into growth
  • Buy prepared hyacinth bulbs and plant as soon as possible so you get flowers for Christmas
  • Plant pots of ‘Paper White’ narcissus for indoor displays
  • Remove lower leaves from cordon-trained tomatoes up to the bottom truss, to let light and air reach the fruits

The Fruit and Vegetable Garden aka My Allotment

  • Harvest young marrows but leave some to fully ripen for storage and winter use
  • Trim leaves from strawberries that have finished fruiting
  • Plant out rooted strawberry runners into new beds
  • Pick early varieties of apple as they ripen including ‘Discovery’, ‘Laxton’s Epicure’ and ‘George Cave’
  • Sow parsley in pots for winter and spring use
  • Thin out heavy crops of plums to prevent branches snapping
  • Hang wasp traps in fruit trees
  • Pinch out the tops of outdoor tomatoes, as further flowers are unlikely to produce ripe fruits
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