August in the Garden

August is the most difficult month with unpredictable frosts and strong cold winds, but also some warm sunny spells. Except for sandy soils the ground is still wet and cold so only a limited range of seeds and plants can be planted. Repair paths and drives and complete alterations. Check over all spraying equipment.

Vegetable garden

Prepare soil for vegetable planting.

Sow seeds of lettuce, cauliflower, cabbage, silver beet, onions, leeks, early carrots, radish, early peas, spinach, parsnips and parsley.

Plant early potatoes and shallots

Dig in green crops

Lay bait for slugs and snails in all parts of the garden.

Clean up globe artichoke plants. Dig and divide if necessary.

Ornamental Garden

Plant out pansies, sweet peas and other late spring bedding plants

Plant out and prune roses

Plant out new shrubs in permanent positions

Take care and look out for spring bulbs coming through the ground so they want be damaged

Take cuttings of chrysanthemums

Watch out for slug damage on tender plants and new shoots

Glasshouse

Spring clean the glasshouse and wash down the walls, roof etc with disinfectant to control pests and diseases.

Tuberous begonia tubers should be cleaned and set out in trays to start growth.

Bring in spring bulbs for forcing into early flowering in pots.

Bring in potted shrubs for flowering indoors - azaleas, lilacs, rhododendrons.

Fertilise pot plants that are grown for display.

Watch for pests and diseases and apply preventative sprays.

Plant some chicory roots and keep in the dark.

Pot up early tomato plants.

Potted fuchsias that are shooting should be repotted.

Sow seeds of early summer flowering annuals indoors

Sow seeds of tender vegetables, lettuce, tomatoes indoors

Indoor Plants

Cymbidium orchids should still be in flower but old flower spikes can be removed and plants placed outside if frost is not a problem.

Repot all plants that are pot bound and starved.

Give potted plants some slow release fertiliser for spring growth.

Home Orchard

Complete all pruning urgently

Spray fruit trees with all seasons spraying oil to control; pests and diseases

Plant out strawberry plants

SPRAY PROGRAMME

Spray peaches, nectarines, citrus, tamarillos, almonds, apricots, with copper oxychloride to prevent curly leaf. Repeat at bud-burst and after petal fall. Spray for scale insects with oil or a with a systemic insecticide. Check for leaf rollers and caterpillars and spray with all purpose insecticide. Spray grapes for fungus diseases with all purpose fungicide. In late August spray raspberries, boysenberries, strawberries for fungus diseases.

Lawns

Rake lawns and then aerate with a fork 50-75mm deep.

Apply fertiliser of 3 parts sulphate of ammonia and 1 part superphosphate to older lawns.

Trim lawn edges to get the garden edge into its correct shape.

Top dress lawns with sieved soil to level out hollows, sow seed if necessary.

Cut grass at least one notch higher than summer.

Lawns on clay are greatly improved by a top dressing of river sand.

Turf any worn areas or areas needing repair.

Lawns on poor soils can be top dressed with rich soil.

Planting trees and shrubs

Plants are expensive and good soil preparation will ensure excellent growth and flowering.

Dig a hole 2-3 times larger than the size of the container. Not just in width but also in depth. By digging up the bottom of the hole so the soil is loose better soil drainage is obtained and the roots can travel down into the soil unimpeded. Without good drainage it is like putting plants in a bucket that is going to fill with water as soon as it rains and the plant will most likely die.

Remove the shrub from the container and tease out some of the roots to ensure they will have good contact with the soil.

Place the plant in the hole so that top of the root ball is level with the rest of the garden. Do not plant it too deep or to shallow as this will cause the plant to suffer and probably die. When placing the soil around the roots add some compost and long lasting all purpose fertiliser to improve its fertility.

Firm the soil into place by using your foot and finally smooth out the garden and then water well. Plants that are well planted grow better, are healthier and produce a great display in the garden. The extra effort is worth it.

July in the Garden

July is often regarded as one of the coldest months of the winter with heavy frosts, southerly storms and possibly a snowstorm. Take the opportunity when it arises to work outdoors. It is a great month to clean up the garden shed, sharpen the tools and clean the tools up ready for spring work. Take the lawnmower in for its annual check; don’t wait until spring like everyone else.

Vegetable Garden
• Plan crop rotation in the vegetable garden by identifying areas for spring planting
• Plant onions, shallots and garlic
• In warmer climate areas plant early lettuces, cabbage, early potatoes, broad beans
• Mulch the ground with compost
• If green crops were planted dig them in now so they rot down before spring
• In sheltered spots plant seeds of radish
• Prepare cloches and greenhouses for new crops.

Crop rotation - Understanding simple crop rotation.

Crop rotation is practiced when growing vegetables. It is a simple concept that people often get worried about.

Crop rotation is practiced for two main reasons. Prevention of the build up of pests and diseases and to make the best use of nutrients in the soil.

There are three main groups of vegetables or edible plants.
1. Root crops like carrot, beetroot, parsnip and potato
2. Legumes like peas and beans.
3. Leafy crops like lettuce, cabbage, basil, silver beet.

Successive plantings in the same piece of ground should generally follow this sequence, root crops, legumes and leafy crops.

Why? Root crops take from the ground a wide range of nutrients but they do not like too much nitrogen as the roots will not develop in nitrogen rich soil. If you do not have much room just try planting a few early potatoes.

Follow root crops with legumes like peas and beans. These naturally produce nitrogen in little root nodules. People often say they do not have room to plant peas but you do not need much room and lets face it fresh peas a re wonderful. Also plant dwarf or French beans as these can produce a great crop.

Follow legumes with leafy crops as they like a lot of nitrogen to produce large leafy plants. They get their nitrogen from the soil as it was left there by the legumes.

In order to remember where different crops were planted each year make a small plan and mark them down each year.

Ornamental Garden
• Plant new roses, trees, shrubs and trees.
• Move plants around the garden to new positions by digging them up with plenty of roots and trans planting them
• Prune back shrubs that flower on new season’s wood.
• Plant iris bulbs
• Trim hedges
• Prune roses

How to prune roses

• Here are some simple steps to make it easier and quicker.
• Remove all the dead and dying branches. Remove all the crossing branches. (These grow from one side of the bush to the other.
• Remove oldest wood (easily identified by the grey corky bark).
• Aim to have three to five strong young stems remaining - and shorten these back to about 40 - 50cm. Make sure there is an outward facing bud at the top of the shortened stem.

Lawns
• Aerate lawns using a fork to improve drainage and grass growth.
• Fill lawn hollows with sieved soil to level lawn

Home Orchard
• Prune fruit trees and spray with all seasons spraying oil to control pests and diseases.

Conservatory and Indoors plants
• Pot plants near windows should be shifted to warmer parts of the room.